The Sixth Key by Adriana Koulias
I picked this up for $10 in the bargain bin in Readings Bookshop in Carlton in late Sept 2015 and I am glad that I only spent $10 rather than the RRP of $30+. It is the third of four books in a series called The Rosicrucian Quartet, written by Australian based author Adriana Koulias.
Here's the plot:
A brain-teasing conspiracy thriller and an action-packed ride through the centuries. In late 2012 a cryptic invitation leads a crime novelist to Venice's Island of the Dead. Once there he is captivated by his host's tale, which spans the centuries - but seemingly begins and ends in the dark days of the 1930s . . . In 1936, a similarly cryptic invitation brings Grail historian Otto Rahn to an apartment in Berlin. Waiting for him inside is Hitler's right-hand man, Heinrich Himmler, and Rahn's life is turned upside down. For Himmler wants Rahn to locate Les Serpent Rouge, a notorious book of black magic written by Pope Honorius in the 14th century. Following a trail from Paris down to Carcassone in the South of France, Rahn discovers a web of deceit and murder. Clearly Himmler is not the only powerful figure in search of the grimoire. A shadowy circle of men are watching Rahn's every move, and they will stop at nothing to possess both the book and the legendary Sixth Key that will unlock its terrifying power.
Well researched and with lots of occult detail so no concerns there. The main characters are well drawn and the story rolls along at a brisk pace. Sounds great and it is for 95%, only to be let down bigtime by the ending. Talk about ending with a whimper that definitely left me unsatisfied..
I picked this up for $10 in the bargain bin in Readings Bookshop in Carlton in late Sept 2015 and I am glad that I only spent $10 rather than the RRP of $30+. It is the third of four books in a series called The Rosicrucian Quartet, written by Australian based author Adriana Koulias.
Here's the plot:
A brain-teasing conspiracy thriller and an action-packed ride through the centuries. In late 2012 a cryptic invitation leads a crime novelist to Venice's Island of the Dead. Once there he is captivated by his host's tale, which spans the centuries - but seemingly begins and ends in the dark days of the 1930s . . . In 1936, a similarly cryptic invitation brings Grail historian Otto Rahn to an apartment in Berlin. Waiting for him inside is Hitler's right-hand man, Heinrich Himmler, and Rahn's life is turned upside down. For Himmler wants Rahn to locate Les Serpent Rouge, a notorious book of black magic written by Pope Honorius in the 14th century. Following a trail from Paris down to Carcassone in the South of France, Rahn discovers a web of deceit and murder. Clearly Himmler is not the only powerful figure in search of the grimoire. A shadowy circle of men are watching Rahn's every move, and they will stop at nothing to possess both the book and the legendary Sixth Key that will unlock its terrifying power.
Well researched and with lots of occult detail so no concerns there. The main characters are well drawn and the story rolls along at a brisk pace. Sounds great and it is for 95%, only to be let down bigtime by the ending. Talk about ending with a whimper that definitely left me unsatisfied..
No comments:
Post a Comment