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Lara McClintoch Archaeological Mystery #6
The Etruscan Chimera
Now, in The Etruscan Chimera, antiques dealer Lara McClintoch is hired by a reclusive billionaire to purchase an obscure Etruscan sculpture. But the land of old Tuscany hides danger behind its charm, as Lara finds out when she discovers a prominent collector buried in his own Etruscan tomb.
Author Biography: Lyn Hamilton is the author of five previous novels including The Xibalba Murders, nominated by the Crime Writers of Canada Association for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel.
293 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
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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 46 reviews
January 5, 2019
I loved Lyn Hamilton upon her first novel. I am sad that she died of cancer in 2009, with more novels planned. I savour them by leaving two years in between these precious eleven. I was younger when I started but thought it high time we meet an adventuresome 40 year-old, who is intelligent and single. Lara McClintoch sells antiquities in Toronto. The weakest novel by Lyn is better than many! In consideration of her brisk writing, engrossing atmosphere, tricky twists, and demonstration of real knowledge, from Ontario's cultural department; I bestow four stars. She artfully teaches of a different civilization every time. "The Etruscan Chimera" entails ancient Italy. Her originality is especially gratifying. Not only do Lyn's mysteries scurry outside any blueprint: she consistently furnishes uniqueness within her own series.
The two less successful aspects are these. This outing comprises a wild goose chase, dampening its capacity to project Lyn's usual mystical aura and mysteriousness. Those traits generate the tone archaeological readers seek. They would sense its absence. The tantalizing ingredient of searching for something rare flickers fleetingly but lacks the thrill of breeching secret places. The axis is not discovery. It is character-driven; not about where Lara might unearth a relic. When her patron doesn't care which Etruscan artifact Lara obtains, thrill and urgency dim, except the distrust arising from this commission.
The denouement is preposterous. Reading why the artifact was wanted, we imagine easier modes of obtaining it than zigzagging. However, continuous action keeps interest in this adventure taut; culminating in murders that darken the atmosphere and suddenly supply urgency and an elevation of feelings. Lara sees the flaws we do. Her determination to sift out answers from an elusive source is my favourite sequence. Begin in order and see why Lyn's Canadian series is my favourite!
The two less successful aspects are these. This outing comprises a wild goose chase, dampening its capacity to project Lyn's usual mystical aura and mysteriousness. Those traits generate the tone archaeological readers seek. They would sense its absence. The tantalizing ingredient of searching for something rare flickers fleetingly but lacks the thrill of breeching secret places. The axis is not discovery. It is character-driven; not about where Lara might unearth a relic. When her patron doesn't care which Etruscan artifact Lara obtains, thrill and urgency dim, except the distrust arising from this commission.
The denouement is preposterous. Reading why the artifact was wanted, we imagine easier modes of obtaining it than zigzagging. However, continuous action keeps interest in this adventure taut; culminating in murders that darken the atmosphere and suddenly supply urgency and an elevation of feelings. Lara sees the flaws we do. Her determination to sift out answers from an elusive source is my favourite sequence. Begin in order and see why Lyn's Canadian series is my favourite!
January 16, 2009
The Chimera of Arezzo happens to be my favorite sculpture, so it is nice to see it featured so prominently. Hamilton has clearly done some background reading but falls short in places.
For example, she superficially describes the bronze liver of Piacenza and its role in haruspicy (the divination of the future from reading entrails), but does not really capture the Etruscan belief that the macrocosm (the heavens and their inhabitants) is perfectly legible in the microcosm of the liver at the moment a willing sheep is sacrificed.
Occasional references to the Etruscan god Tinia (Zeus/Jupiter) make sense given the inscription on the Chimera, but I'd also expect Fufluns (Dionysus/Bacchus) to appear in his underworld capacity, given the murders.
One historical problem is that Etruscan haruspices are always depicted with one foot raised on a rock or mound of earth; the character who is reported to have done so would likely not have met this requirement.
