(Full length, contemporary thriller/suspense, self-published)
This review is done in conjunction with the author's virtual tour with Goddess Fish Promotions. Matt will be awarding a $20 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter on the tour, so comment today AND follow the tour (if you click on the tour banner above, it'll take you to a list of his tour stops) -- the more you read and comment, the better your odds of winning. You could be introduced to a great new author AND win a GC!
In 'The Caves of Etretat', Canadian bookstore owner Paul Sirenne was thrust into a quest for answers in the town of Etretat, France, on the trail of a hundred year old mystery hidden in the pages of 'The Hollow Needle', by Maurice Leblanc. Together with Leblanc's great-granddaughter, Sirenne unearthed puzzles, codes and historical mysteries, exposing a secret war for control of a cave fortress in Etretat's chalk cliffs.
In Book Two, 'The Four Books of Etretat', Sirenne discovers the reason for the hidden war: the secret of immortality. The Abbey, a thousand-year old organization, dedicated to chasing the oldest immortal on earth, known as the Greyman, has given Sirenne control of the caves and its secrets, apparently preparing him for a confrontation with the Greyman. Unfortunately, the serial killer who killed Sirenne's father, Weissmuller, has discovered this knowledge before Sirenne. Now an immortal and constantly dogging Sirenne's steps, Weissmuller seems to be playing a game of his own.
'THE FOUR BOOKS OF ETRETAT' is the second in a four-book epic adventure following Paul Sirenne, an average man unknowingly manipulated into becoming the key in the final phase of a complex conspiracy spanning millennia. Inextricably woven into history, the series re-writes everything we know in a non-stop rollercoaster of a ride where nothing is ever as it seems.
The Saga Continues
After reading Book One ("The Caves of Etretat") and loving it, I could hardly wait to read Book Two. The puzzle of the story you are introduced to in the first book continues, with each page making the story more complex than I could have ever imagined. But as I read, I was pulled further and further into the story. I had to know all the answers. At first it was just looking at all the questions, then suddenly it became an exciting action story. I was on the edge of my seat as I read, and many times I had to put the book down and take a deep breath before I could continue.
Paul Sirenne, the main character in the story, has been informed that what he does will affect the fate of the world. Needless to say, he is stunned. It is then, I believe, that he realized this whole thing was not a game. He had to find out the secret of the caves.
Many other groups have been looking for the answer to the caves for years, and now, he and his group are all in danger.
I will not go into too much detail, because each reader has to find the puzzle pieces for himself. As I read, I tried to figure it out, and was, invariably, wrong. One statement in the book was extremely powerful. “Focus on what the game is about before you play the game.”
If you are looking for an easy read, one you can easily figure out, where you aware of the villain early on, this is NOT the book for you. The only thing I had difficulty with the story was the way it switched from group to group, often using people’s names and not identifying the group. There were so many names, that I was frequently confused for a bit.
I'm so glad I read this book (and am looking forward to the next one). This was a terrifically exciting, frightening but wonderful story.
4.5 / 5 Flowers
Born in Ottawa, fifty-two years ago, I have been the owner of a used bookstore I opened in Ontario, since 1990. I have been writing since I was ten. Beginning with poetry, I quickly moved on to short stories and non-fiction pieces. I stayed in that format for many years, eventually self-publishing a franchise manual, as well as a variety of booklets.
Having semi-retired from the bookstore, I embarked on the project of writing my first serious novel, which I expanded to a four-book series after discovering an incredible mystery hidden within a French author's books.
My interests are eclectic. I like Quantum Physics, Cosmology, history, archaeology, science in general, mechanics, free power, recycling and re-use. I'm a good handyman and can usually fix just about anything. I'm good with computers. I love movies, both good and bad, preferring action and war movies. I can draw and paint fairly well but am so obsessed with perspective and light that I cannot think of much else. I am too detail-oriented.
I have been around books all my life. In my mid-forties, I decided to focus on writing as my future job. It took me five years to learn the trade. Now I know how fast I can write and how to develop my story and characters. I always wage an internal war to decide if my next story is going to be a mild mystery or a big stake epic. So far the big stakes are winning.
My website: http://www.mattchatelain.com/
Facebook: http://www.blogger.com/goog_1928871190
