The author actually did a great job in sending you back to 1815 era in Paris. The story takes place at the end of the Napoleonic War when thousands of men were really drawn to Paris. And, in 1811, a criminal really was head of the police investigative department. The endless tunnels under Paris told in the story are also real. One problem…the subject was a bit boring and the use of French place names and sentences made it very difficult to get through. But, unlike so many authors I’ve been reading lately, this story at least had some “depth”. It gives the feel of the old-time investigative movies on TV where the tall, beautiful woman walks into a dark investigators office and speaks with a sexy, smoky voice while holding a cigarette in a gloved hand. This is Lucienne! She’s atheist and a transformist who collected, stole, and studied corals because she believed they held the answers to the beginning of time, and Daniel Conner, a 21-year-old striving botanist, who believes more in the God theory.

Daniel Conner heads to Paris to work under the prestigious anatomist, Cuvier. He is sent with a certification of high recommendations, mammal bones, and a hand-written manuscript from his teacher to be added to the largest volume of the science and study of all animals, along with a few valuable corals. On route, he is robbed by the beautiful Lucienne Bernard, who is 10 years older, while dozing on the coach ride to Paris. He reports the theft upon arriving in Paris to Jagot, a criminal running the police investigation department who has it out for Lucienne and her partner in crime, Silviel, because Silviel shot and killed one of Jagot’s men.

But, she’s a bit of an elusive character and you get the feel that she’s playing on his vulnerability. She’s spotted here and there, but always just out of Daniel’s reach. Daniel falls so in love with her, but he’s so young and naïve. She keeps putting off returning the things she stole from Daniel until eventually he corners her and is furious because he’s about to lose his position in the school if he doesn’t hand over all the things he was entrusted with. She finally makes a bargain with him to save him. She agrees on returning everything but the coral, which she kept. They meet here and there; they make love a few times. He finds himself in deep with this group of criminals. And because of his love for her, he couldn’t care less and is drawn into their world of crime. But, she had grown affections towards him and in the end wouldn’t allow Daniel to throw it all away and run away with her.

Lucienne and Silviel, and their daughter got away with the diamond through the tunnels of Paris, leaving behind Daniel…whether by accident or on purpose. She saved Daniel from being involved in the scandal by telling him to tell Jagot that she was holding a gun to his head. The gun “accidentally” went off above their heads causing a cave-in…Daniel and Jagot on one side and Lucienne, Silviel, and their daughter on the other side…supposedly dead. That’s how the story ended, but, Daniel knew they had survived by reading the papers and following them over the years. ( )

Paris, 1815. Daniel Connor, a young medical student from Edinburgh, has arrived to study anatomy at the Jardin des Plantes only to realize that his letters of introduction and precious coral specimens, on which his tenure with the legendary Dr. Cuvier depends, have been stolen. His thief turns out to be a beautiful woman who lives in a shadowy realm of outlaws, philosophers, and emigres. As Daniel falls in love with her, he discovers a radical theory of evolution that irrevocably changes his conception of the world. I found the scientific information and the revolution in France interesting but I found the character development and plot too weak. I enjoyed learning about transformism and how it changed views on religion and the origin of species before Charles Darwin's book about evolution. I have read and enjoyed Stott's novel Ghostwalk but enjoyed it more than this book. If you like history and science mixed together then you may enjoy this book. ( )

It is rare these days for a work of fiction to merit my highest praise. This one held my interest, and the author did not think she was writing War and Peace. In fact, it could have been a bit longer, but that wasn't required. She told the story through the first person narration of a young scientist arriving in Paris in the early nineteenth century, simultaneous with Napoleon being transported to St. Helena. She brings the period to life well, and her characters are dynamic and charismatic. When the young scientist has the precious coral and documents stolen as he is on his way to meet Cuvier for a chance to work in the amazing Natural History museum, he finds himself suddenly with one foot in the scientific establishment and one foot in the underbelly of Paris. Mix in a dose of Lamarck and Cuvier disagreeing about the fixity of species, and you have the ingredients for a compelling novel. This is it. ( )

I listened to BBC's abridged audio version and enjoyed it. The reader did a good job giving individual voices (and thereby personalities) to the characters, and it was well edited so that I got the story without all the superfluous material that seemed to discourage many of the readers of the book. Based on the book reviews, I won't be attempting to read this one, as even in this recording I found Lucienne something of a hollow person and I questioned some of the action in the story. ( )

Excellent narrator/reading by Simon Prebble. Takes place in 1815 Paris and so nicely woven in historical facts with love story of a young med-student and his fascination with a more experienced woman. ( )