The Last Scion by Richard Reed is a fast-paced novel set against the backdrop of the mysterious hilltop village of Rennes-le-Ch'teau in southern France. This Da Vinci Code-style thriller blends fact with fiction as it pieces together the legends of Mary Magdalene fleeing Palestine after the Crucifixion for what was then the Roman province of Gaul. Did the companion of the Lord end her days in France? And if so, what secrets did she take with her to her grave? Reed uncovers the secrets being guarded by the French Cathars as they faced the horrors of genocide in the 13th century, when tens of thousands of innocent Christians were slaughtered by the Pope's armies. Solved, too, is the riddle of the enigmatic 19th century priest of Rennes, Bérenger Saunière, who turned his church into a shrine dedicated to Mary Magdalene. How did he suddenly come into such astonishing wealth - millions by today's standards? Was he blackmailing the Church over some earth-shattering secret? In a final twist to this page-turner, Reed makes a revelation that could transform the Christian church. "It is time for Mary's story to be told," says Reed.