Adam’s wife, Maryanne, vanished without trace whilst on holiday in southern France, more than two years ago. Unexpectedly, he receives an enigmatic message. It prompts him to return to the scene of her disappearance. His efforts to piece together what happened force him to
reexamine their relationship, coupled with his feelings of guilt.
Retracing events that led to that fateful day, he soon learns that his return has not gone unnoticed, and his efforts to find Maryanne are far from welcome. Adam is joined in his search by Abigail, Maryanne’s daughter from a previous marriage. It is February. The mistral is battering the streets and dark corners of the ancient towns across this area of France.
As more of Maryanne’s past is revealed, the search, enmeshed in a world of intrigue and deceit, with its past rooted in antiquity, becomes increasingly dangerous. They discover that some will
do anything to stop them from uncovering the final, terrifying truth.
Robert Cole trained as a clinical psychologist but spent most of his career within the corporate business world, both in the UK and overseas. He has held senior positions in Human Resources within a number of large global companies.
Mistral is his second novel and is a powerful and sweeping drama set amongst the vineyards and picturesque towns and villages of the Languedoc and Provence areas of the South of France.
His well-received first novel, A Breeze Across the Aegean published in 2020, draws on his affinity with Greece and its diverse islands.
He is currently working on a sequel.
In addition to the UK he has lived in Singapore, Cyprus, the Netherlands and South Africa. Currently he divides his time between Surrey and Uzes in France.
My thoughts: The mistral is a fierce wind that batters parts of France in winter and spring, this ferocious weather makes it unlikely for many tourists to be visiting, so Adam stands out even more as he hunts for clues to his missing wife’s location. The strange postcard he received convinces him that she’s still alive and in the region. But no one he speaks to, especially the artist Jean, will admit to knowing anything.
He’s joined by Maryanne’s daughter, Abigail, she too has never given up hope of finding her mother. Together they search for her. Fragments of memory of Abigail’s childhood in Dublin, the people her artist grandmother hosted at her home, come back to her, and the pair wonder if there’s a connection.
Adam’s friend Caroline, who lives in the region, helps him, despite not being keen on Maryanne, and he worries that his wife’s history of mental illness and disappearances, including taking Abigail to a house not far from where she disappeared, as a child. They find that place, but it’s been abandoned.
As they look into the photographer Jean, and his strange brother, who both think they’ve seen before, a curious connection between Maryanne and the cult of Mary Magdalene emerges. Could this have something to do with her whereabouts?
Both Adam and Abigail risk their own lives to find out the truth and get answers to what became of Maryanne, why she vanished when she did and where she’s been for three long years. The police have stopped looking but Adam has never given up hope.
Clever, full of twists, shocking moments, obsession and darkness, as well as the terrifying wild boars, sangliers, who make their homes in the forests and mountains of this part of France, this was an enjoyable, if sinister read. Adam and especially Abigail are great protagonists, brave, resourceful and incredibly lucky.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 