Review: Seduction by M.J.Rose

Seduction by M.J. Rose

"From the author of The Book of Lost Fragrances comes a haunting novel about a grieving woman who discovers the lost journal of novelist Victor Hugo, awakening a mystery that spans centuries. 

In 1843, novelist Victor Hugo’s beloved nineteen-year-old daughter drowned. Ten years later, Hugo began participating in hundreds of séances to reestablish contact with her. In the process, he claimed to have communed with the likes of Plato, Galileo, Shakespeare, Dante, Jesus—and even the Devil himself. Hugo’s transcriptions of these conversations have all been published. Or so it was believed. 

Recovering from her own losses, mythologist Jac L’Etoile arrives on the Isle of Jersey—where Hugo conducted the séances—hoping to uncover a secret about the island’s Celtic roots. But the man who’s invited her there, a troubled soul named Theo Gaspard, has hopes she’ll help him discover something quite different—Hugo’s lost conversations with someone called the Shadow of the Sepulcher. 

What follows is an intricately plotted and atmospheric tale of suspense with a spellbinding ghost story at its heart, by one of America’s most gifted and imaginative novelists."

My first introduction to M.J. Rose was The Book of Lost Fragrances.  As with that book, I enjoyed the characters and the mix of history, romance and suspense of Seduction. I was happily surprised to find the same characters and a kind of continuation of their storylines. I know this is supposed to be a stand alone but I do feel that I may have been a little lost/confused had I not read the previous book. But I do think you could enjoy this without having read it. 
Learning about Jac and her relationship with Theo was what I really enjoyed. I was intrigued by her childhood and her time spent at the Pheonix Foundation. I would have enjoyed learning more about this earlier time to better understand why she is so trusting of its founder, her therapist and friend, Malachai.
I found Hugo's story interesting and the connection to Jac and Robbie a nice twist. The strange conversations and affects of the Shadow of the Sepulcher seemed unnecessary at first, though. Perhaps a little more explanation at the beginning that it was the same "spirits" telling the priest to sacrifice his son. I really didn't get that right away, so was a little leery of the inclusion of the devil into this story of reincarnation.  I really enjoyed this book, and as stated previously, after reading The Book of Lost Fragrances, I really need to read the books in her Reincarnationist series. I am a fan.  Source: publicist. Thanks, Amy. _________________________________

M.J. Rose is the international best selling author of eleven novels and two non-fiction books on marketing. Her fiction and non-fiction has appeared in many magazines and reviews including Oprah Magazine. She has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, Time, USA Today and on the Today Show, and NPR radio.  Rose graduated from Syracuse University, spent the '80s in advertising, has a commercial in the Mus eum of Modern Art in NYC and since 2005 has run the first marketing company for authors - Authorbuzz.com.  The television series PAST LIFE, was based on Rose's novels in the Renincarnationist series. She is one of the founding board members of International Thriller Writers and runs the blog- Buzz, Balls & Hype.  She is also the co-founder of Peroozal.com and BookTrib.com.

Rose lives in CT with her husband the musician and composer, Doug Scofield, and their very spoiled and often photographed dog, Winka.

For more information on M.J. Rose and her novels, please visit her WEBSITE. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Happy Reading! _________________________________________  

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