Laura Rahme

"Colours and shapes have a habit of changing in this house. When you think you have grasped what you are seeing, you find it is all an illusion, and things take on quite another form." England, 1848. When French Inspector, Maurice Leroux, arrives at Alexandra Hall to investigate two grisly murders, he finds superstition and fear rife among the servants and the new master of the house. And what of the mysterious man who once owned this isolated Berkshire mansion? A decade ago, Aaron Nightingale returned from the Greek islands with his bride-to-be -- the gifted village girl, Calista. Now husband and wife lie dead and two other occupants of the house have since been murdered. Faced with a series of chilling and unexplained events, Maurice becomes convinced that a supernatural presence, perhaps Calista's vengeful spirit, haunts Alexandra Hall. But the Nightingales harboured dark secrets and Alexandra Hall has witnessed more horror than Maurice Leroux can imagine. As the French Inspector methodically unearths an inhuman evil, it will edge him closer to the terrors of his past and lead to an unforgettable discovery. A Victorian gothic mystery at the frontier of the fantastique, CALISTA is a novel for lovers of the unknown. *** This is a English UK edition. ***

Calista

It is the 15th Century. At the dawn of the Ming Dynasty, three women's path will cross. And of their journey, a tale will be born. An imperial concubine, a Persian traveler and a mysterious storyteller. Three women: One story. This is BEIJING. A city seething with mystery and royal intrigue. Once a palace orphan, the wilful Min Li has only ever sought to please, even if that means pleasing Emperor Zhu Di. Now a powerful concubine, Min Li unearths a terrible secret concealed within the walls of Beijing's Imperial city. Driven to despair, she seeks help from her lover, Admiral Zheng He. But this will spark a chain of events that even sets Beijing's palace on fire. Min Li's fate is sealed yet her true enemy is not who she thinks. The Ming Storytellers is a historical tale of 15th century China that sweeps across the palaces of Nanjing and Beijing into the mountainous villages of Yunnan, where a mysterious shaman holds the key to a woman's destiny. Across the oceans, from the bustling bazaars of Southern India to the lush shores of Zanzibar, nothing is what it seems. For the eyes and ears of the Ming Emperor are ever near. ---- A tale of the Far East replete with dark secrets, The Ming Storytellers is set during the early Ming Dynasty, soon after the reconquest of The Middle Kingdom from the Mongols. The Ming Storytellers delves into the political and personal intrigues of the Zhu Imperial family. On the eve of the great Beijing Palace fire and the Ming fleet's sixth expedition, an imperial concubine is swept up by dark forces of obsession and revenge. The Ming Storytellers is a must journey for historical travelers and for those who believe in the bridging between worlds.

The Ming Storytellers

Based on a true story, this is the unforgettable heartwarming tale of the French pauper who overcame all odds to become the world's first celebrity chef. From the author of The Ming Storytellers. PARIS, 1792. Antonin Carême is eight years old when he is left to fend for himself in a city about to enter the darkest days of the French revolution. The imaginative boy who yearns for a fairy tale come true soon discovers his talent for making cakes. When he meets the mysterious Boucheseiche, maître d'hôtel for Napoleon's minister, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, Carême's world is turned upside down. Boucheseiche promises that one day, he will reveal to him the secret of Chantilly. Appointed chef at the château of Valençay, Carême falls under the spell of the enigmatic Talleyrand. He is soon swept up in his own fairy tale - a whirlwind of princes, princesses and châteaux, with pâtisserie and scandal along the way. Then comes Napoleon's downfall and everything changes. Can Carême place his trust in the elusive Talleyrand, that limping devil for whom no one seems to matter? Orphan of the Terror, genius crippled by self-doubt, it will take years for Carême to finally discover the secret of Chantilly. This is the story of a child who defied his birth to become a legend of French gastronomy and of the unimaginable friendship between two men from entirely different worlds. From the streets of Paris to the château of Valençay, from the congress of Vienna to the dazzling ballrooms of France's richest man, Carême recounts adventures colored with spice, humor and heart, but always rich with France's history, its heritage and its great culinary art.

