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Paula Wynne
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The Grotto's Secret: A Historical Conspiracy Mystery Thriller (Torcal Trilogy Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Paula Wynne (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 906 ratings

Winner of THE PEOPLE'S BOOK PRIZE ~ Best Fiction 2017!


A Historical Conspiracy Thriller for fans of Glenn Cooper, Kate Mosse and James Rollins


A healing herb kept secret for centuries. A TV show host who stands to lose everything.


Castile de Granada, 1492: Risking her life, Spanish author Ana-María de Carbonela vowed to keep an unknown yet powerful healing herb’s location hidden. It remained a secret …


Until now.


TV show host Kelby Wade is forced into the search when her niece is targeted by the relentless assassin who killed her brother. She is pursued on a perilous quest, from a grotto in rural Andalusia to a bizarre hospital in Surrey, to uncover the mystery found between crumbling sheets of parchment in the ruins of a rural Spanish farm.


In a race against a conspiracy who want the herb’s power, she struggles to piece together the puzzle and follow the trail her brother left to trace the mysterious plant before the deadly conspirators locate it.


It’s only a matter of time before the ancient secret gets exposed ... ­


Read the reviews!


If you love an action-packed conspiracy thriller, download a sample to see for yourself! Or grab free sample chapters at Paula Wynne’s website.

And then follow the story into the next book ... The Sacred Symbol.


The Sacred Symbol Readers Recommend:


The Sacred Symbol, which has been recommended by reviewers for fans of CJ Sansom and SJ Parris and Dan Brown.


 

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  1. Book 1 of 3
    Torcal Trilogy
  2. Print length
    379 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    April 1, 2016
  5. Reading age
    16 - 18 years
  6. File size
    2.7 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

As an award-winning entrepreneur and author of the Writers'Resource Series, Paula Wynne has appeared on TV several times, including the BBC Show, Escape to the Continent, which showed her and herhusband's quest to live in Spain so Paula could become a full timewriter.

The Grotto's Secret is a fast-paced thriller that lacestogether historical and modern global settings with a supernatural hint. Described by readers as a 'must' for fans of Glenn Cooper, Kate Mosseand James Rollins.

Paula is currently writing more conspiracythrillers with historical mystery twists. She brings her love forthrillers and history, along with the beauty of countries like Spaininto her books.

Paula occasionally gives away books and otherbonus material for readers, so join her news to find out more:eepurl.com/byjPVT

Find out more about Paula at paulawynne.com

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01DQXNPIQ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Prado Press; 1st edition (April 1, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 1, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.7 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 379 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 906 ratings

About the author

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Paula Wynne

Paula Wynne

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Paula Wynne is the award-winning author of The Grotto's Secret which won The People's Book Prize in 2017. She has appeared on TV several times, including the BBC Show, Escape to the Continent, which showed her and her husband's quest to buy a second home in Spain so Paula could become a full time writer. They now live between Newbury, Berkshire and Malaga, Spain where Paula spends her time writing.

The Torcal Trilogy series is described by readers as a 'must' for fans of Kate Mosse and Dan Brown. Paula's first World War II Thriller is said to be "her best book so far" by reviewers.

Paula is currently writing more conspiracy thrillers with historical mystery twists. She brings her love for thrillers and history, along with the beauty of European countries into her books.

Paula runs regular book giveaways, so join her news or find out more about Paula at https://www.paulawynne.com.

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
906 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story engaging with many twists and turns. They appreciate the believable characters and healing properties of the herbs. However, some find the transitions between storylines confusing. Opinions differ on the writing style - some find it clear and well-written, while others feel the sentences are too choppy and lack flow. Readers also have mixed views on the pacing - some find it fast-paced, while others consider it slow.

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Story qualityCharacter developmentHealing propertiesWriting stylePacingConfusion
99 customers mention "Story quality"86 positive13 negative

Customers find the story engaging with many twists and turns. They describe the situations as exciting, perilous, sad, and interesting. The storyline and plot are described as quick, keeping the content fresh in the reader's mind. Readers mention that the book has flashbacks, murder, magic, and love. Overall, they describe it as a fast-paced thrill ride to find a mysterious healing.

"...I need to describe them here other than to state that the situations are exciting, perilous, sad, and, for brief moments, a bit romantic...." Read more

"...This story was interesting but seemed to get off to slow start. I could have done with a little less violence. *..." Read more

"...Her clear words and short chapters keep the story moving and the reader interested; and a liberal sprinkling of foreign lingo, mostly Spanish, adds..." Read more

"...There are numerous twists and turns throughout the story, with the sister, Kelby, is trying to discover the cause of her brother's death, her..." Read more

28 customers mention "Character development"21 positive7 negative

Customers enjoy the interesting and believable characters. They enjoy the story and hope for a sequel with Kelbe, Rob, and others.

