Labyrinth by Kate Mosse

This paging turning novel is a historical thriller that follows the journey of two females born 800 years apart on their quest to find answers and keep the grail safe. Kate Mosse, the author, starts the novel in 2005 at an archeological dig in Southern France, where Alice Tanner is drawn to a cave with two skeletons, a ring with a labyrinth on it, and a labyrinth on the wall. The ring and the labyrinth are familiar to Alice but she is not sure why.

From there the reader is whisked back in time to 1209, where a brutal crusade sent by the pope to stamp out heresy is about to change Alais's life. Alais is a seventeen-year-old woman who finds herself taking her fathers role in protecting three books that are the key to the grail. Her father does not tell her much, but he gives her a ring with a labyrinth on it and tells her those who wear the ring are all working together to protect the books. The night Alais receives the ring from her father, it is stolen from her.

Kate Mosse does an excellent job of keeping the two time periods straight, and keeping you turning the pages to find out how everything connects. You will keep reading to see what happened to Alais and what is going to happen to Alice.