Winner of the Richard & Judy Best Read of the Year at the British Book Awards 2006.

I was privileged to visit Kate in her Carcassonne retreat and be shown the numerous locations she used throughout this novel; the exact tower, steps, house, street etc that feature in the action in this exciting tale. It’s a time-slip adventure, a grail-tale, a history lesson, and a thumping good read that effortlessly links medieval France with the present through two strong heroines.  I loved it. This title is also available as an Audiobook on CD.

Comparison: Dan Brown, Diana Gabaldon.

Synopsis

When Dr Alice Tanner discovers two skeletons during an archaeological dig in southern France, she unearths a link with a horrific and brutal past. But it's not just the sight of the shattered bones that makes her uneasy; there's an overwhelming sense of evil in the tomb that Alice finds hard to shake off, even in the bright French sunshine. Puzzled by the words carved inside the chamber, Alice has an uneasy feeling that she has disturbed something which was meant to remain hidden...

Eight hundred years ago, on the night before a brutal civil war ripped apart Languedoc, a book was entrusted to Alais, a young herbalist and healer. Although she cannot understand the symbols and diagrams the book contains, Alais knows her destiny lies in protecting their secret, at all costs.
 
Skilfully blending the lives of two women divided by centuries but united by a common destiny, LABYRINTH is a powerful story steeped in the atmosphere and history of southern France.

Reviews

About the Author

Kate Mosse is the author of two previous novels and two non-fiction books. She presented BBC 4's flagship Readers and Writers Roadshow and is a guest presenter of Radio 4's Saturday Review. The co-founder and Honorary Director of the Orange Prize for Fiction, Kate is also a trustee of Arts & Business, Arts & Kids and the Arts Council of England. In 2000, she was named European Woman of Achievement for her contribution to the arts. She lives with her family in West Sussex and Carcassonne. More books by this author Author 'Like for Like' recommendation