The Fragment

It’s 1923, and a resilient Paris is beginning to recover from the ravages of war and the Spanish Flu Epidemic. Enter Muriel Ross, a young American photographer tasked with documenting the antiques that Senator Tom Bryan has travelled to France to acquire. Exhilarated to escape the confines of her stifling Virginia home, Muriel revels in Parisian culture. But as she captures its sights on her Leica camera, lingering questions remain . . . Why has she been hired for this grand adventure?

Events soon take a dangerous turn. The senator appears to be on a mission far more momentous—and potentially deadly—than a mere shopping trip. At the Cathedral of Notre Dame, he asks his young employee to photograph an astonishing artefact: a piece of the True Cross, discovered by Helena, mother of Constantine the Great. When rumours surface that another fragment has been unearthed, Muriel becomes enmeshed in a covert international alliance dedicated to authenticating the fragment . . . And protecting it from those who will stop at nothing to steal and discredit it.

“Bunn’s attention to historical accuracy is spot-on. But, where others might have fun taking a more mystical approach, Bunn travels the higher road and focuses on characters being changed from the inside . . . [It’s] clear he has mastered the art of weaving history and story together in a seamless fashion. 5 Stars.”
—Dave Milbrandt, author of Chasing Deception