Synopses & Reviews
A sweeping and suspenseful tale of secrets, intrigue, and lovers separated by time, all connected through the mystical qualities of a perfume created in the days of Cleopatra—and then lost for 2,000 years. Jac L’Etoile has always been haunted by her past, her memories infused with the exotic scents that surrounded her childhood as the heir to a storied French perfume company. In order to flee the pain of those remembrances—and of her mother’s suicide—she moved to America. Now, fourteen years later she and her brother have inherited the company. But when Robbie hints at an earth-shattering discovery in the family archives and then suddenly goes missing—leaving a dead body in his wake—Jac is plunged into a world she thought she’d left behind.
Back in Paris to investigate her brother’s disappearance, Jac becomes haunted by the legend the House of L’Etoile has been espousing since 1799. Is there indeed a scent that can unlock the mystery of reincarnation?
The Book of Lost Fragrances fuses history, passion, and suspense, moving from Cleopatra’s Egypt and the terrors of revolutionary France to Tibet’s battle with China and the glamour of modern-day Paris. Jac’s quest for an ancient perfume someone is willing to kill for becomes the key to understanding her own troubled past.
Review
"Deliciously sensual...Rose imbues her characters with rich internal lives in a complex plot that races to a satisfying finish." —
Publisher's Weekly (starred)
"An absorbing and thrilling ride through the centuries." —Library Journal
“M. J. Rose’s multi-stranded plot skillfully hits all the right buttons, blending exotic settings, romance, and paranormal fantasy with political intrigue into a colorful story that would be right at home as a Hollywood thriller.” —New York Journal of Books
“Provocative…a sweeping sense of romance [and] history.” - Cleveland Plain Dealer
“A fascinating mystery with many twists and turns…combines intrigue with a touch of history and a lesson in the art of making exotic perfume, a bit of education mixed with the proverbial whodunit.” --The Free Lance-Star Review
Review
"A simmering brew that mingles
Review
"The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose is an amazing novel, an utterly engrossing thriller that weaves together reincarnation, ancient Egypt, international intrigue, and a lost book of fragrances. Elegantly written, with unforgettable characters and flawlessly realized international settings, here is a novel that will keep you up all night—and leave you with powerful feelings of revelation, wonder, and the infinitude of human possibility." —New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston
Review
"A bewitching brew of history and suspense, as well as a deeply felt love story that transcends time, The Book of Lost Fragrances had me spellbound from the very beginning, taking me from Ancient Egypt to Napoleonic France to
Review
"The Book of Lost Fragrances is one of those rare novels that reminds us of the beauty and enormous complexity of the human soul.
Review
"The Book of Lost
Review
"Clever, with beguiling characters; a wonderful mixture of suspense and pace and good old fashioned storytelling, and the research never gets in the way of the plot." —Kate Mosse, author of Labyrinth, Sepulchre, and The Winter Ghosts
Review
"Deliciously sensual...Rose imbues her characters with rich internal lives in a complex plot that races to a satisfying finish."
Review
"An absorbing and thrilling ride through the centuries."
Review
“M. J. Rose’s multi-stranded plot skillfully hits all the right buttons, blending exotic settings, romance, and paranormal fantasy with political intrigue into a colorful story that would be right at home as a Hollywood thriller.”
Review
“Provocative…a sweeping sense of romance [and] history.”
Review
“A fascinating mystery with many twists and turns…combines intrigue with a touch of history and a lesson in the art of making exotic perfume, a bit of education mixed with the proverbial whodunit.”
Review
“Compelling... suspenseful tale. Once you catch a whiff, you will be enchanted.”
Review
“Rose has entered another realm and written what is bound to be one of this year's best books.”
Review
“Entertaining... working history, the science of scents and a mystery together with the aspects of a perfect thriller to create a perfect read.”
Review
“A time-defying journey filled with passion and danger...A kaleidoscope of memorable characters and exotic locales. Elements of both thriller and paranormal romance dominate, and the insights Rose offers on the methods and science of perfumery throughout history add a fascinating top note.”
Review
“Enthralling. A supple and elegant thriller. There is simply no more daring writer than MJ Rose, and her blisteringly original [novel] shows why.”
Review
"A simmering brew that mingles
Review
"A simmering brew that mingles
Review
"A simmering brew that mingles
Review
"A simmering brew that mingles
Review
"A simmering brew that mingles
Review
"A simmering brew that mingles
Review
"A simmering brew that mingles the erotic sensuality of Patrick Suskind's Perfume with the dark and timeless obsessions of Rider Haggard's classic, She. M.J. Rose has once again again dipped into the deep flask of history and brought those rich aromas of the past back to life through the eyes of Jac L'Etoile, a woman who has mastered the scent of conflict, passion and danger." —New York Times bestselling author Katherine Neville
Review
"A bewitching brew of history and suspense, as well as a deeply felt love story that transcends time, The Book of Lost Fragrances had me spellbound from the very beginning, taking me from Ancient Egypt to Napoleonic France to the mordern day. This is a book full of delicious surprises, superb research, and brilliantly drawn characters that will live on in your heart long after you turn the last page." —Anne Fortier, author of Juliet
Review
"The Book of Lost Fragrances is one of those rare novels that reminds us of the beauty and enormous complexity of the human soul. The way Rose uses perfume's evocative power is both intelligent and intriguing - triggering her characters memories of their current lives as well as memories of their past lives. This novel is a marvelous discovery." —Javier Sierra
Review
"The Book of Lost Fragrances resonates with spirit, blending myth with reality, tragedy with triumph, pain with joy. You'll find yourself questioning everything you believe—and wanting more." —New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry
Synopsis
A spellbinding novel from the internationally bestselling author!
A Secret Worth Dying For.
Jac L’Etoile is plunged into a world she thought she’d left behind when her brother, coheir to their father’s storied French perfumery, makes an earthshattering discovery in the family archives, and then suddenly goes missing—leaving a dead body in his wake. In Paris to investigate his disappearance, Jac becomes haunted by the legend of the House of L’Etoile. If there is an ancient perfume developed in Cleopatra’s time that holds the power to unlock memories of past lives, possessing it is not only worth living for…it’s worth killing for, too.
Fusing history, passion, and suspense in an intoxicating web that moves from Cleopatra’s Egypt and the terrors of revolutionary France to Tibet’s battle with China and the glamour of modern-day Paris, this marvelous, spellbinding novel comes to life as richly as our most wildly imagined dreams.
About the Author
M.J. Rose grew up in New York City exploring the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum and the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park—and reading her mother’s favorite books before she was allowed. She is the author of more than a dozen novels, the co-president and founding board member of International Thriller Writers, and the founder of the first marketing company for authors, AuthorBuzz.com. She lives in Greenwich, Connecticut. Visit her online at MJRose.com.