The Sleeping Salamander

1973, the Loire Valley, France

On holiday at her friend Margot's chateau, Jan's thoughts are only of food, wine and Margot's intriguing brother Alain. Yet when Margot's antiques dealer father disappears, with a dark and violent man on his tail, Jan becomes entangled in a present-day mystery with tragic historical roots.

On the hunt for the Salamander jewels, the last traces of a 16th century love affair between King Francis the First and his mistress, the Madame de Chateaubriant, Jan and Alain are in a race against time... Trapped in a deserted house on Brittany's wild coast, can they escape with their lives - and with the treasure?

A suspenseful thriller by the queen of historical fiction, Eleanor Fairburn, first published under the pen name Catherine Carfax. Perfect for readers of Daphne DuMaurier and Susan Hill.