‘A warm and yet harrowing tale of love and loss, jealousy and betrayal, with a mystery at its heart. Through a tantalising weave of character and plot, Mapstone keeps us guessing to the end . . . The qualities in her prose are worth reading alone.’

Martin Ouvry, Wingate Scholar of Literature

Paris 1977. When Queen of French Cinema, Madeleine Marvell, comes to lunch, she reveals that schoolgirl Charlotte’s life is based on a lie, and tells her to ask her father about “the Amazone”. Neither parent will explain, so Charlotte is determined to uncover the truth.

Who is the Amazon? And why did she die?

A doctor and a crippled QC in a Cornish village, an academic in London, Resistance fighters in World War II, film stars of the fifties, and a Michelin-starred restaurant– all are entangled in this mystery.

And then Charlotte discovers evidence of murder…

As promised – the blurb about The Book. I shall find something else to blog about very soon, I promise, but The Amazon has been dominating this household for a very long time, and I am glad she is now out in the world. This is it. She will have to survive on her own!  With your help…