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Laetitia Talbot #1
The Tomb of Zeus
With the same flawless storytelling that earned her the CWA Historical Dagger Award, Barbara Cleverly delivers a dazzling new novel. Sweeping us to the exotic island of Crete in 1928, Cleverly introduces a marvelous new whip-smart and spirited Laetitia Talbot, an aspiring archaeologist with a passion for adventure–and for the mysteries that only the keenest eyes can see.
Born into a background of British privilege, Laetitia Talbot has been raised to believe there is no field in which she may not excel. She has chosen a career in the male-dominated world of archaeology, but she approaches her first assignment in Crete the only way she knows how–with dash and enthusiasm. Until she enters the Villa Europa, where something is clearly utterly amiss…
Her host, a charismatic archaeologist, is racing to dig up the fabled island’s next great treasure–even, perhaps, the tomb of the King of the Gods, himself. But then a beautiful young woman is found hanged and a golden youth drives his Bugatti over a cliff. From out of the shadows come whispers of past loves, past jealousies, and ancient myths that sound an eerie discord with present events. Letty will need all her determination and knowledge to unravel the secrets beneath the Villa Europa’s roof–and they will lead her into the darkest, most terrifying place of all….
Born into a background of British privilege, Laetitia Talbot has been raised to believe there is no field in which she may not excel. She has chosen a career in the male-dominated world of archaeology, but she approaches her first assignment in Crete the only way she knows how–with dash and enthusiasm. Until she enters the Villa Europa, where something is clearly utterly amiss…
Her host, a charismatic archaeologist, is racing to dig up the fabled island’s next great treasure–even, perhaps, the tomb of the King of the Gods, himself. But then a beautiful young woman is found hanged and a golden youth drives his Bugatti over a cliff. From out of the shadows come whispers of past loves, past jealousies, and ancient myths that sound an eerie discord with present events. Letty will need all her determination and knowledge to unravel the secrets beneath the Villa Europa’s roof–and they will lead her into the darkest, most terrifying place of all….
353 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
48 people are currently reading
874 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Cleverly
45 books229 followersBarbara Cleverly was born in the north of England and is a graduate of Durham University. A former teacher, she has spent her working life in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk; she now lives in Cambridge. She has one son and five step-children.
Her Joe Sandilands series of books set against the background of the British Raj was inspired by the contents of a battered old tin trunk that she found in her attic. Out of it spilled two centuries of memories of a family – especially a great uncle who spent a lot of time in India – whose exploits and achievements marched in time with the flowering of the British Empire.
Her Joe Sandilands series of books set against the background of the British Raj was inspired by the contents of a battered old tin trunk that she found in her attic. Out of it spilled two centuries of memories of a family – especially a great uncle who spent a lot of time in India – whose exploits and achievements marched in time with the flowering of the British Empire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
January 28, 2009
This book really wanted to be good, worked super hard on it, put it lots of different things to try to keep your attention and then....not so much. It started off really slowly, but picked up and was honestly interesting for most of the middle part, but completely fell apart at the end. There were just too many threads to pull together, and too many coincedences required to make those threads come together coherently. Worse yet, the archeology in the book felt completely extraneous, even though, presumably, it's the whole reason for the story's existence. Cleverly should probably read some more Elizabeth Peterson to see how it's done. A quick read, but not really worth it.
May 1, 2015
Δεν μπορώ να καταλάβω τι ζητάμε τελικά από ένα βιβλίο...το συγκεκριμένο έχει εξαιρετική ατμόσφαιρα, Καλό μυστήριο, δυνατή πλοκή...Γιατί το βαθμολογούν χαμηλά Δεν ξέρω...Πολύ καλό μωρέ την Κρήτη να είναι το τέλειο σκηνικό...
