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The Book of Names
Some secrets should never be uttered
by Paul Ashford
#19223
In *The Book of Names*, Paul Ashford weaves a masterful tale that intertwines the fates of a disgraced French Count, two ruthless Russian oligarchs, and an eclectic mix of characters, all revolving around a manuscript that holds the key to the world’s destiny. The story ignites when a dishevelled ex-con and a bankrupt aristocrat collide on a rain-soaked street in Paris, inadvertently triggering a conspiracy that stretches back to the very origins of the French Republic—and possibly beyond.
At the heart of this gripping narrative lies a decaying château, a stolen fortune, and the enigmatic leather-bound artefact known as *The Book of Names*. This legendary tome is said to contain the true names of all living beings, granting unparalleled power to those who unlock its secrets. As the protagonists are pursued by oligarchs, occultists, and a formidable witch, they are joined by a master thief, a philosophising chef, and three daughters of a long-extinct warrior order. Together, they embark on a thrilling adventure that blurs the line between myth and reality.
Ashford’s novel is a razor-sharp literary thriller that delves into themes of identity, secrecy, and the potent magic of language. Richly imagined and slyly satirical, *The Book of Names* resonates with contemporary relevance, exploring the unsettling notion that words may not merely describe our world—they may control it.
More books from Paul Ashford
Paul Ashford has walked this earth for a good few decades although at the start he mostly crawled. He was brought up under idyllic conditions in the Surrey Hills and failed to undergo any of the suffering now obligatory for a modern novelist. He began producing fiction at an early age, mostly in the form of excuses for not doing his homework.
He received a degree in Philosophy from a university which kept Philip Larkin stashed in its library, and then changed his mind and got his doctorate in Psychology from another one.
All this learning was insufficient to prevent Paul from becoming employed in the media, and he was embroiled in innumerable titles including being a director of Channel 5 and the Express Group. Since making up fairy tales was incompatible with the rigorously factual approach of the British press, his first novel, Caryddwen’s Cauldron, appeared under the name of Paul Hilton.
Paul continues to work on new stories. When not doing this he plays a number of instruments, most of them badly, and has a small boat which he sails extensively and largely alone due to the fear of drowning that his past exploits elicit in passengers.
