A Murder of Furies

Bronze Age Crete Mystery, #3

by

Eleanor Kuhns

Another top-notch historical cozy mystery set in ancient Crete!

A Murder of Furies is the third book in veteran author Eleanor Kuhns’s excellent Bronze Age Crete Mystery series, and with its riveting murder, political intrigue, and impeccably crafted, highly visual settings, historical mystery fans are sure to be absorbed by this mesmerizing tale just as I was. Martis, the young bull dancer and series sleuth, is drawn into the search for the missing daughter of her friend, Tinos, the consort of the high priestess, Potnia. Atana had stormed off after a heated argument with her father earlier in the week and had been avoiding him, but after her absence stretched to several days and several missed appearances at important religious rites, it is feared that she may have come to harm. The suspense rises when a young priestess, Tino’s younger sister, dies during a public ceremony, when she is bitten by an asp that had been secretly substituted for the sacred serpent that should have been in the basket the girl carried. To make matters worse, the young priestess had just been given Martis’s mother’s place in the ceremony and Nephele would normally have been carrying that basket. 

Martis is such a fun, relatable character, and I love coming back to this series just for her. She’s young and chafes at the restrictions and expectations placed on her by her mother and society for girls of her age and status. She just attained marriageable age, but marriage doesn’t interest her. However, she feels guilty about wanting to follow her own path for her mother’s sake, as she’s lost all three of her other daughters. Martis’s infatuation with Tinos is still causing her some heartache, but she’s perhaps beginning to feel less enamored as she matures. She continues to do all she can to avoid household chores and being stuck at home, though. 

Martis is diligent in her search for the missing Atana, and at the same time, she conducts a pretty logical investigation into the death of Phytia, Tinos’s sister, which includes sneaking into the House of the Priestesses and down to the docks and visiting with Tetis, in a complete disregard of her mother’s admonitions. She does a good job covering all the bases and chasing down any avenue of inquiry she can in pursuit of the truth, even when the stakes become so much higher. 

I loved the colorful and detailed descriptions of the Cretan settings, on land or in the harbor. The choreography of all the different religious and community ceremonies was fascinating and cinematic. The author really puts her readers smack in the middle of every scene. 

As the political intrigue enters the picture, the suspense intensifies, with the looming threats of betrayal, hunger for power, and jealousy. I was on the edge of my seat, wondering whether Martis would be able to get the answers she needed and if she would even be in a position to thwart the shocking plans that would change everything in her world. 

I recommend A MURDER OF FURIES to readers of historical cozy mysteries. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

See Me

Dark Sides, #3

by

Lynn Crandall

Light and dark battle for control.

See Me is the third book in author Lynn Crandall's absorbing urban fantasy series, Dark Sides, and features the classic battle of light vs. dark and good vs. evil as modern-day descendants of the people of Atlantis, Aeons, strive to save this world from those who've chosen the Dark Side. With its action-filled story and achingly right romance, it's a definite page-turner. While a standalone novel, the backstory and magic elements would be better enjoyed if one first read the previous books in the series. 

The story picks up immediately after the events of the previous novel, with the Aeons gathering to review and celebrate their recent success of repelling the actions of the Dark Aspects, those the Dark Sides employ, who had teamed up with Irish mobsters to take over the city of Auralia, and destroy the quaint downtown where the Aeons had their businesses. However, their respite is short-lived, as a major figure on the side of the Dark Sides returns with the intent and means to take up the fight once again. 

This book focuses on the relationship between the two friends, Cooper Munson and Skye Stone, both of whom are still working through the trauma of a tragic childhood. It was heartbreaking reading about Cooper's treatment at the hands of his maternal grandparents, who believed his father and, consequently, Cooper, weren't good enough for their family. Skye's parents had escaped one bad situation only to jump into the middle of a cult where their daughter had been brainwashed into believing their harsh patriarchal precepts. With Cooper being an empath and Slye a Highly Sensitive Person, their eventual romance felt natural and long overdue. 

