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Lara McClintoch Archaeological Mystery #9
The Moai Murders
How many people put a visit to remote and mysterious Easter Island on their life to-do list? Lara McClintoch and her best friend Moira share a yearning to hug one of those famous giant carved heads. But when they get to the island, someone is bumping off members of a strange congress gathered to study local culture. Who has murder on their bucket list? Lara must figure out what the victims have in common as she races against time to stop the killing.
“Vivid descriptions of the terrain, as well as details of the history and cultural evolution of Easter Island’s people, enrich this chatty whodunit… Hamilton…puts a first-class twist on the traditional locked-room mystery.” -Publishers Weekly
“Hamilton makes maximum use of her setting with superb research and lots of local colour. This book is a lot of fun, and should make a great companion for the beach or the pool.” -Globe and Mail
“There’s also the pleasure of spending time with smart, independent, funny Lara who, always keen to travel, is a reliably entertaining instructor in far-flung histories and geographies – useful for the real traveler and perfect for the armchair sort.” -London Free Press
“Vivid descriptions of the terrain, as well as details of the history and cultural evolution of Easter Island’s people, enrich this chatty whodunit… Hamilton…puts a first-class twist on the traditional locked-room mystery.” -Publishers Weekly
“Hamilton makes maximum use of her setting with superb research and lots of local colour. This book is a lot of fun, and should make a great companion for the beach or the pool.” -Globe and Mail
“There’s also the pleasure of spending time with smart, independent, funny Lara who, always keen to travel, is a reliably entertaining instructor in far-flung histories and geographies – useful for the real traveler and perfect for the armchair sort.” -London Free Press
261 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
8 people are currently reading
1075 people want to read
About the author
Lyn Hamilton
26 books133 followersLyn Elizabeth Hamilton was a Canadian author of archaeological mystery novels.
She worked in communications in the public service and private companies before publishing her first novel at the age of 50. She had been director of Cultural Programs Branch for the province of Ontario and director of public affairs for the Canadian Opera Company. Later, Hamilton taught mystery writing for the School for Continuing Studies of the University of Toronto and served as writer-in-residence for libraries in North York and Kitchener.
She worked in communications in the public service and private companies before publishing her first novel at the age of 50. She had been director of Cultural Programs Branch for the province of Ontario and director of public affairs for the Canadian Opera Company. Later, Hamilton taught mystery writing for the School for Continuing Studies of the University of Toronto and served as writer-in-residence for libraries in North York and Kitchener.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
September 4, 2017
Great mystery. I'd previously read one by this author which was set in and around the Canadian antiques shop owned by the heroine. This book goes to Easter Island for almost all the story, in one of those mysteries involving a closed circle of people who know each other for a reason, in this case propounding rival theories about life and myth and moai on Easter Island.
Moai of course are the giant stone heads. Life has moved on in the short few years since the book was written, and the claim by Rapa Nui islanders voiced here that the moai got up and walked to their place, from the quarries, has been proven. I've seen a video in which the later-carved moai were shown to be carved differently at the base so they could be rocked from side to side and forwards in an upright pose along the roads, tugged by ropes to either side. As the heads all represent men, I was pleased to encounter some legends about women in the book.
I won't spoil the story by going into detail about the convention and its murders, just say that we see a few surprising sides of life and learn about the nature of revenge. Enjoy.
This is an unbiased review.
Moai of course are the giant stone heads. Life has moved on in the short few years since the book was written, and the claim by Rapa Nui islanders voiced here that the moai got up and walked to their place, from the quarries, has been proven. I've seen a video in which the later-carved moai were shown to be carved differently at the base so they could be rocked from side to side and forwards in an upright pose along the roads, tugged by ropes to either side. As the heads all represent men, I was pleased to encounter some legends about women in the book.
I won't spoil the story by going into detail about the convention and its murders, just say that we see a few surprising sides of life and learn about the nature of revenge. Enjoy.