"...This action mystery has many characters, all distinct and well drawn. The exception might be Barker. Yes, he's well made, but is he Jon Thompson?..." Read more

"...Loved the plot with the twists and turns, and especially liked the main characters that would go back to the year 1492 with Ana-Maria and to the..." Read more

"...The main characters were fleshed out so well you could see them in the setting...." Read more

"...a bit confusing at the very beginning and the characters and their relationships were very complicated, but it didn’t take long to realize the..." Read more

5 customers mention "Healing properties"5 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's healing properties. They find the romance, mystery, and herbal lore interesting. The herb rizado is mentioned as having amazing healing properties.

"...The joinder of the two stories is the “magic” herb named rizado...." Read more

"...a book describing a miraculous plant she discovered that had amazing healing properties...." Read more

"It was interesting . The herbal medicines kept the atention of the reader, with different twists. The cruel acts were from the caracters." Read more

"...aspects worked into the plot of a murder mystery, as well as the herbal lore. The characters were well-developed and interesting...." Read more

29 customers mention "Writing style"18 positive11 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing style. Some find it well-written and engaging, with clear words and short chapters. They appreciate the distinct characters and masterful storytelling. However, others feel the sentences are too choppy and lack flow. There are also complaints about superfluous sentences and poor editing. Overall, opinions vary on how engaging the book is.

"...This action mystery has many characters, all distinct and well drawn. The exception might be Barker. Yes, he's well made, but is he Jon Thompson?..." Read more

"...Then there is the superfluous sentences like 'swiveling her neck she turned her head to look over her shoulder' - not the exact wording but close...." Read more

"...It is very well edited, and I found very few misspelled words...one that comes to mind was "breaks" instead of "brakes" but that's a..." Read more

"...I have to say this was a clear and enticing writting style that is not often found, even with prolific writers...." Read more

12 customers mention "Pacing"6 positive6 negative

Customers have different views on the pacing. Some find it fast-paced with surprises and downtime, while others feel it's a little slow and not a quick read.

"...I couldn't put this book down! It's fast paced and just when you think you have things figured out, another surprise occurs...." Read more

"...This story was interesting but seemed to get off to slow start. I could have done with a little less violence. *..." Read more

"A nice fast read. The end did not tie in well enough for me. After all the hype about the herb the end was a bit of a damp sqib." Read more

"Very interesting story, but sometimes a bit slow. All in all not bad...." Read more

4 customers mention "Confusion"0 positive4 negative

Customers find the book confusing at times. They mention it's a bit difficult to jump between storylines and time periods.

"A bit confuse get, but fun. I like historical thrillers when they could have happened...." Read more

"...It jumps from storyline to storyline in a confusing and chaotic way...." Read more

"Great story at first it was hard jumping back and forth thru the two time periods...." Read more

"This story was interesting in its concept but was little confusing in the jumps from one storyline to the next...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Betsy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Be prepared for a journey instead of just an adventure. Wonderful read!!!!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    The Grotto’s Secret is my first adventure with books by Paula Wynne. What a pleasant surprise! I thoroughly enjoyed the side-by-side stories of Maria and Kelby, one during the Spanish Inquisition and the other today. The joinder of the two stories is the “magic” herb named rizado. In Maria’s story, of course, it is the original discovery and use of the herb in the healing arts, with the eventual efforts by find it, the people who use it, the fear of it, and the attempted destruction of all. In Kelby’s story, it is the pursuit of and the two pathways available if actually found - either use for the good of mankind or the destruction of for the continuance of current medications, research, and, of course, the massive funds generated as a result of both. Not to spoil the story, both adventures continue through discovery, use, tragedy, flight, and then on to a very satisfying conclusion. I had a bit of difficulty at the very beginning since the technique of switching can be a bit confusing at the very beginning and the characters and their relationships were very complicated, but it didn’t take long to realize the genius of this type of presentation. The story is long, but this is not a detriment since we are actually reading two stories at once. This is actually a plus for me since I love the longer stories which you can actually get deep into and spend lots of time with the characters and their adventures. Other reviewers have described the situations, dangers, and, of course, the characters - good, likeable, not so likeable, greedy, and very, very evil - so I don’t feel I need to describe them here other than to state that the situations are exciting, perilous, sad, and, for brief moments, a bit romantic. The characters are very complex and you come to either really, really like them, or really, really dislike them. As noted above, I loved this story. I can’t wait for the next two to follow. This book is highly recommended.

    I did receive a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, but I loved it so much I purchased it.
    One person found this helpful
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  • G Smith
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good book
    Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Kelby who works on a TV show becomes embroiled in a mystery about an ancient herb. It is a secret for which she thinks her brother may have been killed. Now it seems like someone is stalking her. The story alternates with scenes from the past in the year 1492 when Ana-Marie and her mother discover the healing powers the herb rizado. This story was interesting but seemed to get off to slow start. I could have done with a little less violence.
    * I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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  • Don D
    3.0 out of 5 stars Rob Roy Lives
    Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Two strong women, one in the present time and one in the fifteenth century, fight through big losses to battle and to prevail against evil forces.

    Paula Wynne writes well. Her clear words and short chapters keep the story moving and the reader interested; and a liberal sprinkling of foreign lingo, mostly Spanish, adds flavor to the tale.

