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A Novel of Suspense
by M. J. Rose
This mesmerizing gothic tale zigzags from the violent days of Catherine de Medici's court to twenty-first-century France. Fiery and lush, set against deep, wild forests and dimly lit chateaus, The Collector of Dying Breaths illuminates the true path to immortality: the legacies we leave behind.
Florence, Italy - 1533:
An orphan named René le Florentin is plucked from poverty to become Catherine de Medici's perfumer. Traveling with the young duchessina from Italy to France, René brings with him a cache of secret documents from the monastery where he was trained: recipes for exotic fragrances and potent medicines - and a formula for an alchemic process said to have the potential to reanimate the dead.
In France, René becomes not only the greatest perfumer in the country, but also the most dangerous, creating deadly poisons for his Queen to use against her rivals. But while mixing herbs and essences under the light of flickering candles, René doesn't begin to imagine the tragic and personal consequences for which his lethal potions will be responsible.
Paris, France - The Present:
A renowned mythologist, Jac L'Etoile - trying to recover from personal heartache by throwing herself into her work - learns of the sixteenth-century perfumer who may have been working on an elixir that would unlock the secret to immortality. She becomes obsessed with René le Florentin's work - particularly when she discovers the dying breaths he had collected during his lifetime.
Jac's efforts put her in the path of her estranged lover, Griffin North, a linguist who has already begun translating René le Florentin's mysterious formula. Together they confront an eccentric heiress in possession of a world-class art collection, a woman who has her own dark purpose for the elixir... for which she believes the ends will justify her deadly means.
"Rose's growing fan base will probably devour this one." - Booklist
"Rose masterfully combines romance, mystery, and dual timelines…The storyline and extensive historical details…are fascinating." - Romantic Times
"Mysterious, magical, and mythical…what a joy to read!" - Sara Gruen, New York Times bestselling author of Water for Elephants
"History, mystery, ambition, lust, love, death and the timeless quest for immortality…a riveting tale of suspense." - B.A.Shapiro, New York Times bestselling author of The Art Forger
"Poison, obsession and undying love have never been so enticing - or so lethal. I could not stop reading it!" - C.W. Gortner, author of The Confessions of Catherine de Medici
"With an alchemist's skill, M.J. Rose mixes present and past with the dark scent of love and an intricate mystery, creating a blend that is splendidly, spookily magical." - Susanna Kearsley, New York Times bestselling author
"Alchemy, mythology, and an exploration of reincarnation lace this tantalizing telling. A lavish and satisfying banquet of a book!" - Lynn Cullen, bestselling author of Mrs. Poe
This information about The Collector of Dying Breaths was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
M.J. Rose grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother's favorite books before she was allowed. She believes mystery and magic are all around us but we are too often too busy to notice... Books that exaggerate mystery and magic draw attention to it and remind us to look for it and revel in it.
Rose is a New York Times, Wall St. Journal and USAToday bestseller as well as an international best seller. She has published more than nineteen novels and 3 books on marketing. She has been published in more than 30 countries and sold over 1.5 million books. The Fox TV show Past Lives was based on Rose's novel, The Reincarnationist.
Rose is a founding member of International ...
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