This is an unbiased review.
February 18, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed this book, # 9 in a series that my sister loaned to me last year. I regret that the author only published 11 books total - I would probably have enjoyed reading more. Well - on to #10!
October 3, 2011
I have been so delighted to have discovered this series recently and have only a few more to read. Lyn Hamilton died in 2009 so there will be no more. I wish she had started writing them earlier!
In THE MOAI MURDERS, antiques shop owner Lara McClintoch leaves her ex-husband/business partner Clive to tend their shop in Canada while she goes on vacation with her best friend (and Clive's girlfriend) spa owner Moira who has just had surgery for cancer and is scheduled to undergo chemotherapy . They are going to Easter Island, a place Moira has had on her bucket list for years.
Upon arrival at their hotel on the island (2,400 miles off the coast of Chile), they find there is some kind of odd Congress having a convention there and since its focus is on the traditional culture and history of Easter Island and its original people, they are talked in to joining the group since there was (rather conveniently) two last minute cancellations.
It turns out that many of the attendees are members of an online group and the entire gathering was brought about by one of the speakers Jasper who was going to try to pass off a wooden tablet with the language written only by the original islanders as having been found by him in Chile and proving that the island was settled by Chileans from South America and not Polynesians. What many suspect (who had come to the island as college students in 1975) is that this is the same tablet they found back then. It was lost in the shuffle as the young men lost track of a 4 year old girl while boozed up which caused the child to die.
As many deaths rack up from a mysterious poison made to appear to be other ways of killing, Lara finds that one of the group is there to avenge the little girl who died in 1975. The questions are who is doing the killing, what sort of poison are they using and how many more will die?
As always, the atmosphere Lyn Hamilton creates is just marvelous. Set among the huge statues and the caves of Easter Island, this story make you feel as if you are really there as Lyn brings the island and its people, history, and culture to life on the pages.
In THE MOAI MURDERS, antiques shop owner Lara McClintoch leaves her ex-husband/business partner Clive to tend their shop in Canada while she goes on vacation with her best friend (and Clive's girlfriend) spa owner Moira who has just had surgery for cancer and is scheduled to undergo chemotherapy . They are going to Easter Island, a place Moira has had on her bucket list for years.
Upon arrival at their hotel on the island (2,400 miles off the coast of Chile), they find there is some kind of odd Congress having a convention there and since its focus is on the traditional culture and history of Easter Island and its original people, they are talked in to joining the group since there was (rather conveniently) two last minute cancellations.
It turns out that many of the attendees are members of an online group and the entire gathering was brought about by one of the speakers Jasper who was going to try to pass off a wooden tablet with the language written only by the original islanders as having been found by him in Chile and proving that the island was settled by Chileans from South America and not Polynesians. What many suspect (who had come to the island as college students in 1975) is that this is the same tablet they found back then. It was lost in the shuffle as the young men lost track of a 4 year old girl while boozed up which caused the child to die.
As many deaths rack up from a mysterious poison made to appear to be other ways of killing, Lara finds that one of the group is there to avenge the little girl who died in 1975. The questions are who is doing the killing, what sort of poison are they using and how many more will die?
As always, the atmosphere Lyn Hamilton creates is just marvelous. Set among the huge statues and the caves of Easter Island, this story make you feel as if you are really there as Lyn brings the island and its people, history, and culture to life on the pages.
August 19, 2021
Antiques store owner, Lara McClintoch, and her best friend Moira Meller decide to take a vacation to Rapa Nui, formerly known as Easter Island. The isolated Pacific island is famous for those huge carved head statues, known as Moai. It is still a mystery how they were formed and how several of them were transported to a base known as an ahu.