The description of the Chimera of Arezzo is also lacking- although it mentions the realistic aspects of muscles rippling under the skin, it does not address how very stylized other parts, like the lion's mane, are. It is that seamless marriage of disparate elements that makes the statue so beguiling. It is also said that the Chimera was a major influence on Benvenuto Cellini and his Perseus. The Perseus was reputed to be the first Renaissance Bronze that was compositionally perfect from 8 axes; the Chimera is from 360 degrees. Also, the Chimera is depicted at the critical moment of the Bellerophon myth- a dangerously wounded beast whose defeat and dispatch is close, but far from certain.
There was no mention of the metal working mastery of the Etruscans other than lost wax bronze casting- not the fact that their goldsmithing remains unrivalled even in modern times (granulation- setting individual globules of gold scarcely larger than grains of sand- into decorative patterns required controlling smelting temperatures to within half a degree!), nor that there are tens of thousands of engraved hand held mirrors extant. Clearly a people who believed in lavishing gifts.
The pace is brisk and the plot brings the reader on a very nice sojourn through some very beautiful places in Europe. The denouement was structurally and thematically well-crafted though not unpredictable. I'd recommend a paperback copy for airport reading on the way to central Italy, and leaving it in the B&B for a stranger.
For example, she superficially describes the bronze liver of Piacenza and its role in haruspicy (the divination of the future from reading entrails), but does not really capture the Etruscan belief that the macrocosm (the heavens and their inhabitants) is perfectly legible in the microcosm of the liver at the moment a willing sheep is sacrificed.
Occasional references to the Etruscan god Tinia (Zeus/Jupiter) make sense given the inscription on the Chimera, but I'd also expect Fufluns (Dionysus/Bacchus) to appear in his underworld capacity, given the murders.
One historical problem is that Etruscan haruspices are always depicted with one foot raised on a rock or mound of earth; the character who is reported to have done so would likely not have met this requirement.
The description of the Chimera of Arezzo is also lacking- although it mentions the realistic aspects of muscles rippling under the skin, it does not address how very stylized other parts, like the lion's mane, are. It is that seamless marriage of disparate elements that makes the statue so beguiling. It is also said that the Chimera was a major influence on Benvenuto Cellini and his Perseus. The Perseus was reputed to be the first Renaissance Bronze that was compositionally perfect from 8 axes; the Chimera is from 360 degrees. Also, the Chimera is depicted at the critical moment of the Bellerophon myth- a dangerously wounded beast whose defeat and dispatch is close, but far from certain.
There was no mention of the metal working mastery of the Etruscans other than lost wax bronze casting- not the fact that their goldsmithing remains unrivalled even in modern times (granulation- setting individual globules of gold scarcely larger than grains of sand- into decorative patterns required controlling smelting temperatures to within half a degree!), nor that there are tens of thousands of engraved hand held mirrors extant. Clearly a people who believed in lavishing gifts.
The pace is brisk and the plot brings the reader on a very nice sojourn through some very beautiful places in Europe. The denouement was structurally and thematically well-crafted though not unpredictable. I'd recommend a paperback copy for airport reading on the way to central Italy, and leaving it in the B&B for a stranger.
April 3, 2024
I'm generally not the target audience for mysteries. I often struggle to even finish them. That said, while I think there were some weaknesses in the plot and characters... I think I have discovered I'm far more entertained by mysteries surrounding stolen artifacts than I am about your run of the mill murder mystery. I may have to try another book or two in the series.
I picked this one up at random just because I was going down a rabbit hole and grabbing everything with the word "Etruscan" on the shelf along with some art history and Greek history books.
I picked this one up at random just because I was going down a rabbit hole and grabbing everything with the word "Etruscan" on the shelf along with some art history and Greek history books.
June 30, 2021
The Etruscan Chimera by Lyn Hamilton is the 6th book in Hamilton's Lara McClintoch Archeological mystery series and the 4th I've completed so far. I will never claim that they are the best mysteries I've ever read but at the same time I enjoy them whenever I pick one up. Lara McClintoch owns an antique store in Toronto Ontario and her mysteries find her in various parts of the world, searching for unique items to add to her store.
In The Etruscan Chimera, we find Lara in Italy, in Rome, having been hired to purchase an Etruscan artifact for a reclusive billionaire, Crawford Lake. Even the introduction to the recluse, requiring that Lara has to be blindfolded before she is taken to him puts her back up somewhat. Everything about the man and his requirements are mysterious. She only communicates with his assistant, Antonio. She is sent to France to try and purchase a statue of Bellerophon from another reclusive individual. On the way, Lara meets a number of mysterious people, other antique dealers and even an old friend.