June 24, 2019
Διασκεδαστικό ανάλαφρο και διαρκώς γεμάτο κλισέ. Ο, τι πρέπει για να ξεκουραστείς φεύγει σαν νερό αλλά δεν είναι κάτι το ιδιαίτερο παρόλαυτα διαβάζετε πάρα πολύ ευχάριστα
May 28, 2017
This is only the second Barbara Cleverly mystery I've read, but I am hooked. I'm considering her my "find" of 2017. The sense of place and of its culture, in this case Crete, is so strong in her novels, that it can easily be said the setting becomes a living entity. Her characters are written strongly as well and make vivid impressions when the reader meets them within the pages of her books. Much of this may have gone over my head, as I'm not well-versed in Greek mythology or ancient poetry, but it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book whatsoever, despite slowing down the action at times. The questionable circumstances surrounding one death sometimes seemed forgotten in all the archaeological talk, but it was always there fermenting under the surface. The ending was strong and brought it all to a very satisfying conclusion. I look forward to reading all of her other mystery novels.
December 31, 2009
As I've often posted about before, I'm a big fan of Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series. And as y'all might guess with my recent post about finishing up Queen of Souls, I dig me some Greek mythology. So when I happened across The Tomb of Zeus on the new releases shelf in the Mystery section at Barnes & Noble the other night, I couldn't help but be interested: a period novel set in the 1920's, a woman doing archaeology, and moreover, doing it on the isle of Crete. Bitchin'. Sign me up.
Overall this was a fun read, and I must give Ms. Cleverly points for some quite unconventional decisions about her heroine's backstory in a period mystery novel. First and foremost: she's actually met her love interest before, with all sorts of references to prior occurrences that sounded quite interesting and which I'm a little sorry we didn't actually get to see on camera. Second: she's actually not a virgin, which rather raised my eyebrows when I read it, but which also made perfect sense as soon as young Laetitia defended herself to William, the aforementioned love interest, about how entirely unfair it was that his sex was perfectly willing to overlook one of their own having affairs while holding the same behavior against hers. Plot-wise, we get quite the knotted little mess surrounding the death of the wife of Laetitia's host--which in turn leads to the discovery of all sorts of tasty family intrigue going on. There's plenty of lush descriptions of Crete and the people Letty meets, as well as references galore to the gods.
The only beefs I had with it, really, were that I found the pacing and arrangement of scenes occasionally strange and clunky... and that for a novel that was supposed to be about a young woman trying to launch a career as an archaeologist, the story actually took forever to get her doing some actual archaeological work. But those were minor beefs indeed and I may well have to keep an eye out for the next one in this series. Three and a half stars.
Overall this was a fun read, and I must give Ms. Cleverly points for some quite unconventional decisions about her heroine's backstory in a period mystery novel. First and foremost: she's actually met her love interest before, with all sorts of references to prior occurrences that sounded quite interesting and which I'm a little sorry we didn't actually get to see on camera. Second: she's actually not a virgin, which rather raised my eyebrows when I read it, but which also made perfect sense as soon as young Laetitia defended herself to William, the aforementioned love interest, about how entirely unfair it was that his sex was perfectly willing to overlook one of their own having affairs while holding the same behavior against hers. Plot-wise, we get quite the knotted little mess surrounding the death of the wife of Laetitia's host--which in turn leads to the discovery of all sorts of tasty family intrigue going on. There's plenty of lush descriptions of Crete and the people Letty meets, as well as references galore to the gods.
The only beefs I had with it, really, were that I found the pacing and arrangement of scenes occasionally strange and clunky... and that for a novel that was supposed to be about a young woman trying to launch a career as an archaeologist, the story actually took forever to get her doing some actual archaeological work. But those were minor beefs indeed and I may well have to keep an eye out for the next one in this series. Three and a half stars.
February 13, 2013
The Tomb of Zeus by Barbara Cleverly reminds me of the luscious MM Kaye books set in exotic locations. Cleverly’s latest book takes place on Crete in 1928. Letty arrives to begin her career in archeology under the eye of Theodore Russell, an arrogant retired naval officer turned archeologist. Theodore is rude to his guests and nasty to his lovely wife Phoebe. Finding William firmly ensconced in the Russell household surprises Letty, the last time she saw William he was running away from her planned seduction. Lovely Phoebe delights Letty, she is sure they could be lifelong friends. Phoebe’s life turns out to be very short; she is found hanging in her bedroom. Letty refuses to believe it is suicide and is determined to do justice by her dead friend. Letty is a headstrong, likable heroine. Cleverly intertwines the story with ancient mythology, Letty is trying to uncover the tomb of Zeus, King of the Gods. Marvelous fun!