The plot is fast-paced, and the story opens with a bang as the celebrating Aeons are attacked at the home of one of their members. Each of the Aeons has an unusual ability or gift that they use for the good of all, and they are experiencing changes in these traits, with some doubts and confusion about this unexpected upgrade. However, a unique element of the series' magic system is the ability of the Aeons to project their inner love and light to those lacking in goodness, such as the Dark Aspects, and effect change in their actions. As before, I enjoyed the evildoers' various reactions when they were positively affected. 

I recommend SEE ME to readers of romantic urban fantasies. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.

Half Baked Women: The Reheat

by

Bobbie Candas

Strong memories, stronger friendships!

Half Baked Women: The Reheat by author Bobbie Candas is a warm and enlightening trip glimpse into the past of a group of four long-time friends: Carney, Breeze, Margo, and Nicki. Meeting as freshmen at the University of Texas at Austin in 1971, the four women had kept in touch over the ensuing years, even as they had pursued divergent lives. Twenty years later, the four reunite for a weekend in San Antonio and reconnect as a group, catching up and comparing lives, reliving their past triumphs and trials, and perhaps, gaining strength from one another to face their futures. 

Carney is a never-been-married, love ‘em and leave ‘em party girl who’s never quite grown up. Margo, a former model, but now married with a young daughter, has been feeling like she’s lost herself in her life, a bit stagnant and a little trapped. Breeze is taking a breather as she starts proceedings for her fourth divorce. And Nicki, an EM doctor and single mom in need of a break from her demanding schedule and, hopefully, a recharge. All made questionable life choices as they navigated their early college days, but they survived with a little help from their friends, or in spite of them. I loved the look back at being a college student in the 70s in Texas and could relate to many of their experiences, both at school and in social settings. It is the first time the girls have been out from under the scrutiny of parents, and the temptations and freedoms college life offered made some choices particularly dangerous, and the naïveté of some of the girls was spot on. 

I enjoyed the colorful and vivid descriptions of the various settings, especially of Austin, with mentions of many familiar and fun places from the past and present. With Spring Break just around the corner, the girls’ road trips gave me a desire to drop everything and head out somewhere, too, at least for a brief moment. 

I recommend HALF BAKED WOMEN: THE REHEAT to readers of women’s fiction. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.

Last Rituals

Thóra Guðmundsdóttir, #1

by

Yrsa Sigurdardóttir

Witchcraft and murder in modern-day Iceland.

Last Rituals is the first book in the Thóra Guðmundsdóttir series by Icelandic author Yrsa Sigurdardóttir, and it is a compelling but creepy start. When German graduate student, Harold Guntlieb, is found murdered, his corpse gruesomely mutilated, his friend and drug dealer is too conveniently pegged by the local police for his death. His skeptical but wealthy parents back in Germany ask local attorney Thóra Guðmundsdóttir to conduct a private investigation to find the real killer or confirm the official findings. Along with the Guntlieb's local representative in Iceland, Matthew Reich, Thóra retraces the original investigation, discovering more questions than answers the deeper they dig. 

Thóra is such a relatable character: a recently single mother of a son and a daughter, with a detached ex-husband who's remarried a younger replacement and is the partner in a small law firm in Reykjavik. Besides coming to terms with her new life, the lease for the office space included a receptionist, the property owner's daughter, who is completely worthless in running the office, so she's having to navigate around her. Thóra's frustration with the clueless but prickly girl leads her to make comments later in the book about the girl's physical appearance that some may find offensive. This book was originally published more than 20 years ago, so it was written even earlier, when such comments weren't viewed as critically as they are now. Thóra does step up in a big way, though, to emotionally support her teenage son when he is discovered to have made a major misstep on the path to his future. 

