The Tomb of Zeus

August 6, 2007
Dagger Award–winner Cleverly takes a break from her acclaimed Joe Sandilands series (The Bee's Kiss
, etc.) to launch another 1920s series, this time with an amateur sleuth protagonist. Laetitia “Letty” Talbot, a neophyte archeologist, turns detective while visiting Theodore Russell, an authority on Crete's history who's determined to find the tomb of the Greek god Zeus on the island. Letty dislikes Theodore but befriends his frail wife, Phoebe. Soon after, Phoebe hangs herself, an act so out of character that Letty joins forces with the local inspector to probe deeper. When the autopsy reveals that Phoebe was pregnant and Theodore could not have been the father, Letty finds a range of potential suspects in the potential fathers-to-be. A witness to the crime eventually turns up to solve the case, making this less of a puzzler than the Sandilands books, but the crisp writing and depth of characterization should please traditional mystery fans.

Starred review from October 1, 2007
When aspiring archaeologist Laetitia Talbot goes on a dig in Crete, she finds that women are an on-site rarity (it is 1928, after all) and that a male acquaintance is also working for Theodore Russell, the man paying for the dig. When Russell's wife is found to have hung herself in her bedroom, Laetitia shifts into snoop mode and firmly places herself in the way of the murderer. CWA Historial Dagger Award winner Cleverly, author of the Joe Sandiland series, demonstrates a knack for creating full-blown historical puzzlers with complicated plots and engaging characters in unusual settings. For readers who love Elizabeth Peters and Jacqueline Winspear and still hanker for Agatha Christie. Cleverly lives in Cambridge, England.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2007
Cleverly launches a new series featuring Laetitia Letty Talbot, a headstrong, aspiring archaeologist. The year is 1928 (the same era as Cleverlys popular Joseph Sandilands series), and Letty has just arrived in Herakleion, Crete, from England to work with Theodore Russell, a British archaeologist hoping to find the tomb of Zeus. Russell is a boorish man who belittles his students and treats his wife, Phoebe, cruelly. Letty stands up to him, getting off on the wrong foot with her boss, and runs into further complications when she discovers that a former beau, William Gunning, is also working onthe project. Exploring the ruins of Crete and becoming reacquainted with Gunning soon take a back seat to murder when Phoebe is found hanging in her bedroom. Letty uncovers tales of past loves and jealousies as she works to discover the murderer. Cleverly once again gives readers a good mystery set against a rich historical background. Recommend Lettys first adventures to fans of Elizabeth Peters long-running Amelia Peabody series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)