Sepulchre

Ok, so it's been quite a while since I've been able to really sink my teeth into a novel (Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles by Margaret George was a tough act to follow).  That is, until Sepulchre came along.  It has all of the elements I love in a novel - history, thrills, art, romance, mystery, the supernatural - and is set in one of my favorite places:  France.  Ms. Mosse's writing is lush and her pacing excellent.  Below is a synopsis from Fantastic Fiction...

An elderly priest brutally murdered. The body of a young man floating in the River Aude. A nervous woman sitting in a damask-draped room. A smiling man in the shadows. Four different people, scattered across France, scattered across the ages. The only link, the painted tarot cards they hold... SEPULCHRE is a spellbinding adventure that carries us back from the present day in the French spa-town of Rennes-les-Bains, first to the 19th century, and then further back into the stories of the ancient kings buried there with their treasure. For those who stumble upon the cards, unravelling the mystery of the painted deck will take them on a treacherous journey of forbidden knowledge, the power of the church and the pull of the occult. A tale of strange music, personal ruin, murderous greed and age-old secrets - prepare yourself to turn over the cards...