March 7, 2017
While I liked the archaeological content I found the story somewhat plodding. Though #1 in the series there were several references to the past relationship between Lettie and William that made me feel I had missed a previous book. I'm sure all will come clear in future entries but I still hate being teased like that. From this first taste I would not place the Laetitia Talbot series among my favorites of Cleverly's series.
August 10, 2016
Blech. Book 2 of the mystery book club. Finally quit reading at page 160 because I just didn't care, no matter how hard I tried. Presumably this is an award winning writer, but I can't imagine how or why.
September 7, 2020
Clever premise, but the delivery is strident and melodramatic rather than convincing. Laetitia's characterization is all over the map - by turns, independent and needy, smart and schoolgirlish, refined and common.
April 13, 2013
Two things I love: period mysteries and archaeology. For some reason, I kept wishing for more archaeology during the mystery parts and more mystery during the archaeology parts.
And less romance.
I found the book slow and meaty - there is so much going on. It starts with an episode in the violent history of Crete, which leads one to believe that there's some vengeance to come. Merry mix-ups in the romance between Lettie (oh, dear - and the lengths I've gone through to make sure I am never called "Mattie") and Gunning are more amusing in retrospect.
But so much did not quite make sense. I don't see someone developing leprosy so quickly, even if they had contact with lepers. And if you skulk around to commit murder and see one committed*, soup to nuts, why you don't tell the authorities or anyone sooner (since vengeance is an honor killing that would have been and is in fact shown to be acceptable) doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Or maybe it's just having the whole scene described by a hidden observer seem silly. Also, why would suicide be absolutely necessary, even with 1) leprosy, 2) a useless lover, 3) an adulterous pregnancy, 4) and a rat-bastard for a husband when you have all the money?
Oh, and they're just too quick to dig up finds. I know it's Crete in the 1920s, but it still seems unlikely.
And I did identify the lover rather quickly and then thought, "Oh, don't tell me it's leprosy!"
None of that would keep me from reading another in the series, believe it or not. Absolutely loved the local police captain and the ending, while contrived, was a surprise.
And less romance.
I found the book slow and meaty - there is so much going on. It starts with an episode in the violent history of Crete, which leads one to believe that there's some vengeance to come. Merry mix-ups in the romance between Lettie (oh, dear - and the lengths I've gone through to make sure I am never called "Mattie") and Gunning are more amusing in retrospect.
But so much did not quite make sense. I don't see someone developing leprosy so quickly, even if they had contact with lepers. And if you skulk around to commit murder and see one committed*, soup to nuts, why you don't tell the authorities or anyone sooner (since vengeance is an honor killing that would have been and is in fact shown to be acceptable) doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Or maybe it's just having the whole scene described by a hidden observer seem silly. Also, why would suicide be absolutely necessary, even with 1) leprosy, 2) a useless lover, 3) an adulterous pregnancy, 4) and a rat-bastard for a husband when you have all the money?
Oh, and they're just too quick to dig up finds. I know it's Crete in the 1920s, but it still seems unlikely.
And I did identify the lover rather quickly and then thought, "Oh, don't tell me it's leprosy!"
None of that would keep me from reading another in the series, believe it or not. Absolutely loved the local police captain and the ending, while contrived, was a surprise.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2013
An excellent historical mystery with a touch of romance. Laetitia Talbot arrives in Cyprus ready to work as an archaeologist, aiming to join into the thriving exploration of Minoan culture carried out by the likes of Arthur Evans and her somewhat less illustrious host, former British naval officer, Theodore Russell. Unfortunately for Laetitia, there are roadblocks to her ambitions, not the least of which is an unexpected death.
