The Leonis Legacy

by T.J. Mann

Miguel Leonis emigrated from the Basque country in France to California in the early 1850's. Although he eventually became one of the wealthiest land and sheep owners in Los Angeles, his past remained cloaked in mystery to the residents of that small settlement. There were rumors he had been a smuggler and had fled just ahead of the Spanish Secret Police, who wanted him for questioning. Apparently, they believed he held the key to unlocking the secret location of an ancient, hidden treasure of immense historical, religious and monetary value. Or was the treasure only a myth, as most believed, and Miguel a commonplace, petty law breaker who had escaped his pursuers? One hundred years later, Megan McCarthy, a Washington D.C. high school English teacher, is suddenly embroiled in the mystery still surrounding Leonis when her brother Jon, who was researching the enigmatic Basque, disappears. As she searches for her brother, she is plunged into a frantic and terrifying quest, pursued by a Basque terrorist group, a renegade Roman Catholic monsignor, the Spanish Secret Police and the CIA- all obsessed with finding the alleged cache. Along the way, she meets and is aided by the very handsome but reserved Professor Iñike Daguerre. But is he truly her friend, or just one more enemy, using her for his own ends? The hunt eventually takes her to Nevada, California, and finally to France and Spain for its thrilling and surprising climax. Will she find her brother and unlock the mystery of the Leonis Legacy?

379 pages, Paperback

Published December 16, 2018

Reviews

[Tracie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fascinating book! A whole lot of history wrapped up in an intriguing search for lost treasure. Loved it!