In The Strange Death of Napoleon Bonaparte you are taken on an adventure to try and solve a 200-year-old mystery. How did Napoleon Bonaparte die? Was it a natural death due to stomach cancer as many believe--or was it murder? And if it was murder who did it, how, and why?
You will follow Dr. Paul D'Arneau on this suspense-filled mystery. He is a Napoleonic history buff who was recently fired from his job as a history professor at Yale, who then became a stolen artwork detective. He is contacted by a secret French organization called the Gens de Verite that for a generous fee wants him to uncover what really happened to Napoleon.
The author, Jerry Labriola, spins a tale of history mingled with fiction. In this book you will come across conspiracies as old as the mystery itself, as well as love affairs, hidden relationships, spies, attempted murder, and empty tombs. Dr. D'Arneau will work with other Verite members to analyze Napoleon's military battles and strategies, explore St. Helena's where Napoleon was exiled, and Elba where he was buried. With hard-to-come-by information given to him by a group called the Historians, and help from people who are as knowledgeable about Napoleonic history as he is, this case is eventually cracked and history has to be rewritten.
This book is an easy read, and you do not have to know history or be a Napoleon specialist to understand it. Labriola gives you enough of Napoleon's story and background information without boring you with troves of history. I feel like those who liked The Da Vinci Code are sure to like this book because it is written in a similar fashion. Both deal with a mystery that has been covered up for long periods of time while two different secret organizations contribute by helping or impeding the main characters quest through history to solve the mystery.
The Strange Death of Napoleon Bonaparte uses accurate history with a suspenseful fictional twist that keeps you wanting to know: What really did happen to Napoleon?
Armchair Interviews says: A grand mix of history and fiction to keep you on the edige of your reading chair.