Bodies start to fall and Lara finds that a stolen Etruscan artifact has been hidden in her luggage. The Italian police are after the theft of this artifact and arrest a woman who has met Lara. It's all very confusing at times and the story is somewhat convoluted. But at the same time, it moves along and holds your interest. There are many potential suspects and at times Lara seems to wander through things and manages to keep her head above water.
The story is entertaining. You do learn a bit about the mysterious Etruscan culture that was destroyed and assimilated by Rome, just enough to pique your interest. The story keeps your interest and ultimately is resolved satisfactorily. Always a fun series to dig into. (3.5 stars)
In The Etruscan Chimera, we find Lara in Italy, in Rome, having been hired to purchase an Etruscan artifact for a reclusive billionaire, Crawford Lake. Even the introduction to the recluse, requiring that Lara has to be blindfolded before she is taken to him puts her back up somewhat. Everything about the man and his requirements are mysterious. She only communicates with his assistant, Antonio. She is sent to France to try and purchase a statue of Bellerophon from another reclusive individual. On the way, Lara meets a number of mysterious people, other antique dealers and even an old friend.
Bodies start to fall and Lara finds that a stolen Etruscan artifact has been hidden in her luggage. The Italian police are after the theft of this artifact and arrest a woman who has met Lara. It's all very confusing at times and the story is somewhat convoluted. But at the same time, it moves along and holds your interest. There are many potential suspects and at times Lara seems to wander through things and manages to keep her head above water.
The story is entertaining. You do learn a bit about the mysterious Etruscan culture that was destroyed and assimilated by Rome, just enough to pique your interest. The story keeps your interest and ultimately is resolved satisfactorily. Always a fun series to dig into. (3.5 stars)
December 28, 2018
The subject and ideas behind the book are intriguing. I love history and am fascinated by the Etruscans. I enjoyed the trip through France and Italy and the descriptions of architecture and artifacts.
At the heart of the book is the point that private collectors, nefarious dealers and auction houses are to blame for the ruination of culture- these artifacts should be in their rightful place in museums.
However- the plot was VERY convoluted, the characters were numerous and confusing and it took about ten pages too long to untangle the mystery at the end. By the end, I wasn’t sure I cared who stole what.
Overall, it was original and raises some very thought provoking questions. Three strong stars.
At the heart of the book is the point that private collectors, nefarious dealers and auction houses are to blame for the ruination of culture- these artifacts should be in their rightful place in museums.
However- the plot was VERY convoluted, the characters were numerous and confusing and it took about ten pages too long to untangle the mystery at the end. By the end, I wasn’t sure I cared who stole what.
Overall, it was original and raises some very thought provoking questions. Three strong stars.
September 30, 2011
I really loved this book in Lyn Hamilton's series of archaeological mysteries about antique store owner/designer Lara McClintoch. Lara's ex-husband is now divorced from his rich wife and goes back into the business with Lara when Lara's partner Sarah wants out.
It looks like a reclusive billionaire wants Lara to go to France and get a statue from a collector for him. When Lara arrives, she begins meeting some odd characters and facing massive confusion over who is really who. This one has a lot of info on the Etruscans which are a great interest of mine . You will marvel at the twists and turns in this one where the good guys are bad guys and the bad guys aren't who they say they are. She is in the UK, France, and Italy in this book and I loved the descriptions. Even the police are not to be trusted and the person who hired her wasn't who she thought at all. Dead bodies keep turning up but Lara has a very complicated mystery to solve.
I really loved this one.
It looks like a reclusive billionaire wants Lara to go to France and get a statue from a collector for him. When Lara arrives, she begins meeting some odd characters and facing massive confusion over who is really who. This one has a lot of info on the Etruscans which are a great interest of mine . You will marvel at the twists and turns in this one where the good guys are bad guys and the bad guys aren't who they say they are. She is in the UK, France, and Italy in this book and I loved the descriptions. Even the police are not to be trusted and the person who hired her wasn't who she thought at all. Dead bodies keep turning up but Lara has a very complicated mystery to solve.
