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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 out of 5 stars 904 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. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    April 1, 2016
  6. Reading age
    16 - 18 years
  7. File size
    2.7 MB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. 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
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 1, 2016
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.7 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 379 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 3 ‏ : ‎ Torcal Trilogy
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 16 - 18 years
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 out of 5 stars 904 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
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
904 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy the book's compelling plot that flips between past and present, with interesting and believable characters. The writing style receives mixed feedback, with some finding it well written while others criticize the poor sentence and paragraph structure. The pacing is also mixed, with some describing it as fast-paced while others find it slow. Customers appreciate the book's healing properties, with one review highlighting the secret herb that can cure.

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

Customers enjoy the story's compelling plot and appreciate how it alternates between past and present timelines, with one customer noting that the short chapters keep the narrative moving.

"...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 alright, though I didn't care for the going back and forth between the past and the present...." Read more

"...Against this background, a remarkable story is woven involving Kelly, Roy who is also a doctor and Annie, the little girl...." 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

28 customers mention "Character development"21 positive7 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, finding them interesting and believable.

"...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

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

"...Also, there is room for character development. Wow! That doesn't happen enough nowadays...." 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 appreciate the book's healing properties, with one mentioning a secret herb that can cure, while another notes how herbal medicines kept their attention throughout the story.

"...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 of the book, with some finding it well written while others note poor sentence and paragraph structure.

"...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

"...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

"...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

"...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 mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some finding it fast-paced and a nice quick read, while others say it is a little slow.

"...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, with some mentioning issues with the narrative jumping back and forth.

"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
    Format: KindleVerified 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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  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Thanks for listening!
    Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2017
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This is my second Kindle. I had a problem ,when I loaded a new read a few weeks ago . I like to start at the beginning of the book tile page ,bout the author, etc. The book always starts at the first chapter, The page s kept turning back and then it would not go back to the beginning so I didn't read the book, then it arrived in German! That still has not been refunded. I was on vacation when this happened ,so I bought a book to read. I like reading on a kindle no paper ,the back light ,it lies flat ,and you don't have hold it . I am getting ready to buy a new book on Kindle hope it goes well Thanks Valerie Gruetzke
    One person found this helpful
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  • Fee Roberts
    3.0 out of 5 stars I think this story would have been better if we would have learned about the past first
    Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2017
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    The Grotto's Secret by Paula Wynne is two stories that intertwine throughout the book. First, we meet TV show host Kelby Wade. She has been introduced to Dr. Roy Robson, and his sister, who believe that Kelby's brother was murdered over his knowledge of a miracle herb, which the pharmaceutical companies want their hands on. Needing this herb to save her niece, she and Dr. Roy Robson set out to find the herb.

    Then we meet Ana-Maria de Carbonela. It is the year 1492. She and her mother know how to use the herb, but they are in danger from doing so.

    This story was alright, though I didn't care for the going back and forth between the past and the present. I think this story would have been better if we would have learned about the past first, then introduced to the present. I also didn't care for knowing the identity of the bad guy right off the bat. It kind of put a damper on the whole mystery thing the author was going for.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Uma Iyer Van Roosenbeek
    5.0 out of 5 stars History, mystery, thrills and suspense - a great combo and an outstanding read! Read it to find out!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2016
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Kelly Wade, a reality TV star, CEO and a high profile woman gets pulled into something that is way too eerie and strange because of her brother’s death which she refuses to believe was a suicide. She is totally devoted to the brother's daughter, her niece Annie though she is at loggerheads with the brother’s wife, Stacey. She is approached by two strangers, a brother Roy and sister Marina, who tell her that she will find answers to her brother’s death if and when she follows the path that they are talking about. This path is the same one that was tread by the female ancestor of the sister. This ancestor Ana Maria was a literate person in the 1400s, a big rarity, in addition to being a healer with erudite parents, the father encouraging her to read and write and the mother is a healer herself! The story alternates between the past and present and beautifully connects the two. Kelly discovers that her brother was healed by the herb, brought it back and gave it to the pharmaceutical company to analyze the herb. The ancestor Maria writes a book about her mother’s healing career and also writes about a miraculous healing herb called Rizado which is so well hidden that no one has been able to find it. Big pharmaceutical companies, other unscrupulous characters and everyone who knows about the herb is scrambling to find it even prepared to kill to achieve their objective.
    Against this background, a remarkable story is woven involving Kelly, Roy who is also a doctor and Annie, the little girl. Annie seems to be receiving messages from Maria and provides important clues to Kelly which is used by Kelly and Roy to pursue their investigation. The book takes the readers over a roller coaster of adventures along with Kelly and Rob to find the herb, to find the brother’s killer and safely return back. Plenty of twists and turns during this journey make the book very difficult to put down!
    A fantastic book that makes the reader long for the next two installments!!!
    4 people 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
    Format: KindleVerified 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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Top reviews from other countries

  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A must read
    Reviewed in Canada on January 11, 2018
    Format: KindleVerified 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
    Format: KindleVerified 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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  • mim
    4.0 out of 5 stars Many twists
    Reviewed in Australia on March 18, 2017
    Format: KindleVerified 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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  • Michael Bolan
    4.0 out of 5 stars Two interwoven tales
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 3, 2016
    Format: KindleVerified 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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  • Andrew Heath
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 15, 2016
    Format: KindleVerified 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.
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