The archaeology storyline is intriguing but under-developed. I'm left hanging with regards to some really interesting discoveries (and I had a pet theory that I would have liked to see proved or disproved). With regards to the romance, the story picks up in the middle of matters - the reader's left wondering whether this was book #2 (hint: it isn't). Nonetheless, I heartily recommend the book and I'm ready to pick up the second in the series: Bright Hair About the Bone.
The archaeology storyline is intriguing but under-developed. I'm left hanging with regards to some really interesting discoveries (and I had a pet theory that I would have liked to see proved or disproved). With regards to the romance, the story picks up in the middle of matters - the reader's left wondering whether this was book #2 (hint: it isn't). Nonetheless, I heartily recommend the book and I'm ready to pick up the second in the series: Bright Hair About the Bone.
December 3, 2008
1928. The Island of Crete. Dilettante Laetitia Talbot has arrived for an archaeological dig. Surrounded by men, she is determined to prove her prowess.
But before any digging may commence, her host's wife hangs herself. Or did she? Following her death, her host's son drives off a cliff. What's going on? And how long will it take Letty to figure it all out?
Well, I thought that Letty would be a plucky Amelia Peabody sort of heroine. She's not. And I couldn't really understand the appeal of our sleuth or the mystery.
The story itself focuses on archaeology and the history of Crete. Yawn. The murder is definitely secondary.
Not impressed and certainly not interested in the second book in the series.
But before any digging may commence, her host's wife hangs herself. Or did she? Following her death, her host's son drives off a cliff. What's going on? And how long will it take Letty to figure it all out?
Well, I thought that Letty would be a plucky Amelia Peabody sort of heroine. She's not. And I couldn't really understand the appeal of our sleuth or the mystery.
The story itself focuses on archaeology and the history of Crete. Yawn. The murder is definitely secondary.
Not impressed and certainly not interested in the second book in the series.
Read
May 31, 2012Yep, finished.....finally. Funny thing, Goodreads is having a problem saving my rating...barely 1 star. At first I thought I'd like this story because I really enjoy archeology coupled with my favorite genre--mystery. Eagerly, I looked forward to reading about the quest for the tomb. Instead, this book turned into a badly written Victorian love story which became stupid, no, not even stupid, just silly, and I found myself giggling about the various events. Wouldn't have finished it at all, but I was reading it for a mystery book club. They have not been choosing good books lately, not even books with any redeeming features. A few more like this, and I will not bother any longer. There are so many great mystery writers to read, and this was definitely not one of them.
January 10, 2012
Eh. Not up to the Sandilands books, I think this one tried to do too much. Romance, archaeology, mystery, bright-young-thing historical - and everything suffered in the end. I was particularly disappointed with the archaeology. The finds were lovingly described and clearly meant to drive the plot and add layers of depth and foreshadowing to the "modern" stories, but the author didn't give us enough to work with. The finds ended up being ancillary at best.
Parts of it reminded me of watching a toddler pick up and discard toys. Each item may be worthy, but, in the end, the playroom is a mess.
Parts of it reminded me of watching a toddler pick up and discard toys. Each item may be worthy, but, in the end, the playroom is a mess.
March 19, 2012
It's unfortunate (for me) that this was compared to the Amelia Peabody series, as I went in with higher expectations -- not necessarily of literary genius, but of witty characters and an enjoyable mystery.
Honestly, I tried to muddle through this and eventually gave up. The characters were unlikeable and not interesting and the writing was on the dry side. Also, and this could absolutely just be a twitchy pet peeve of mine, but I've never seen so many exclamation marks in sentences before, to the point where it was intensely grating. Or, should I say, to the point where it was intensely grating! Really!
Moving on.
Honestly, I tried to muddle through this and eventually gave up. The characters were unlikeable and not interesting and the writing was on the dry side. Also, and this could absolutely just be a twitchy pet peeve of mine, but I've never seen so many exclamation marks in sentences before, to the point where it was intensely grating. Or, should I say, to the point where it was intensely grating! Really!
Moving on.