I really loved this one.
January 2, 2013
Although this novel came out in 2002, it is a wonderful read any time, and right now. I may be biased, because it centers around Etruscan antiquities, and I have a personal fondness for Etruscan history. When two characters briefly discussed the Etruscan Lars Porsenna I actually cheered aloud.
Putting all that aside, this fascinating mystery moves well through the Tuscan countryside, into France, and back into Italy, as the protagonist seeks a piece of Etruscan art. She, Lara McClintoch, seeks a piece of Etruscan sculpture, and discovers, along the way, an odd collection of individuals--none of whom can really be trusted, some of whom are actual villains.
A definite must-read.
Putting all that aside, this fascinating mystery moves well through the Tuscan countryside, into France, and back into Italy, as the protagonist seeks a piece of Etruscan art. She, Lara McClintoch, seeks a piece of Etruscan sculpture, and discovers, along the way, an odd collection of individuals--none of whom can really be trusted, some of whom are actual villains.
A definite must-read.
October 18, 2009
I think these books can get old fast. This is only the second one and I have another one from the library, but I returned one without reading it and cancelled another hold. If you're interested in archaelogical history, then you might enjoy them more than I did. I found it too much like a lecture, interrupting the momentum of the mystery. The author obviously had (I'm sosry to say she died recently) a lot of knowledge - and passion - for her subject, but unless it was a period I'm interested in (like "The Celtic Riddle"), it just gets in the way of the reason I'm reading the book - the mystery.
In this book, there were way too many characters involved and most of them were not well-developed. I certainly have a lot of respect for her ability to keep them all straight and bring them in at various points in the book, but by the end, I just didn't care - and five minutes after putting it down, couldn't tell you who the murderer(s) was/were.
In this book, there were way too many characters involved and most of them were not well-developed. I certainly have a lot of respect for her ability to keep them all straight and bring them in at various points in the book, but by the end, I just didn't care - and five minutes after putting it down, couldn't tell you who the murderer(s) was/were.
October 11, 2014
Lara is co-owner of an antique shop in Toronto. She goes on buying trips to purchase antiques for their shop. Much to her surprise, an eccentric billionaire asks her to purchase a chimera, an Etruscan artifact, so he may return it to an Italian museum. She travels to France in pursuit of the chimera which she finds and loses several times. Mysterious suicides and frightening experiences cause her to wonder “who can she trust”. In addition to reading an enjoyable book, I learned a bit about the Etruscan civilization.
May 20, 2010
Interesting and intricate mystery inspired by the object everyone wants in this book : The Chimera.
As always, the historical, archaeological information is interesting and not put down our throat in info dump paragraphs. Lyn Hamilton successfully merges her mystery plot point with her historical information. The plot is a bit too fancy for its own good but in the end it's a good read.
As always, the historical, archaeological information is interesting and not put down our throat in info dump paragraphs. Lyn Hamilton successfully merges her mystery plot point with her historical information. The plot is a bit too fancy for its own good but in the end it's a good read.
December 28, 2011
As with the other books I've read from this series, this one was interesting and quite a good read. I love the characters and the story as well. The ending of this one was a little more complex than usual, but it was pulled off quite well. All in all, if you like mysteries, you'll probably like this.
March 29, 2015
this was the first of these books I read .. maybe one needs to start at #1 to get into them but I was very disappoited .. I'm not into Etruscan or any archaeology, read it as a mystery and it was flat .. long .. sorry .. guess these just aren't for me .. I have the next one also and will read it to see if it grabs me any better ..
January 9, 2016
This was a pretty good book, but I think there were a few too many characters. It was hard to keep everyone straight, especially since almost all of the characters had Italian names. It was a page turner and kept me guessing "who done it". Lara, the main character, is well developed and totally gets sucked into a plot to buy a sculpture for a client.
August 20, 2012
Clean mystery, with travel & some archeological data thrown in. Similar to the Vicky Bliss series by Elizabeth Peters.
August 3, 2016
I enjoyed this because there was a lot of geographical detail as well as a sprinkle of history. This is part of a series, I believe, so I will be getting the others.