Arriving at the hotel Lara and Moira decide to attend the Moai Congress which is being hosted there. Two theories are being argued among the participants. One group believes that Rapa Nui had been settled by Polynesian mariners, and the other group is convinced that Rapa Nui had been originally inhabited by people from South America. The author had a great ability to bring the island's history, culture, and people vividly to life. Several flashback chapters bring in an older story of life in ancient Rapa Nui, and it provides a context for the events that unfold in present day.
The first part of the book was a little slow but I think that's because several characters had to be introduced, probably due to the flashback parts. I felt there were too many to keep track of, but at the same time they all played a part in reaching the conclusion. The mystery was fairly complex which made it more interesting for me. The main character was quite likable as well as smart and self-assured. I found it refreshing that she didn't rely on a law enforcement character to help her solve the case.
This was an engaging mystery set in an exotic location. The author passed away in 2009 and didn't start her writing career until after her retirement. I've read one other book in this eleven book series and I would definitely read another in the future.
Arriving at the hotel Lara and Moira decide to attend the Moai Congress which is being hosted there. Two theories are being argued among the participants. One group believes that Rapa Nui had been settled by Polynesian mariners, and the other group is convinced that Rapa Nui had been originally inhabited by people from South America. The author had a great ability to bring the island's history, culture, and people vividly to life. Several flashback chapters bring in an older story of life in ancient Rapa Nui, and it provides a context for the events that unfold in present day.
The first part of the book was a little slow but I think that's because several characters had to be introduced, probably due to the flashback parts. I felt there were too many to keep track of, but at the same time they all played a part in reaching the conclusion. The mystery was fairly complex which made it more interesting for me. The main character was quite likable as well as smart and self-assured. I found it refreshing that she didn't rely on a law enforcement character to help her solve the case.
This was an engaging mystery set in an exotic location. The author passed away in 2009 and didn't start her writing career until after her retirement. I've read one other book in this eleven book series and I would definitely read another in the future.
July 21, 2018
Actual rating 3.5/5
I do so enjoy this series of books. Lara is a great, likable character. The mysteries are smart and unravel nicely. The endings are surprising. There's history, mystery, a bit of humour and some pretty diverse characters. Plenty to enjoy.
Decided to round down because I got confused keeping track of who some of the characters were. So much so that when the killer's identity was revealed, I didn't remember which person it was. Not what you want in a big reveal moment.
I do so enjoy this series of books. Lara is a great, likable character. The mysteries are smart and unravel nicely. The endings are surprising. There's history, mystery, a bit of humour and some pretty diverse characters. Plenty to enjoy.
Decided to round down because I got confused keeping track of who some of the characters were. So much so that when the killer's identity was revealed, I didn't remember which person it was. Not what you want in a big reveal moment.
October 2, 2021
I enjoy the archaeological mysteries. Ms. Hamilton does her research and one learns something in the process of being entertained.
This novel, however, had too many characters and I, at least, had a lot of trouble keeping most of them straight. They were relatively poorly differentiated and introduced very rapidly.
That said it was enjoyable, especially the second half, and the plot carried forward well.
This novel, however, had too many characters and I, at least, had a lot of trouble keeping most of them straight. They were relatively poorly differentiated and introduced very rapidly.
That said it was enjoyable, especially the second half, and the plot carried forward well.
April 22, 2025
The Moai Murders is the 9th in the series by Lyn Hamilton. It takes place on Easter Island, and I learned a couple of things about the fascinating history and culture of the island while reading a pretty good mystery. Outside of a couple of almost obligatory cliches, a thoroughly enjoyable read.
May 13, 2024
The first murder happens around the 30% mark, and that's when things start to get interesting and the pace picks up.
December 30, 2007
The newest in a series of mysteries featuring antiquities dealer Lara McClintock. I've read two of her stories in the past, one I really enjoyed, and one I didn't care for so much. (You can see my thoughts on those on other books here. This one falls into the category of enjoyed.
