|
[ Home ]
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
Lyn Hamilton has a unique ability to infuse her classical mysteries with both a vivid sense of place and intriguing historical tid-bits without slowing down her carefully-paced narrative in the least. In this well-crafted, wonderfully written book she takes us to Budapest to explore the prehistoric caves of northern Hungary. As the story opens, Lara has recently broken off her relationship with Rob, her hunky policeman boyfriend, and is in a deep funk. Nothing in her life seems to be going the way it should, so she decides to take the time to attend an antiques auction in search of new stock for the store. There she runs into an old college friend, Diana, who invites her to join an informal reunion of a group of women who lived in tiny apartments over a Chinese restaurant while they attended university. They called themselves the Devoncourt Divas and were inseparable companions for a few years, but after graduation Lara fell out of contact with them. By coincidence, each of the Divas has a ticket to attend the unveiling of an exhibit at the Cottingham Museum and they decide to attend as a group. To Lara's astonishment, the new curator of the museum is Karoly Milnar, a man she loved in college and knew by the name Charlie Miller. The stunning artifact that will put the Cottingham on the map is a 25,000-year-old Venus figure that had been discovered in the mountains of northern Hungary by a man who had been curator of the Cottingham a hundred years ago. The figure is exquisite, though some of the Divas suspect that it may be a fake. After the unveiling, the group repairs to a nearby bar. As the night wears on one of the Divas, confronts Karoly and his publisher in the bar asking them, "How could you?" Lara becomes disoriented and passes out, even though she hasn't had enough to drink to make her that intoxicated. When she comes to the next morning, she discovers that someone tried to break into the museum the prior evening by running a car into a plate glass door. A little later she learns that the Diva who had accused Karoly in the bar has jumped from a bridge to her death. Worse, she finds her car damaged and parked in a different place in front of the antique store. She fears that she may have had something to do with these events since she has no memory of the night before. In search of the truth, she journeys to Budapest to trace the provenance of the Venus figure. The Divas, Karoly, and his publisher all find their way to Budapest in short order and as Lara uncovers the secrets of the Venus she uncovers their dark secrets as well. Lara is one of my favorite amateur sleuths. She's sensible, middle-aged, upbeat, chatty, smart and funny. Most of all, she makes an excellent tour guide to all of the far-flung destinations Lara visits. If you've been hankering for an exotic vacation but can't afford the airfare, tag along with Lara on one of her adventures. You won't be disappointed.
Reviewed by Carroll Johnson, September 2004
[ Top ]
QUICK SEARCH:
Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
[ About | Reviews | Search | Submit ]
[ Home ]
| 
