The Crimson Heirlooms

Dennis’s debut is an ambitious, sweeping epic of French history between 1776 and 1832 that follows two men decades apart who are loosely connected through two elusive, fabled heirlooms—a priceless necklace called the Cross of Nantes and lyrics to the devil’s song, said to contain a secret. Set mainly in France and Saint-Domingue (now Haiti), the story begins with Xavier Traversier, French heir to a failing dynasty in Nantes, who goes into shipping and the African slave trade to restore his family’s fortune. The Guerrier family of Saint-Domingue were in possession of the Cross of Nantes; years later, a fateful meeting between Estelle Guerrier and Xavier forged a connection between the families and the missing necklace. Decades later, Jake Loring is an American studying in Paris who leads a foiled rebellion against the king and is arrested. A stranger frees him on the condition that he find both artifacts, called the Crimson Heirlooms, a journey that takes him around France and to Ireland, culminating in Jake’s discovery of a shocking secret that connects the two heirlooms, and a newfound suspicion that his involvement is not a coincidence. In this remarkable, webby tale, Dennis uses the heirlooms as the link to weave Xavier, Jake, and many other story lines into the politics, religion, social issues, culture, and ideas of the time. Meticulous research, sharp historical detail, and a deepening mystery results in an exciting story. A cliffhanger ending ensures a sequel. (BookLife)