The Burning Chambers

Author: Kate Mosse
A religious war is raging all across France with Catholics and Huguenots at each others throats. So far Minou’s life in Carcassonne has managed to go untouched. She is just living her life as she would normally do, working at her father’s bookshop and looking after her younger siblings. The only apparent difference is that her father seems haunted and withdrawn ever since he came back from his travels.
Elsewhere, in Toulouse the shroud of Antioch, a fragment of the shroud that Jesus was wrapped in when he died, has been missing for five years. Vidal, aspiring bishop, is hell bent on finding it. His quest brings him face-to-face with Piet, a Huguenot and former friend who seems to be deeply involved in the mystery of the shroud.
Minou and Piet’s paths cross when he visits Carcassonne and finds himself the prey of the local authority because he is believed to be involved in a murder. The action moves to Toulouse when secrets in Minou’s past come to light and puts her family’s lives in danger.
The Burning Chambers is exciting, emotional and a real page-turner. Kate Mosse is a master storyteller. When reading her novels one is aware of the love she has for the Midi and how she knows it like the back of her hand. Her knowledge and passion for the area contribute to the richness of the descriptions of the countryside and the Languedoc life.
This latest novel is steeped in rich detail harvested, without a doubt, from meticulous research into the religious history of the region. Historic facts are carefully blended with fiction to create an intriguing tale of family, pain, love and secrets. The characters are all incredibly vivid and the narrative follows a pattern which makes the story even more compelling.
The Burning Chambers will undoubtedly help Kate Mosse fans fill the gap that was left after the conclusion of her Languedoc trilogy. Thoroughly enjoyable. All one can do now is wait for the follow up!
> Naomi Round