    This action mystery has many characters, all distinct and well drawn. The exception might be Barker. Yes, he's well made, but is he Jon Thompson? Was that clear? Also, why was Zelda rewarded rather than punished; and, in the end, was rizado a boon or a bust for Big Pharma? Did it matter or not? But maybe family love and not selfish greedy hate stands well enough as the whole point of the tale.

    All in all, a good story, a good read, though maybe one more for feminists than everyone.

    Thank you, Paula Wynne. 
    4 people found this helpful
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  • S. Novoselac
    5.0 out of 5 stars I want to read the next two!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I loved this book! It was provided free on Goodreads, and I'm so glad I downloaded it. The book goes back and forth between Ana-Maria, who was a healer in the late 1400's in Spain and was being trained to follow in her mother's footsteps. She was one of the few women of the time who knew how to write, and a wrote a book describing a miraculous plant she discovered that had amazing healing properties. The book eventually falls into the Inquisition's hands with terrible consequences. Fast forward to the present day, where a young woman was the CEO of several companies and was co-starring on a reality show similar to "Shark Tank". Her brother had found out about the healing process of this miraculous herb, and brought it back with him and shared with a pharmaceutical company. He later commits suicide, although his sister believes he was murdered. There are numerous twists and turns throughout the story, with the sister, Kelby, is trying to discover the cause of her brother's death, her involvement with intrigue going on within her company, and Big Pharma also involved in the race to find the source of the mysterious plant.

    I couldn't put this book down! It's fast paced and just when you think you have things figured out, another surprise occurs. This is book one of a trilogy, but it stands alone. Thank goodness, it isn't a cliff-hanger! I hate those and would have been very upset if it had been. I want to get the next two books when they come out, even if I have to pay for them. I'm on a fixed income, so I get free books as often as possible. I think I have a new favorite author in Paula Wynne! It is very well edited, and I found very few misspelled words...one that comes to mind was "breaks" instead of "brakes" but that's a minor quibble.
    22 people found this helpful
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  • Ana Luisa Santiago
    4.0 out of 5 stars Adventure and mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This was a very enjoyable story. Kept me intrigued from start to finish. Loved the plot with the twists and turns, and especially liked the main characters that would go back to the year 1492 with Ana-Maria and to the present with Kelby. Looking forward to reading the next book " The Sacred Symbol".
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A must read
    Reviewed in Canada on January 11, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed the storyline of this book, a little bit mystical, a little bit historical fiction, a thriller, all wrapped up in one. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys any of those kind of books
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  • Books R Best
    5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT RESEARCH
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 11, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed this book, particularly once it for into its stride. I particularly liked the flashbacks to an earlier period and the parallel stories from the Spain of Isabella to the present day. What a shame rizado doesn’t exist! The book flowed easily although I would have liked to connect more with the heroine Kelby. I got irritated with her at one point as she pauses to read a book – OK it was a special book – but she was in fear of her life at that moment. I also got a bit confused with the various ‘baddies’ and wasn’t sure who wanted the herb for what purpose, there were so many of them. I feel the author did a lot of research to make the historical sequences authentic and for reason I will add the extra star I would have deducted from the story itself.
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  • Michael Bolan
    4.0 out of 5 stars Two interwoven tales
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 3, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Parallels with Kate Mosse are appropriate for Paula Wynne and her debut novel, The Grotto’s Secret. Wynne spins a grand tale that stretches over half a millennium, weaving strands of two tales together seamlessly, with the ruthless world of big pharma portrayed against a backdrop of the Spanish Inquisition, their victims mysteriously linked across the centuries.
    While other reviewers claim they were hooked from page one, I found the pace slow at the beginning, but worth sticking with, as the action exploded exponentially towards the conclusion. Wynne has created some wonderful characters, although I would have liked more development of the heroine, Kelby. I must confess that others left me wanting, ill-defined in my mind’s eye, especially the bad guys. At times, I found the villains blurring into one, a faceless construct that delivered enough threat to be convincing, but lacked true greatness. The fact that everyone seemed to be pursuing their own agenda just added to the confusion.
    I know that some people prefer their stories to be character- rather than plot-driven, but thankfully I am the opposite and there is more than enough action in the book for everyone. The premise of the book, the rediscovery of a miraculous healing herb, is plausible and brought to life in a gripping manner. From a historical perspective, this is a well-researched book, although I found the inclusion of words and phrases from medieval Spanish a touch overdone.
    This is a great debut novel, and well worth the minimal investment. If you’re a historical fiction junkie, or a devoted thriller fan, this is most definitely for you.
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  • mim
    4.0 out of 5 stars Many twists
    Reviewed in Australia on March 18, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    The story is fast paced and at times rivetting. There were a co uple of slips mainly towards the end but on the whole very enjpyable.
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  • Andrew Heath
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 15, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Enjoyed it on my commute. The beginning was not my favourite but as the action hotted up I enjoyed it more. Really enjoyed the historical bits.
    Report

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