February 2, 2020
This is the second novel written by this author that I have read. We read The Celtic Riddle for our book club and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I chose The Etruscan Chimera because I have visited Tuscany many times, and I have always been interested in ancient history.
This novel has a rather slow start, the first crime happening on page 90. I accidentally returned it to the library when I was halfway through it, but I never bothered to retrieve the novel and finish reading it. I guess I can say that despite my love for the region and its history, the events of this novel did not grab me.
I think I was disappointed because although I have spent so much time in Tuscany, the author did not make me feel that I was actually there (in Tuscany) along with the characters. She did not immerse me in the setting.
However, that disappointment did not deter me from reading some of her other novels, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I think I brought too much expectation to this novel.
This novel has a rather slow start, the first crime happening on page 90. I accidentally returned it to the library when I was halfway through it, but I never bothered to retrieve the novel and finish reading it. I guess I can say that despite my love for the region and its history, the events of this novel did not grab me.
I think I was disappointed because although I have spent so much time in Tuscany, the author did not make me feel that I was actually there (in Tuscany) along with the characters. She did not immerse me in the setting.
However, that disappointment did not deter me from reading some of her other novels, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I think I brought too much expectation to this novel.
May 17, 2021
I know very little about sculptors but love archeology and would like to know more about civilizations so this book nicely filled the bill for all of the above. Best yet, I got the book in a remaindered store. I had not read this author before and I was very happy with this book.
If I had a complaint it would be that there were a lot of characters, most with Italian names, so that I had to sometimes go back to figure out who they were. But that might be my fault- my brain is getting old. The story takes the reader and Lara, an antique dealer, from Italy to France and back to Italy again as she chases after an elusive Etruscan Chimera sculpture. The object keeps mysteriously appearing and disappearing from her car and hotel room. After a few murders occur along the way Lara realizes that she has been duped. I certainly didn't guess the answer to the plot.
Luckily I have another Archeological mystery bought the same day waiting for me to read.
If I had a complaint it would be that there were a lot of characters, most with Italian names, so that I had to sometimes go back to figure out who they were. But that might be my fault- my brain is getting old. The story takes the reader and Lara, an antique dealer, from Italy to France and back to Italy again as she chases after an elusive Etruscan Chimera sculpture. The object keeps mysteriously appearing and disappearing from her car and hotel room. After a few murders occur along the way Lara realizes that she has been duped. I certainly didn't guess the answer to the plot.
Luckily I have another Archeological mystery bought the same day waiting for me to read.
August 10, 2017
Like Hamilton's other "archaeological" mysteries, this has nothing to do with actual "digging" for artifacts. There's always a mystery or two involved, which Lara solves, or helps to solve. And the research into each setting that I've read is alone worth reading. You get a real feel for the scenery and atmosphere of each place (Budapest in The Magyar Venus; Malta --The Maltese Goddess; Ireland in The Celtic Riddle, and Italy in this book).
This story, however, has Lara spending so much time in Europe, with so many acquaintances and possible suspects, it's more than a little hard to keep track. Starting in Rome, she then finds herself in Paris, Vichy, Volterra, Arezzo, Cortona, back to Rome, then off to Ireland, etc! And the places are outnumbered by the characters she deals with.
It's well written, and fun to follow, but a little more work to read than her other books.
This story, however, has Lara spending so much time in Europe, with so many acquaintances and possible suspects, it's more than a little hard to keep track. Starting in Rome, she then finds herself in Paris, Vichy, Volterra, Arezzo, Cortona, back to Rome, then off to Ireland, etc! And the places are outnumbered by the characters she deals with.
It's well written, and fun to follow, but a little more work to read than her other books.
January 29, 2023
The first 2/3 of the book, I felt like the main character didn't DO anything. Stuff kept happening to her, but she just kind of bobbed around between stuff happening and didn't have a lot of say in what was going on. And then, in the last third of the book, while she WAS trying to DO something an figure out what was going on, I was so lost because there were too many people whose names were all too similar, and I couldn't keep track of everyone.
Honestly, I feel like this plot was a little TOO convoluted, TOO ambitious, a few TOO MANY double crosses and plots going on.
