Hugo, a literary historian, is assigned to decipher an ancient manuscript after it is found in the aftermath of a fire. He soon reads bout a hidden cave and hires an archaeologist, Luc, to find it. Luc discovers the cave is made up of ten tunnels, or chambers, each with their own motif painted in the most realistic prehistoric paintings he had ever seen. He is put in charge of studying the cave and faces resistance from the villagers near the cave..

From here the story really takes off, full of mystery and a study of people long ago and how they have or have not changed today.

I was given the opportunity to read this book by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review!

An enjoyable read.
I would recommend to family and friends.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Abbey of Ruac, rural France – A medieval script is discovered hidden behind an antique bookcase. Badly damaged, it is sent to Paris for restoration, and there literary historian Hugo Pineau begins to read the startling fourteenth-century text. Within its pages lies a fanciful tale of a painted cave and the secrets it contains – and a rudimentary map showing its position close to the abbey. Intrigued, Hugo enlists the help of archaeologist Luc Simard and the two men go exploring.
When they discover a vast network of prehistoric caves, buried deep within the cliffs, they realize that they’ve stumbled across something extraordinary. And at the very core of the labyrinth lies the most astonishing chamber of all, just as the manuscript chronicled. But as they begin to unlock the ancient secrets the cavern holds, they find themselves at the centre of a dangerous game. One ‘accidental’ death leads to another. And it seems that someone will stop at nothing to protect the enigma of the tenth chamber.

*3.5 stars*

This was one of those books where the longer it went on, the less I enjoyed it.

But let's start off by giving the story the credit it deserves. I really enjoyed the build-up of the "mystery" of the cave. Added to that was the "accidental" murders that were happening as someone was trying to protect the cave. The characters were pretty strong - Luc the archaeologist was a little too much Indiana-Jones for my liking but he served the story well, as did Hugo and Sara. These were all positives for me...

And then about halfway along, it seemed that the author decided that good, interesting writing could go out the window and started to head down the path of implausibility, made famous by Dan Brown. The smart thriller turned to farce as ridiculous connections are forced together throughout time. It didn't work. I think if the author had stuck with the codex, cave and present-time, it would have been a far stronger story, without having to resort to Dan Brown silliness.


Paul
ARH