The Secret of Chantilly

In this chilling psychological tale set in revolutionary France, a young couple confront their darkest fears. Looming above them, between healing and oblivion, lies the French Republic's most shocking secret. FRANCE, 1794 - The Reign of Terror Julien d'Aureville, a young boy from a broken home in Paris, meets a fugitive aristocrat who changes his life. As the Terror subsides and Napoleon rises to power, Julien's fortunes improve. Then he meets the mysterious Marguerite. Upon her marriage to Julien, Marguerite Lafolye has all a Parisian woman could ever wish. Yet something is not quite right. Is Marguerite hiding a dark secret? When she attempts to see into Marguerite, even the celebrated fortuneteller, Marie Anne Lenormand, cannot read her cards. From bourgeois Paris to the canals of Napoleon's Venice, Marguerite seems to be living a lie. Who is she really? What drives her obsession with the late Dauphin, Louis-Charles, son of Marie-Antoinette? Could the answer lie in a memory - in Nantes' orphanage, or in the hidden undergound caves of war-torn Vendee, or else in the secret refuge of Gralas Forest, deep in Western France? Or could the answer be right here, in Paris, within the forbidding walls of the Temple Prison that Napoleon threatens to destroy, and where the Dauphin tragically perished. **** From the author of THE MING STORYTELLERS and THE MASCHERARI comes an historical psychological thriller that will defy all you knew of France's revolution. In this confronting new novel, Laura Rahme paints the tragedies and triumphs of love in tumultuous and deadly times. JULIEN'S TERROR is a suspenseful mystery where folklore and superstition meet with the horrors of the past.

Julien's Terror

In this late medieval tale of mystery and witchcraft, Laura Rahme breathes life into a Venice long forgotten. From the dark sottoporticos of the Arsenal, to the wealthy mansions of Castello, and deep within the secret passages of the Ducal Palace, The Mascherari is an occult tale rich with history. VENEZIA, 1422. Doge Tommaso Mocenigo lies on his death bed. An evil has come to Venice. An evil that will set the course for the future of La Serenissima. On the eve of Carnivale, five wealthy Venetian merchants set upon a mask maker in the ancient district of Santa Croce. They are led by Giacomo Contarini, a ruthless patrician. The following day, the Venice Republic's security council, the most feared Council of Ten, summons Florentine inquisitor, Antonio da Parma, to hold an inquest on a most baffling case. During a sumptuous banquet, Giacomo Contarini and his partners have met a chilling death. Newly widowed and fresh from Florence, Antonio da Parma's reputation precedes him. He is known for his susceptibility to the occult and is sternly warned that The Council of Ten want none of that. Yet in the throes of this macabre investigation Antonio is lured by his dreams and visions and by the mysterious silver pendant that he discovers on one of the dead merchants. Enter the dashing Esteban del Valle, a formidable swordmaster of Nubian origins. Esteban grieves his stolen inheritance and the death of his Catalan adopted father. He survives, mysteriously, through the influence of high ranking patricians. He never removes his mask and has sworn to reclaim his wealth. Noble Catarina Contarini has a sad tale to tell. Her husband's death weighs upon her and so too, do the scandalous accusations that have been raised against him. In her grief, she confides in Antonio and reveals her shocking secrets. But Catarina's darkest secret concerns a witch; a Napoletana named Magdalena. Antonio is drawn ever closer to the magnetic Magdalena. He unveils the truth behind the merchants' murders and comes face to face with a machination of monstrous evil. Through this fascinating Magdalena, an enchanter of admirals and merchants alike, Antonio begins to realize that his true quest is one he could never have imagined. Weaving historical mystery and the supernatural, The Mascherari evokes a Venice that will leave your breathless.

A Novel of Venice

The Mascherari

« Dans mon histoire, justement, il y avait un prince. Et jamais dans mon imagination la plus folle je n’aurais prédit que je viendrais vivre avec lui dans son château. » PARIS, 1792. Abandonné et livré à lui-même dans les rues de la capitale, Marie-Antoine Carême n’a que huit ans. Il s’aventure dans le monde de la restauration et au cours des années se distingue en pâtisserie. Lorsqu'il rencontre le mystérieux Boucher, maître d’hôtel du ministre Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, celui-ci lui promet de lui révéler le secret de Chantilly. La magie opère. Devenu chef de cuisine au château de Valençay, Carême tombe sous le charme de l'énigmatique Talleyrand. Il se plonge dans un conte de fées – un tourbillon vertigineux de princes, de princesses, de sortilèges et de châteaux où pâtisserie et scandale sont au rendez-vous. Mais vient la chute de Napoléon et tout bascule. Devrait-il encore se fier à Talleyrand, cet homme insaisissable, ce diable boiteux pour qui personne ne paraît compter ? Orphelin de la Terreur, génie assailli par le doute, il faudra à Carême des années avant de découvrir enfin le secret de Chantilly. Un roman touchant qui dévoile l’amitié inimaginable entre deux êtres appartenant à deux mondes entièrement différents. De Paris à Valençay, du congrès de Vienne à Londres, Carême nous fait voyager à travers ses aventures parfois piquantes, souvent pleines d’humour, mais qui incarnent la France – son histoire, son patrimoine et son grand art culinaire.

Laura Rahme

About

Books

Join the club