Angel of the Lost Treasure by Marie Laval
Release Date: 23rd February 2021
Genres: Romantic Suspense
An ancient
secret hidden within a mother’s song ...
When young widow, Marie-Ange Norton is
invited to Beauregard in France by the mysterious Monsieur Malleval to collect
an inheritance, she has no choice but to accept.
But when she embarks on the voyage with her
fiery-tempered travelling companion Capitaine Hugo Saintclair, little does she
know what waits for her across the sea in turbulent nineteenth-century France
on the eve of Napoleon’s return from exile. When she arrives, she is taken
aback by Malleval’s fascination with her family – seemingly inspired by his
belief they are connected to a sacred relic he’s read about in coded
manuscripts by the Knights Templar.
As it becomes clear that Malleval’s obsession
has driven him to madness, Marie-Ange is horrified to realise she is more the
man’s prisoner than his guest. Not only that, but Hugo is the only person who
might be able to help her, and he could represent a different kind of danger .
Discovering
Lyon
By
Marie Laval
My hometown Lyon features a lot in my historical
romance Angel of the Lost Treasure. Lyon is a wonderful city and
a vibrant centre for arts and business, which was declared World Heritage Site
by Unesco a few years ago. Since we can’t travel there yet because of Covid, let
me tell you about some of the city’s most beautiful or quirky places.
Lyon is France’s third biggest town. It is a
very busy place, with two rivers flowing through it – the Rhône and the Saône –
which meet at the South end of the town. Some people however say that there are
in fact three rivers flowing through Lyon, the third one being Beaujolais wine!
My
favourite part of the city was always the old town with its wonderful and
atmospheric Renaissance buildings, cobblestoned alleys, secret passages and
many shops, cafés and restaurants. Dominating the old St George and St Jean
districts, is the Fourvière Hill, also called the ‘Holy Hill’ because of its
basilica and many monasteries and religious buildings.It is well worth going to the top, but if you
don’t feel energetic enough to walk, you can always take the ‘funiculaire’ –
the cable car. Once at the top, there is a beautiful panoramic view over the
city, and you can of course visit the Basilica, which was built in the second
half of the nineteenth century and which is sometimes compared to an upside
down elephant! Nearby are the Roman Amphitheatre, where I used to go to
concerts in the summer, and the stunning Musée Gallo-Romain, and they are both
well worth a visit. I always love walking downhill from Fourvière towards
St Jean Cathedral, and take the time to look at secondhand bookshops and many gift
shops lining the cobblestoned streets, or stopping at a café for a drink and a
crêpe, or sampling one of the city’s many culinary specialities, such as ‘quenelles’
or a plate of mixed ‘charcuterie’ in a ‘bouchon’ – as the small restaurants
serving typical Lyonnaise cuisine are called.Not to be missed are the ‘traboules’, which
are passages linking streets and buildings that silk weavers used to take to
keep the rolls of fabric from inclement weather. You can actually download a
map of the ‘traboules’ to explore them without getting lost, although in my
opinion, getting lost can be quite fun!
Lyon has always been a world-famous centre for
silk production, and if you cross one of the bridges over the river Saône back
to the ‘Presqu’île’ – the part of town located between the two rivers - you reach
the Place des Terreaux from where you can go up La Croix-Rousse hill, another traditional
silk weavers district.
As well as its gastronomy, Lyon is also famous
for its incredible wall art which can be found all over the city, and even in
the suburbs.
There is another, more leisurely way of admiring
the town. You can take a river cruise on the Saône all the way to Ile Barbe, a
lovely green island North of Lyon, which also features in my novel Angel of the
Lost Treasure.
I hope you enjoyed our little tour and that it
inspired you to visit my hometown when travel restrictions are lifted and it is
safe to do so.
ANGEL OF THE LOST
TREASURE
is available from Amazon and kobo.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Originally from
Lyon in France, Marie has lived in the Rossendale Valley in Lancashire for the
past few years. She writes both contemporary and historical romance. Her novels
include best selling contemporary romantic suspense novels LITTLE PINK TAXI and
ESCAPE TO THE LITTLE CHATEAU, which was shortlisted for the 2021 RNA Jackie
Collins Romantic Suspense Awards, as well as A PARIS FAIRY TALE and BLUEBELL'S
CHRISTMAS MAGIC. Her latest novel, ANGEL OF THE LOST TREASURE, was released in
February 2021. Marie also contributes to the best selling Miss Moonshine's
Emporium anthologies together with eight author friends from Authors on the
Edge.
Thank you so much for welcoming me on your blog today. I hope you enjoyed the tour. I only wish we could visit Lyon in person!
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