July 23, 2011
c2008. It was a good enough story to keep me reading but it really was more fluff than flavour. I thought the characters were fairly one dimensional and the best parts had to do with the myths. I will not rush out to obtain any more in the series. Can you believe that the horrid phrase "living rock" appeared in the story as well. Does Ms Cleverley write fantasy under another name? (Not a real question)
June 27, 2010
I'd give this 2.5 stars. I liked the setting (Crete) and Letty is a strong female character. But I felt there was too much on the archaeology and not enough worrying about the death of Phoebe and catching her murderer. I also felt the ending was rushed, and I guessed the identity of the child in the prologue well before the end (well at least that made me feel clever.)
July 28, 2011
The writing was pretty good, but I have to say I was a bit turned off by the main character. Also, I didn't feel like it was completely historically accurate- especially the dialog. But not a bad mystery novel.
March 17, 2025
A 3.5 read that I didn't round up mostly because of some personal issues with the main character and the imbalance between solving a mystery and the other plot line. Letty is one of the 'modern women' in the 1920s and is off to make her mark in the world of archaeology. To that end, she's in Crete, taken on by Theodore Russell on the advice of Letty's mentor. He is rushing to out do Arthur Evans and discover the titular tomb and isn't going to turn down help. That said he's also not really happy to have a woman so he plants her somewhere she might find some small artifacts and gives her diggers he's irritated with.
On her first day, Letty meets Phoebe, Theo's much younger wife, George his kind hearted son and Gunning, a man she already knows who had been set as a babysitter earlier on in a different setting by her father. There is so much past history referenced that I thought there were previous books. And that's where I get annoyed with Letty. She's constantly blowing hot and cold with Gunning (an ex soldier from WWI with war wounds) and she's also either gung-ho or quailing so it got annoying fast.
Phoebe meets an untimely end but is it suicide as she has reasons? Letty doesn't believe it and neither does Marianni the detective. So there is some imbalance that happens as Letty works on the mystery and the whole archeology thing falls into the background for far too long.
The mystery however is nicely done. Phoebe's past, George's too set up the clues and red herrings well and the past has everything to do with this, right down to the history of Crete itself (though this book also started out on a sour note for me because it had an author's note, condemning the colonialism/ take over of Crete by other people which is good but then goes on to say how gentle England tread on the Island which really isn't that true. The museum took far more than its fair share of artifacts from Crete. I think she was trying to reference the Ottoman empire and a real world slaughter that happened but it came off badly, though that slaughter plays a role in this)
Would I read another one? I probably would. Letty wasn't awful, just a bit annoying. I love that we had an archaeologist detective that isn't in Egypt for a change.
On her first day, Letty meets Phoebe, Theo's much younger wife, George his kind hearted son and Gunning, a man she already knows who had been set as a babysitter earlier on in a different setting by her father. There is so much past history referenced that I thought there were previous books. And that's where I get annoyed with Letty. She's constantly blowing hot and cold with Gunning (an ex soldier from WWI with war wounds) and she's also either gung-ho or quailing so it got annoying fast.
Phoebe meets an untimely end but is it suicide as she has reasons? Letty doesn't believe it and neither does Marianni the detective. So there is some imbalance that happens as Letty works on the mystery and the whole archeology thing falls into the background for far too long.
The mystery however is nicely done. Phoebe's past, George's too set up the clues and red herrings well and the past has everything to do with this, right down to the history of Crete itself (though this book also started out on a sour note for me because it had an author's note, condemning the colonialism/ take over of Crete by other people which is good but then goes on to say how gentle England tread on the Island which really isn't that true. The museum took far more than its fair share of artifacts from Crete. I think she was trying to reference the Ottoman empire and a real world slaughter that happened but it came off badly, though that slaughter plays a role in this)
Would I read another one? I probably would. Letty wasn't awful, just a bit annoying. I love that we had an archaeologist detective that isn't in Egypt for a change.
dnf
February 4, 2023I was excited about this one because of the setting but threw in the towel about 10% of the way in to the book - there is just too much exposition, often in dialogue form (hint to authors: if you have a character speaking in, literally, multiple paragraphs at a time, perhaps reconsider how you are choosing to relay information to the readers), and too much information in general. So for example when we're told that a woman reminds the heroine of actress Lillian Gish, we're also told where the heroine last saw a Lillian Gish movie and get a description of a memorable scene from it, complete with character names. This cannot possibly be in any way relevant information to the book as a whole. I felt like I was drowning in words.
