Sepulchre, by Kate Mosse

Book 30

On Day One of the Horrific Hotel Experience of 2009, I finished Sepulchre, by Kate Mosse. Mosse wrote the rather popular Labyrinth, which I would describe as The DaVinci Code for girls. Sepulchre is another DaVinci Code for girls. In fact, when I found it at Half Price Books, I read the back, saw the name of the city Rennes le Bains and groaned. But, then. It looked like it was about some creepy tarot thing, rather than a Holy Grail thing so I went for it.

The stipulation is that the Holy Grail thing was a big hoax to draw attention to Rennes le Chateau when the real Visigoth treasure was buried in Rennes le Bains. Sauniere, the priest, was featured with the back story that his townie contemporaries figured he had found the treasure and didn’t ask any questions since he was spending all the cash on improving the church and some other good local stuff.

I always appreciate when there was no great ancient mystery at all, and it is just about the money. Although I should add that I rather like the idea that Mary Magdalene was the wife and ran off with a kid.

Mosse’s style (in this book as well as the last) is to bounce back in forth in time between the old mystery during Sauniere’s time and the present day mystery with the ghost that requires some redemption. The tarot cards summon the devil.

I was not entirely impressed with either heroine. For one thing, I saw no reason for either woman to summon the devil just to kill the crazy mortal man standing in front of her. Seriously. Just to save your own ass, you are going to summon the devil? What kind of heroine are you? Also, I was not exactly frightened by the summoning of the devil. Seems that it should have been scarier.

There weren’t a whole lot of surprises in general.

Having said that..it was an easy, fun read.