"A novel of suspense" - cover.

Florence, Italy-1533: An orphan named René le Florentin is plucked from poverty to become Catherine de Medicis perfumer. Traveling with the young duchessina from Italy to France, René brings with him a cache of secret documents from the monastery where he was trained: recipes for exotic fra­grances and potent medicines-and a formula for an alchemic process said to have the poten­tial to reanimate the dead. In France, René becomes not only the greatest perfumer in the country, but also the most dangerous, creating deadly poisons for his Queen to use against her rivals. Paris, France-The Present: A renowned mythologist, Jac LEtoile, is trying to recover from personal heartache by throw­ing herself into her work. She learns of the sixteenth-century perfumer who may have been working on an elixir that would unlock the secret to immortality. Jacs efforts put her in the path of her estranged lover, Griffin North, a linguist who has already begun translating René le Flo­rentins mysterious formula. Together they confront an eccentric heiress in possession of a world-class art collection.