I will also add that I found Cleverly's brief author's note at the beginning somewhat alienating - she talks about how "sadly" some nations have been "conquerors and exploiters" of Crete, but she's so glad that "my own people, the British, have trodden lightly." Uh. Come on. Imperial Britain didn't conquer and/or exploit Crete during the nineteenth century because the Ottoman Empire was already doing so. Let's not pretend that it was out of the innate goodness of their hearts. I get that British archaeologists of the early twentieth century took a very romantic view of Crete specifically (and Greece in general) but I'm not a fan of modern authors adopting that viewpoint - it was a lot more complicated.
I will also add that I found Cleverly's brief author's note at the beginning somewhat alienating - she talks about how "sadly" some nations have been "conquerors and exploiters" of Crete, but she's so glad that "my own people, the British, have trodden lightly." Uh. Come on. Imperial Britain didn't conquer and/or exploit Crete during the nineteenth century because the Ottoman Empire was already doing so. Let's not pretend that it was out of the innate goodness of their hearts. I get that British archaeologists of the early twentieth century took a very romantic view of Crete specifically (and Greece in general) but I'm not a fan of modern authors adopting that viewpoint - it was a lot more complicated.
December 3, 2018
I love a good mystery and I love a good historical fiction. I loved Elizabeth Peter's series about Amelia Peabody, and so I went into this beacuse it was suggested I read it if I liked those.
I've never read this series before, this is the first book in it that I've read. I was excited because if I liked this one, I'd have a bunch more to read!
Disappointly, I didn't really like it. It was just okay. The beginning started off very strong, but then it felt like there was too much going on. Subplots are fine, but I felt like there were several main plots going on, and Cleverly couldn't decide which was the main one and therefore the one to focus on.
It was a mess in terms of plot, flipping back and forth, back and forth. I didn't enjoy that at all.
I thought the writing was fine, and the characters fine, but it was nothing to write home about. I wouldn't necessarily read the rest of this series unless I was in the mood for it, as this just didn't seem to be my cup of tea.
I've never read this series before, this is the first book in it that I've read. I was excited because if I liked this one, I'd have a bunch more to read!
Disappointly, I didn't really like it. It was just okay. The beginning started off very strong, but then it felt like there was too much going on. Subplots are fine, but I felt like there were several main plots going on, and Cleverly couldn't decide which was the main one and therefore the one to focus on.
It was a mess in terms of plot, flipping back and forth, back and forth. I didn't enjoy that at all.
I thought the writing was fine, and the characters fine, but it was nothing to write home about. I wouldn't necessarily read the rest of this series unless I was in the mood for it, as this just didn't seem to be my cup of tea.
May 5, 2020
When comparing the Letty Talbot books with the Joe Sandilands novels, I would definitely have to say that I prefer Joe as a character. Letty is somewhat catty and domineering. She's not as annoying as Harry Potter in the 5th, 6th, and 7th novels in his series, though :), and does show compassion and kindness on occasion.
In this novel, the setting is breathtaking, and the story of a fascinating and unusual archaeological discovery is set against the backdrop of a puzzling and tragic death. The romance between Letty and one of the other characters is highly believable, there are plenty of creative red herrings, and the conclusion is distinctly dramatic. Cleverly's dialogue, setting, plot, and writing style are as magnificent as ever. Just don't go into this story expecting to love Letty. Don't go in expecting to hate her, either, though :).
