Michel Lecourt
He has Breton and Limousin roots, where he was born. He served in the military in Algeria, a land he cherished. He spent time in Canada (Quebec and Ontario), working as an immigrant and participating in cultural activities that allowed him to discover the country. He developed an interest in First Nations culture. Upon returning to France, he spent 26 years working for an airline (Freight Department), a job connected to international economic relations. His wife's Slavic heritage led them to travel extensively through Bohemia, Moravia, and Slovakia; and the Balkans: North Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, and Albania. In retirement, he assists the unemployed in their job search. During a term on the municipal council (as deputy mayor), he actively participated in the life of his village.
A suspenseful tale unfolds in the Balkans. Sylvain Le Breton, a divorced architect specializing in wooden buildings in Fontainebleau, finds himself caught in a web of uncertainty. Croatian linguists from the University of Zadar, led by the enigmatic widow Nina, are searching for The Secret Book, a priceless manuscript in Old Bulgarian (Slavonic), written by the Bogomil priest in the 10th century—a dualistic vision that would later inspire the Cathars. Ruthless traffickers covet it. While vacationing in Croatia, Nina entrusts Sylvain with a 10th-century Tuscan prose text, intending to deliver it to Ljubljana, Slovenia, without attracting the traffickers' attention. Sinister figures are hunting him down, even in France. Does he, in fact, possess The Secret Book? Others, no less deserving of the gallows, support him. A mummified head, enshrined in its reliquary, also leads the macabre dance. His love life sometimes displeases Nadja, his large black cat, a sly fellow with allergenic fur. A warrior with the belligerent claws of a feral cat, he disfigures a kidnapper who then commits suicide. His golden eyes speak a language that inspires Sylvain. This suspenseful tale is also a journey for the curious. Publication date: November 1, 2023. Order now
