So what chance for humans? And, sure enough...
Cleverly uses the device of the prologue again in this first-of-series and to great effect. As usual, the seeds of the story are sown in the very early chapters and the author trusts that the reader will stay alert and pick up all the clues as it moves along. Links are made through time and myth - e.g. a golden youth who drives his Bugatti over a cliff makes echoes with the son of Theseus who drove his chariot into the sea, both men fleeing, thousands of years apart in time, from accusations of the same sin. Cleverly never cheats the readers (though she doesn't spoon-feed them) and the clues to the primary and the secondary murders are hidden in plain sight, resulting in one satisfying solution.
The unravelling is done by a dashing new heroine who makes Maisie Dobbs look very frowsty. Armed with spade and Luger and a lot of attitude, Laetitia battles male intolerance in the world of archaeology to dig up and expose truths long buried as well as a fresh and personally distressing murder. The wonderfully evocative setting is Crete in the golden years of its archaeological discoveries and this, along with the intriguing characters and challenging ideas linger long after the last page has been read. You get much more than a mystery story for your money.
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