38 Specks

In 2011 at the age of sixty-nine, Gerard Catherin hung up his chef's whites for the last time to full time on his main passion, his fifteen-year-long dream of finding the elusive diamond pipe in the barren country of northern New South Wales Australia. But still simmering away in his brain was a chance discovery made in 2003 on his way to Rennes-le-Château; the little village in the south of France which shot to fame in the 1980s after the story of Father Berenger Saunière, the local priest who became a millionaire, was published in the international best seller The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail. For over ninety years, the mystery of Rennes-le-Château has sparked a wealth of speculation involving theories about lost treasure, societies, death cults, portals to other dimensions, sacred geometry and even aliens. Just how Father Saunière became rich is still a mystery today. But have other investigators overlooked the most obvious explanation? Gerard joins forces with retired research librarian Jennifer Sinclair and together they set out to re-examine the mystery through a new lens, the lens of geology. 38 Specks: The Proposition is a fresh look at the mystery which continues to fascinate millions of people worldwide. Freed from his previous life organised around the demands of commercial kitchens, Gerard takes us on a journey from the ancient beauty of Australia to the stunning wine region of the south of France on his quest and discovers a simple truth: geology doesn't lie.