Written in Stone
Written in Stone
“A smart, pulse-pounding thriller with a brilliant female protagonist…”
“Publish or perish?” Graduate student Christina Desroches’ research certainly seems a little dangerous. The Medieval text she’s working on was never supposed to be translated, according to its narrator. Soon, Christina will come to understand that something in the manuscript is important enough to kill for. Her scholarly research becomes a desperate quest for the truth that has her racing from New York to Paris, to the remote village of Sainte Enimie, a place where history has left many marks, but all is not as it seems. Nothing is written in stone as Christina fights to solve a mystery that is literally in her blood.
Characters
Christina Desroches
An overworked graduate student in Medieval Studies at Columbia University, Christina has a history of disturbing visions and experiences. She lives in a sixth-floor walk-up sublet in NYC with an ornery cat named Sphynx.
Fabiola Molina
The daughter of a Puerto Rican rum magnate, stylish Fabiola is Christina’s best friend and sounding board. Fabiola has the means to fund Christina’s travel to France and she is a much-needed moral support.
Guillaume de Montclar
The debonair and aristocratic owner and manager of the Chateau de la Caze, a luxury hotel near Sainte Enimie. Guillaume’s family has lived in the region for many centuries and he knows all of the local secrets, but can he be trusted?
Cleo Durant
If there is a universal teacher’s pet in the French Department, it’s Christina’s classmate and friend Cleo. She’s gorgeous and smart and definitely likes the finer things in life. But how far will she go to get them?
Hugo Caussenard
An old classmate of Christina’s when she studied in France, Hugo was also close to their mentor, Dr Guy Gerard. He’s an expert on place names and a Ste Enimie local who will act as Christina’s tour guide.
Frederique Bougeau
This Parisian police inspector has personal ties to the Enimie legend and to the Basilica of Saint Denis. There is a strong possibility she has a secret past.
Locations
New York
Columbia University. The incredible Cloisters. Christina’s 6th floor walk-up, her family home in Bedford, Fabiola’s luxury loft.
Paris
Croissants. The Metro. Monuments. Charming apartments. And a chilling murder in the Basilica of Saint Denis.
Sainte Enimie
Dramatic landscapes. A swift river cutting through steep gorges. Deserted villlages and crumbling cliffs. At the center of the village, a miraculous turquoise spring.
About the author
Author Karena Akhavein hold a PhD in medieval literature. She has worked as an editor, magazine writer, translator, and ghost writer and has published other novels under pen names, but this pulse-pounding thriller was her passion project. Weaving her research into a smart thriller was the result of years of supplemental research and character development, as well as fun research trips to the locations mentioned in the book. If you would like to delve deeper into the world of Sainte Enimie, you can download Karena’s original translation of La Vie de Sainte Enimie here.
Karena lives in California with her husband, two adult children, and her tiny furry writing buddy, Fiona.