Lara's friend Moira convinces her to take a vacation to Easter Island, as part of a life-list plan made after Moira's illness. They discover a conference going on at the island, and find their way into its membership, despite not being experts--or even amateur experts--in the archeology of the island. The conference is odd, to say the least, but the scenery is good and Lara is finally able to relax.
That is, of course, until she finds a dead body.
The book starts to pick up steam at this point, with Lara trying to both stay out of the investigation while convincing the local police that the dead man was murdered. It looks as though she will fail, but then a second dead body shows up. Now all of the convention-goers are suspects. Lara must try to avoid suspicion herself while putting together the pieces of the puzzle in order for them to go home. Can she find the missing links before another murder occurs, possible to her friend?
Well, now, that would be telling. :)
The mystery plot itself is really based on the old theme of a group of related people who share a secret, one of whom is ready to kill as a result of the secret. While we don't get a reveal by the sluth in the parlor, it does tend to have that vibe going on. My only complaint with the plot is that the keys we need to solve the crime are a bit late in coming. I can't see any way to know how it plays out until you start getting the additional information at the half, as it were. Still, it was a good story and I liked the way it ended. Even if Ms. Hamilton was late telling us what we needed to know, it didn't feel like there was a forced ending just to polish off the plot points. There were a few times where the writer's ignorance of the internet made me wince--when trying to find "aliased" people in a chat group, she never once asked someone to trace their IP address, which was my first thought--but the characters interacted pretty well, with only a little filler about the middle. This probably could have been a novella, but I won't argue with Hamilton's desire to get the royalties from a full book.
All in all, a nice read to and from work, which is all I ask for in a mystery. (Library, 04/2006)
Trebby's Take: Recommended.
Lara's friend Moira convinces her to take a vacation to Easter Island, as part of a life-list plan made after Moira's illness. They discover a conference going on at the island, and find their way into its membership, despite not being experts--or even amateur experts--in the archeology of the island. The conference is odd, to say the least, but the scenery is good and Lara is finally able to relax.
That is, of course, until she finds a dead body.
The book starts to pick up steam at this point, with Lara trying to both stay out of the investigation while convincing the local police that the dead man was murdered. It looks as though she will fail, but then a second dead body shows up. Now all of the convention-goers are suspects. Lara must try to avoid suspicion herself while putting together the pieces of the puzzle in order for them to go home. Can she find the missing links before another murder occurs, possible to her friend?
Well, now, that would be telling. :)
The mystery plot itself is really based on the old theme of a group of related people who share a secret, one of whom is ready to kill as a result of the secret. While we don't get a reveal by the sluth in the parlor, it does tend to have that vibe going on. My only complaint with the plot is that the keys we need to solve the crime are a bit late in coming. I can't see any way to know how it plays out until you start getting the additional information at the half, as it were. Still, it was a good story and I liked the way it ended. Even if Ms. Hamilton was late telling us what we needed to know, it didn't feel like there was a forced ending just to polish off the plot points. There were a few times where the writer's ignorance of the internet made me wince--when trying to find "aliased" people in a chat group, she never once asked someone to trace their IP address, which was my first thought--but the characters interacted pretty well, with only a little filler about the middle. This probably could have been a novella, but I won't argue with Hamilton's desire to get the royalties from a full book.
All in all, a nice read to and from work, which is all I ask for in a mystery. (Library, 04/2006)
Trebby's Take: Recommended.
September 16, 2013
A very nicely done variation on the "closed room" mystery. Our heroine, Lara, an antique dealer from Canada, goes on a vacation with her best friend to a "life-list" destination: Easter Island. The friend, Moira, has always dreamed of seeing the giant heads and hugging them. So they travel to Rapa Nui, as the island is officially named, the "navel of the world" -- a small (25 square mile) bit of volcanic rock floating in the middle of the ocean between Polynesia and South America. When they arrive at the hotel, there is a Congress taking place -- a gathering of Rapa Nui and Moai (the giant heads) enthusiasts, which will include lectures and tours and history and such. What a fabulous opportunity! They sign up, only to figure out as time goes on that this is the "lunatic fringe" of Rapa Nui fanatics, made up mostly of amateur enthusiasts, one self-promoting adventurer/discoverer, a film crew for the self-promoter, and a few starving academics. And the tensions within the group are intense, to say the least, even before people start turning up dead.
