Alexis Ragougneau
on Tour
September 12-21
with
The Madonna of Notre Dame
(thriller)
Release date: October 11, 2016
at New Vessel Press
ISBN: 978-1-939931-39-3
210 pages
SYNOPSIS
Fifty thousand believers and photo-hungry tourists jam into Notre Dame Cathedral on August 15 to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption. The next morning, a stunningly beautiful young woman clothed all in white kneels at prayer in a cathedral side chapel. But when an American tourist accidentally bumps against her, her body collapses. She has been murdered: the autopsy reveals disturbing details. Police investigators and priests search for the killer as they discover other truths about guilt and redemption in this soaring Paris refuge for the lost, the damned, and the saved. The suspect is a disturbed young man obsessed with the Virgin Mary who spends his days hallucinating in front of a Madonna. But someone else knows the true killer of the white-clad daughter of Algerian immigrants. This thrilling novel illuminates shadowy corners of the world’s most famous cathedral, shedding light on good and evil with suspense, compassion and wry humor.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alexis Ragougneau
is a playwright and
The Madonna of Notre Dame is his first novel.
He has worked in Notre Dame Cathedral
helping monitor tourist crowds
and knows well its infinite secrets
and the forgotten souls who linger in its darkest corners.
Buy the book: on Amazon
TOUR QUOTATIONS
Through a set of complex characters, thrillers like this one can also offer great messages on human condition. It works. Try it.
Musings of a Writer & Unabashed Francophile
Once this book got going, I really couldn’t put it down.
I like thrillers and mysteries where I can’t easily identify the killer(s).
What intrigued me the most, beyond the external plot, were the details involved in the running of Notre Dame.
Definitely an excellent read. I look forward to seeing what M. Ragougneau writes next.
I enjoyed the rich descriptions that helped me to visual and appreciate the beauty of such settings. The intriguing cast of character’s, including the police and priests, made this a straight through read for me.
I’d recommend this to those who enjoy a tightly written thriller with a good dash of mystery.
The ending of this book is AMAZING! It really tied everything up nicely and kept me on the edge of my toes right up until the end. What is revealed is worth reading the entire book!
I loved the character development that the author was able to achieve throughout the book.
The author did an amazing job creating suspense within the book.
Perfect read for your weekend.
The plot is divided day wise – this is a rather interesting way to split chapters and the writer has perfectly executed what was intended.
The translation was perfect in keeping the emotional quotient of the book intact.
Each character was steadily developed with care.
There are behind-the-scenes when it comes to Notre Dame church as well as interesting and quirky characters.
From page one I was interested and captivated with the story. Ragougneau plotted the story very well and I was interested in how the story would unfold.
September 22, 2016
WordsAndPeace
France Book Tours 