That's not to say it wasn't an interesting read . . . but I was a little frustrated trying to follow all the threads.
Honestly, I feel like this plot was a little TOO convoluted, TOO ambitious, a few TOO MANY double crosses and plots going on.
That's not to say it wasn't an interesting read . . . but I was a little frustrated trying to follow all the threads.
December 12, 2019
This would be the sixth Lara McClintoch book, and I would go as far as to say possibly the best in the series so far, it has just the right mix of all the required elements in a good mystery novel.
It takes us initially into the orbit of a reclusive billionaire who hires Lara to track down a rare bronze statue, however upon following up the leads Lara finds the statue is a fake and it's here where things begin to get messy and the eccentric owner of said statue turns up dead.
Worth having a look at if you were interested in the earlier novels but turned off by the pace or structure of them as both are vastly improved here.
It takes us initially into the orbit of a reclusive billionaire who hires Lara to track down a rare bronze statue, however upon following up the leads Lara finds the statue is a fake and it's here where things begin to get messy and the eccentric owner of said statue turns up dead.
Worth having a look at if you were interested in the earlier novels but turned off by the pace or structure of them as both are vastly improved here.
July 10, 2019
I've read 6 books in this series now, and I think I have finally found one I enjoyed. I was surprised by the ending ... But the cast of characters is so large I'm pretty sure some of my surprise was more confusion than anything. Unlike most of the previous books, this one didn't feel like a research paper thinly disguised as a mystery. I'm still only awarding 3 stars, as most of what I can compliment about this book is only accomplished through comparing it to previous (not very good) books in the same series.
September 12, 2020
Not the first in the series, merely the first I've read in it.
After the initial flashback, the story starts with "It struck me, as the cell door clanged shut...." It's not a spoiler to say that there is no cell anywhere else in the book, the author apparently having forgotten to tie the front in with the back.
That having been said it's an interesting book. Lots of history, which I appreciate. A little deus ex machina for an ending but not bad.
After the initial flashback, the story starts with "It struck me, as the cell door clanged shut...." It's not a spoiler to say that there is no cell anywhere else in the book, the author apparently having forgotten to tie the front in with the back.
That having been said it's an interesting book. Lots of history, which I appreciate. A little deus ex machina for an ending but not bad.
June 28, 2019
This book in the Lara McClintoch mystery series is a much more complex mystery than the first five books in the series. There are quite a few characters but not so many as to make it confusing. Besides that, the characters are well written and interesting.
If you're interested in a good mystery story, especially one that deals with history/archaeology, then this is the book for you.
If you're interested in a good mystery story, especially one that deals with history/archaeology, then this is the book for you.
Read
August 5, 2019This was not a bad find at the local book exchange, but I wasn't totally satisfied with it either. I liked the fact that the author had done some research on archaeology and Etruscan art, but ended up finding some aspects of the book hard to swallow as I neared the end.
September 8, 2020
This series is good to read while I'm self-quarantining at home this season.
I wish I was traipsing up and down Italy like Lara McClintoch. It's the settings that I like about this series, and the factoids about the different cultures. Not so much the whodunit plots, which can be silly.
I wish I was traipsing up and down Italy like Lara McClintoch. It's the settings that I like about this series, and the factoids about the different cultures. Not so much the whodunit plots, which can be silly.
August 29, 2020
I liked it, but found the suspect pool a trifle confusing. Nevertheless, I really love the main
character, Lara, and her adventures.
character, Lara, and her adventures.
July 6, 2009
The Etruscan Chimera by Canadian writer Lyn Hamilton is the latest in her series of murder mystery novels that take place in interesting foreign locations and which deal with the theft of archaeological antiquities.
This story takes place in the Tuscan area of Italy, once inhabited by people known as Etruscans, who were eventually conquered and assimilated into the Roman Empire. The heroine is a Toronto antique dealer Lara McClintoch, also featured in Hamilton’s previous five novels. Reclusive billionaire Crawford Lake hires her to find and buy an ancient Etruscan artifact. The plot includes mystery, murder, intrigue and travel throughout northern Italy, all ingredients for an exciting novel. The exact regurgitation of which is not relevant.
