The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson

The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson

When she and her boyfriend, Dom, move into a crumbling Provencal house, Eve never expects to be drawn into the hamlet's mystery. Charmed by Dom in Switzerland, Eve quickly moves in with him.

Eve never questions her boyfriend's past or why he left his ex-wife Rachel. A mystery woman, Sabine, seems to have some of the answers but Dom wants to force Eve and Sabine apart.

Strange events, flickering lights, strange scents, stones thrown against a window pane and a falling light fixture cause Eve alarm; plus, there is a growing distance between her and Dom.

Under a floorboard, she finds a child's book of Provencal tales and the history of the house's former owners, the Lincels, begisn to unfold. Eve is fascinated by the Lincel's story--Pierre's cruelty and Marthe's determination to become a perfume maker despite her blindness. After creating a famous scent, Lavande du Nuit, Marthe disappears under mysterious circumstances.

The author who spends much of her time in Provence drew inspiration for this book from the fact that the company, L'Occitane en Provence, formed a foundation in 1997 to introduce visually impaired children to perfume creation.

If you like mysteries and books set in Provence, you will love The Lantern. For a similar work, try the equally fascinating, Ghosts of Kerfol by Deborah Noyes.