I was fascinated by the history and cultural information included in this book, which is very much an organic part of the mystery as it unfolds, and I came away from the book interested in visiting Rapa Nui if it weren't so darn difficult and expensive to get to. The characters are well done, both the people associated with the Congress (like Lara, I will add an item to my life list of never participating in any gathering called a Congress --- the one in this book was almost as bad as the U.S. Congress, though not quite as divided or self-serving) and the people of Rapa Nui itself. And the mystery is well-crafted, with several plausible red herrings and good reasons to suspect all sorts of people, and a nice unfolding of the solution.
I was fascinated by the history and cultural information included in this book, which is very much an organic part of the mystery as it unfolds, and I came away from the book interested in visiting Rapa Nui if it weren't so darn difficult and expensive to get to. The characters are well done, both the people associated with the Congress (like Lara, I will add an item to my life list of never participating in any gathering called a Congress --- the one in this book was almost as bad as the U.S. Congress, though not quite as divided or self-serving) and the people of Rapa Nui itself. And the mystery is well-crafted, with several plausible red herrings and good reasons to suspect all sorts of people, and a nice unfolding of the solution.
March 31, 2015
An archaeological mystery by Lyn Hamilton, featuring antiques dealer Lara McClintoch, this time set on Easter Island. It was a pretty good "closed room" mystery, whereby a murder or murders are committed and only a fixed set of people could have committed it or them. Here we have people dying at a convention for "Moaimanics" as they call themselves, people who are crazy for the Moai, the large enigmatic statues on Easter Island. Lyn and her friend Moira are on a vacation, a somewhat infrequent event for Lyn, and get involved in this conference as a way to learn more about the fascinating culture of Easter Island. (And we the readers also learn a lot about said culture). Unfortunately, some members of the Moaimaniacs end up as dead as the statues. Lyn to the rescue, aided by her dreams of and emails to her RCMP boyfriend. The reasons for the deaths, and indeed for the gathering as a whole are in the past, and the culprit is somewhat unlikely, but isn't that always the case? A good mystery, enlivened by the descriptions of the island culture and history.
September 5, 2012
Lara McClintock and her best friend, Moira, visit Easter Island. They fall in with a group of eccentric enthusiasts at an archaeology conference where they can enjoy shared outings. And we learn, in a natural way, the geography, culture, and history of the island. Impressive.
The vacation takes on a weirder aspect when people start turning up dead. Accident? Suicide? Murder? Lara and Moira are embroiled in a situation where nothing seems to make sense, even as they strain to extricate themselves from the mystery, or solve it.
I struggled to remember all the characters involved--over twenty, and through the author's masterful handling of preventing massive reader confusion, I kept most of them straight. But not all. Were so many named characters necessary to the novel? Apparently so. They provided quite a list that kept the reader guessing about the guilt and innocence of each.
The story takes wonderful twists that lead us to a surprising and satisfying conclusion.
The vacation takes on a weirder aspect when people start turning up dead. Accident? Suicide? Murder? Lara and Moira are embroiled in a situation where nothing seems to make sense, even as they strain to extricate themselves from the mystery, or solve it.
I struggled to remember all the characters involved--over twenty, and through the author's masterful handling of preventing massive reader confusion, I kept most of them straight. But not all. Were so many named characters necessary to the novel? Apparently so. They provided quite a list that kept the reader guessing about the guilt and innocence of each.
The story takes wonderful twists that lead us to a surprising and satisfying conclusion.