In this novel, the setting is breathtaking, and the story of a fascinating and unusual archaeological discovery is set against the backdrop of a puzzling and tragic death. The romance between Letty and one of the other characters is highly believable, there are plenty of creative red herrings, and the conclusion is distinctly dramatic. Cleverly's dialogue, setting, plot, and writing style are as magnificent as ever. Just don't go into this story expecting to love Letty. Don't go in expecting to hate her, either, though :).
February 26, 2018
I enjoyed this. I had to keep reminding myself that it took place in 1928: so many things seemed like they could be happening now, even though much about the relationship between men and women was clearly appropriate for that decade but not for ours. The setting on Crete was interesting, and I particularly enjoyed the archaeological dig, though I was a bit confused about who/what they had actually discovered. Laetitia was thoroughly enjoyable, and it was easy to share her opinions of the other characters. After trying to keep track of all the convoluted goings-on, I found the conclusion and final solution a bit of a let-down, but that's a small complaint. It was a fun book to read.
January 6, 2018
This cozy mystery, set in Crete in the 1920s, is a bit too long and leisurely-paced, but the story did keep my interest . The characters are stock: the arrogant male archeologist who takes on a wealthy, well-educated, independent single woman and a World War I veteran who are assigned their own archeological site to explore. The archeologist has a young, wealthy wife and a grown son, both with their own secrets. Of course, the patriarch has his secrets, too. This is the first in a series, with the young woman archeologist as the protagonist.
February 7, 2018
(Fiction, Mystery, Historical, Series)
In February 2014, I greatly enjoyed one of Cleverly’s books from her Joe Sandilands series. Since then, I had heard positive things about her Laetitia “Letty” Talbot series, so I decided to give it a whirl, starting with the first in the series.
Set in 1928 Crete, it features aspiring archaeologist Letty, determined to succeed in a male-dominated field.
The mystery was solid, and kept me guessing, but I am so weary of Golden Age heroines with modern-day sensibilities. I may stick to Cleverley’s other series.
4 stars
In February 2014, I greatly enjoyed one of Cleverly’s books from her Joe Sandilands series. Since then, I had heard positive things about her Laetitia “Letty” Talbot series, so I decided to give it a whirl, starting with the first in the series.
Set in 1928 Crete, it features aspiring archaeologist Letty, determined to succeed in a male-dominated field.
The mystery was solid, and kept me guessing, but I am so weary of Golden Age heroines with modern-day sensibilities. I may stick to Cleverley’s other series.
4 stars
June 19, 2022
Although I enjoyed learning a more about Crete and it's history, the rest of the book was disappointing. I wish I could have felt insourciance about the use of that word practically every other chapter in the first half of the book, but it just left me feeling lugubrious (the word of practically every other chapter the second half of the book). Thankfully the word sacerdotal only made one appearance. In addition to the unpleasant repetition of pretentious vocabulary, most of the characters weren't particularly good company either.
July 10, 2018
It's not as subtle as the Amelia Peabody Egyptian archaeology stories, but interesting in a similar way: a talented, personable, well funded young woman whose education was sponsored by her father, and ample opportunity for her to show up mistaken assumptions by the dominant male researchers.
And romance. And murder. And Greece. What else can you want?
And romance. And murder. And Greece. What else can you want?
July 24, 2019
While this is purported to be a mystery concerning the death of a woman by an apparent suicide, Cleverly goes deep into the weeds exploring the archaeological efforts to unearth the tomb of Zeus on the Island of Crete. About half of the book develops this focus while the murder mystery takes a back seat. Lots of character development and interpersonal intrigue.
May 12, 2021
This book is about an archaeological dig in Crete set in 1928. It is the first of the Laetitia Talbot series. Of course there is a murder, there are family stories, there is some flirtation, and there is a lot about Crete and archaeology.
This was an interesting book on many levels. A fun read.
This was an interesting book on many levels. A fun read.
June 19, 2021
This was a so-so mystery, but what made it interesting to me was that it was set in Crete. There are characters who had bitter memories of terror between Christians and Muslims and the barren landscape harbors ancient ruins that are the focus of the plot. The lead character, Letitia, is a rare female archeologist in the early 20th century.
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