I enjoyed this book very much. It appears to have been well researched and is about Paris, the court of Louis XIV and the scrambling for influence and power among the nobility of his court. The main characters and prime movers in the novel are the witches of Paris; the fortune tellers, the clairvoyants, and charalatans that help the nobility try to move up the ladder of success at court; aiding on occasion their future by the use of poison and various means of betrayal. "The Witches" are a historical fact and held a great following among the nobility who believed in their powers and their ability to corrupt. It would be helpful for the reader to have some knowledge of the period of time which covers the resplendant court of the "Sun King", or the book could be confusing with its' large cast of characters. Genny Sikes
I've read this book so much that even though it has been awhile since I've read it, it is still one of my favorites that I cannot part with. Merkle Riley captured me from the first few pages and she didn't disappoint. Each character in the book goes through a transformation of some sort and the description of the era kept me turning the page.
Witchcraft, poisonings, love and court intrigue at the time of Louis XIV. Based on true events, many of the well-drawn characters actually existed and were involved in a scandal that rocked Paris: prominent members of the aristocracy were implicated and sentenced on charges of poisoning, murder and witchcraft. The scandal reached into the nobility in the inner circle of the Sun King and led to the execution of 36 people. Extremely well written, with suspense that gallops throughout, right up to the last page. Check the article in Wikipedia under "Affair of the poisons". Very highly recommended.
I read this book long ago. Now I am preparing to travel with a group to France. I wanted to own the book so I could review, soak up some atmosphere, and share it with my traveling companions.
A historical suspense with occult elements...
magic and mystery in 18th century Paris