I would compare Hamilton’s writing to a more exciting form of the Agatha Christie novel. This comparison is especially relevant when Lara McClintoch brings together all the possible suspects into one final climatic, revelatory scene, in true Hercules Perrot fashion.
I thing anyone that is interested in Rome or Tuscany, archaeological antiquities or just loves murder mysteries will find this novel a simple, fast-moving, enjoyable read.
This story takes place in the Tuscan area of Italy, once inhabited by people known as Etruscans, who were eventually conquered and assimilated into the Roman Empire. The heroine is a Toronto antique dealer Lara McClintoch, also featured in Hamilton’s previous five novels. Reclusive billionaire Crawford Lake hires her to find and buy an ancient Etruscan artifact. The plot includes mystery, murder, intrigue and travel throughout northern Italy, all ingredients for an exciting novel. The exact regurgitation of which is not relevant.
I would compare Hamilton’s writing to a more exciting form of the Agatha Christie novel. This comparison is especially relevant when Lara McClintoch brings together all the possible suspects into one final climatic, revelatory scene, in true Hercules Perrot fashion.
I thing anyone that is interested in Rome or Tuscany, archaeological antiquities or just loves murder mysteries will find this novel a simple, fast-moving, enjoyable read.
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July 22, 2014The Etruscan Chimera
Lyn Hamilton writes archaeological mysteries starring Lara McClintock, her Toronto antiques dealer. This one is a pleasant read, a bit farfetched for me as I am not a fan of the secret society a la Dan Brown stuff.
The plot is nice and tight. The murders are not too gruesome and the information about antiques is interesting. Lara’s commission turns into a nightmare as she hares around Europe losing and then finding and then losing the wretched stolen hydria. As for her ‘friends’, with friends like these no wonder she never knows who to trust. But Lara sorts it out and all is satisfactorily round up, loose end tied off.
No star rating because I cannot keep it from being attached to the public book ratings. This is not fair to Hamilton who is not a bad writer. SHe's a good one. Many people will enjoy her novels and she does not deserve to suffer because I personally do not find her a 5* writer.
Lyn Hamilton writes archaeological mysteries starring Lara McClintock, her Toronto antiques dealer. This one is a pleasant read, a bit farfetched for me as I am not a fan of the secret society a la Dan Brown stuff.
The plot is nice and tight. The murders are not too gruesome and the information about antiques is interesting. Lara’s commission turns into a nightmare as she hares around Europe losing and then finding and then losing the wretched stolen hydria. As for her ‘friends’, with friends like these no wonder she never knows who to trust. But Lara sorts it out and all is satisfactorily round up, loose end tied off.
No star rating because I cannot keep it from being attached to the public book ratings. This is not fair to Hamilton who is not a bad writer. SHe's a good one. Many people will enjoy her novels and she does not deserve to suffer because I personally do not find her a 5* writer.
December 24, 2013
I think this book was my least favorite in the series so far because I just wanted to slap Lara several times. After the first couple glitches, I would have told the client to take a flying leap, cut my losses, and gone home. I would never have gotten as far as meeting Lola and thus feeling some responsibility for her fate. And the lies she told!!! Considering that it observed several times that she was chosen because of her honest face and reliability, I had a hard time with the lying that went on.
The mystery was decent and the solution made quite a bit of sense. I enjoyed the traveling and the info on history and art and such. Was a little (pleasantly) surprised by the Societa and its ultimate purpose, although not by a lot of the ending.
I will pass this along shortly to a friend who has an interest in the Etruscans.
The mystery was decent and the solution made quite a bit of sense. I enjoyed the traveling and the info on history and art and such. Was a little (pleasantly) surprised by the Societa and its ultimate purpose, although not by a lot of the ending.
I will pass this along shortly to a friend who has an interest in the Etruscans.
July 20, 2016
I'm not sure how it's happened that I've been reading the books in this series out of order, but it seems not to matter. Canadian amateur detective Lara McClintoch again takes a trip looking for antiques for her store, and again finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery in a fascinating setting. Like the others in the series, it was lightweight but thoroughly enjoyable. Unlike many of the others, this book didn't really focus much on the current culture of the locale, but on the Etruscans in its past.
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