The Tomb of Zeus

by Barbara Cleverly

1928. The Island of Crete. Dilettante Laetitia Talbot has arrived for an archaeological dig. Surrounded by men, she is determined to prove her prowess.

But before any digging may commence, her host's wife hangs herself. Or did she? Following her death, her host's son drives off a cliff. What's going on? And how long will it take Letty to figure it all out?

Well, I thought that Letty would be a plucky Amelia Peabody sort of heroine. She's not. And I couldn't really understand the appeal of our sleuth or the mystery. The story itself focuses on archaeology and the history of Crete. Yawn. The murder is definitely secondary.

Not impressed and certainly not interested in the second book in the series.

11/30/08