August 6, 2024
I enjoyed this exploration of Rapa Nui and it's history and culture. It's not even the heads that make it such an interesting place, although that's what probably draws the most tourists. My least favorite part of the book was the very out-of-character behavior by her best friend, Moira. I'm sorry, but even with the explanation provided, that was a tremendously poor fit. I very much liked the idea of them traveling together, as it seemed a little strange that her best friend had never accompanied her on any of her trips.
The story is worth reading just for the glimpses into the island's history, but the mystery itself was also solid, with a cast of characters you will have mixed feelings about (and some of them might even be for the right reasons).
The story is worth reading just for the glimpses into the island's history, but the mystery itself was also solid, with a cast of characters you will have mixed feelings about (and some of them might even be for the right reasons).
September 30, 2019
Lara McClintoch’s best friend Moira convinces her to run off on an impromptu vacation to Easter Island – Rapa Nui. On arrival they discover that their hotel is the site of a conference which they manage to infiltrate. The main issue that the conferees want to address is whether the island was originally settled from Polynesia or South America. The latter thesis has been fairly soundly discredited but the conflict is offered by the author as a possible motive for murder. The background was quite interesting but the entire chapter devoted to the conference a bit much.
November 7, 2011
Thoroughly enjoyed this mystery. Nice use of humour, interesting details about Easter island and its culture, and characters that were varied and engaging. Story got even better after the bodies started piling up. This is the second book by this author that I've read and enjoyed. It's unfortunate how difficult it is to find books written by Lyn Hamilton, either in print or ebook format. She deserves a wider readership base for the 11 Lara McClintoch mysteries she wrote before her death.
May 6, 2011
More like 2 1/2 stars. The plot kinda frizzles by the middle of the book and I didn't really care who was the culprit in the end. As most of Hamilton's book the archeology aspect is well done. The cast of characters are uneven at best. Most of them are no more then an outkine of an idea. Still, the setting, Rapa Nui, was exotic enough to keep me reading til the end.
February 5, 2017
This mystery (a cozy) provides lots of interesting information about the history of Easter Island.
February 2, 2009
I very much enjoy Lyn Hamilton's archaelological mysteries and enjoy going with her to exotic locals. No place stranger or further away than Easter Island. I am sad that she is discontinueing this series. To bad, so sad.
June 9, 2016
I keep coming back to the books in this series mostly because I enjoy the exotic settings. I like protagonist Lara McClintoch as a person, but she seems to figure things out almost in spite of herself. It's a quick, fun read when one is in the mood for a breezy mystery.
April 12, 2018
This is the second "archaeological adventure" book I've read by Hamilton featuring the antique store owner and sleuth, Lara McClintoch. This one takes place on Easter Island. People at a Moai Congress are being murdered and Lara figures out the link between them, and consequently, who done it.
August 24, 2012
A bit of a convoluted mystery story. I did enjoy reading about the island, its people and two separate cultures. (Hope the research was correct!) I will be reading more of Lyn Hamilton, just to visit the other exotic locales.
Want to read
February 4, 2016Won on Goodreads. Liked this very much. Look forward to reading more with these characters. Gave lots of interesting information about the statues & stories about how they came to be. Made me want to go to Easter Island and see them for myself.
July 11, 2016
I chose this book because of the location of the story. It is interesting - weaving in some factual information about Rapa Nui. Not sure if I would read more by the author. Way too many characters.
January 6, 2008
Too much yarn and not enough mystery. annoying.
March 31, 2011
Easter Island lunatic fringe theorists
January 4, 2012
Loved this archaeological Mystery set on Easter Island. Great characters and plot line which left me guessing until the end !
June 25, 2013
Very interesting. Slows down a couple of times but picks up nicely. Kind of like a roller coaster!
June 3, 2016
Quick read. Decent mystery taking place on Rapa Nui. I just didn't love the ending.
September 30, 2008
New author to me.
Loved the story and it was fast moving. Would like to read more by her
Loved the story and it was fast moving. Would like to read more by her
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews