The Lantern

Les GenÄvriers, a family manor house in Provence, has held tight to its secrets. Only after it has fallen into disrepair does the house reveal clues to two women: BÄnÄdicte, who was born and died there, and Eve, whose lover, Dom, later buys the property. Gerrianne Raphael's convincing French accent and slightly gravelly voice add authenticity to the elderly BÄnÄdicte's memories of love and betrayal. Kristine Ryan narrates Eve's chapters in a younger, less-accented voice that's tinged with Eve's growing suspicions about the fate of Dom's ex-wife. Although separated by time, BÄnÄdicte's and Eve's lives become unexpectedly tangled as the dark mysteries of the house surface and past inhabitants demand to be heard. Both Raphael and Ryan skillfully build the tension as the two stories converge. C.B.L. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

June 13, 2011
Dom, an erudite English musician, and an aspiring translator he calls "Eve" meet in a maze, fall in love, and decamp to Les Genévriers (the Junipers), a hamlet in Provence, at the start of Lawrenson's extravagant new novel. Eve is immediately intrigued by the misnamed French house, constructed in 1887; "there is only one low-spreading juniper, hardly noble enough to warrant such recognition." Les Genévriers is rich with antiques and hidden rooms, and also seems to be haunted. Eve is distressed when Dom refuses to talk about his ex-wife, who has gone missing, and becomes increasingly determined to investigate the disappearance. As summer slides into fall, a new narrative gracefully emerges with the discovery of audio recordings made by Bénédicte Lincel, a resident of Les Genévriers in the early 20th century. The recordings reveal a woman haunted by past tragedies and further deepen the mystery of the house. Lawrenson expertly manages suspense and intrigue throughout and breathes great, detailed life into her lush French countryside setting, making one wonder why this, her sixth novel, is the first to be published in the U.S.