While the murder inquiry is outside of Thóra's wheelhouse, the remuneration offered by the Guntliebs is too good (and needed) to pass up, and she and Matthew conduct a good, methodical investigation. Along the way, they learn a great deal about Harold's field of study: witchcraft and the persecution of those accused of witchcraft in Iceland during the Middle Ages. In meeting his friends, they also discover that witchcraft is more than just an entertaining topic to some of them, who may be putting what Harold had learned into practice, especially upon Harold's death. 

A caution to those readers sensitive to such matters: the means and manner of Harold's death are described, as are the body modifications he had made to himself prior. Also, there is some discussion of the horrific treatment and torture of those suspected of witchcraft, and some of the charms and spells call for very off-putting elements. 

I enjoyed the story, but wasn't a complete fan of the narrator of the Audible audiobook edition I listened to. Although she provided a great range of voices for the different characters, I felt her delivery of some of Thóra's dialogue did not match the scene's tone or the circumstances, making Thóra come off as a flighty, lightweight airhead who wasn't taking her job seriously. I will probably read the subsequent books in the series in a physical or ebook format. 

I recommend LAST RITUALS to readers of mysteries and thrillers, especially those who enjoy grittier tales or Icelandic settings. 

For this and other reviews, check out my blog, Boys' Mom Reads!

A Poet’s Ballad

Crossword Mystery, #1

by

Aditya Banerjee

Endearing characters and a well-crafted puzzle of a mystery set in 1980s small-town India.

A Poet’s Ballad is the first novel in author Aditya Banerjee’s new series, the Crossword Mysteries, and I couldn’t have wished for a better, more satisfying debut than what I found. With its endearing main characters, vibrant and lively small-town setting in 1980 India, and well-crafted and, literally, puzzling mystery, I felt like I was taking a refreshing vacation every time I opened the book. 

The story is told from the viewpoint of two main characters. Mahesh Pal is a Delhi graduate student preparing to join a Ph.D. program in far-off London, England. Aarvi Lal is the manager at her family’s generations-old bookstore, preparing for her traditional wedding in two weeks. Both face huge life changes when they each receive an odd inheritance from a local retired university professor whose death may not have been as accidental as it has been claimed—the common link among the three is their love of crossword puzzles. 

I was immediately drawn into the story by the easy and authentic camaraderie among Mahesh’s university friends. The author completely captures in his portrayal the essence of this time in Mahesh’s life as he prepares to embark on the next phase of his academic career, and he does so quickly and in only a few pages! You could easily understand Mahesh’s conflicting emotions: excitement for the future, sadness over leaving his friends and family, and regrets that he and his father do not see eye-to-eye about his decision to continue his studies rather than return home to work in the family business. 

Being a contemporary of the fictional Aarvi Lal, I could readily empathize with her feelings and experiences as a young, educated single woman at the start of the 1980s. She’s always been the obedient daughter, going with the flow (rather than fighting with her mother) and never causing her parents any trouble. She studied hard to succeed academically, only to be expected to shelve her accomplishments and autonomy when she married. The author recreates the restrictive atmosphere of the time, the conservative views of women’s roles in the family and the workplace, and the necessarily cautious arms-length relationship between Aarvi and Mahesh because of the potential damage she could suffer from the juicy gossip should she be perceived to act too casually. I enjoyed their mutual respect and growing friendship. These two are capable and smart in their pursuit of Devesh’s story, and they were a joy to watch as they worked together to work out the mysterious clues. 

The author creates a vivid and vibrant setting for the story in his depictions of the historic tourist town Benares and the activities leading up to Aarvi’s pending nuptials. I could feel the heat and humidity of the ancient city, but even the bustle of the tourists and religious pilgrims was nothing compared to the manic preparations necessary before the traditional Indian wedding. It was fascinating, complex, and eye-opening; I was exhausted just reading about it all. 

With its engaging characters, compelling mystery, and vivid setting, I recommend A POET’S BALLAD to historical mystery fans, especially those who would enjoy a 1980s time period and an Indian setting. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.