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Golden Relic
A rollicking good yarn that mixes detective fiction with Indiana Jones-style adventure.
When Professor Lloyd Marsden is found murdered in the Museum of Victoria, Special Detective Sam Diamond is assigned to catch the killer. Thrown into a world of obsessive collectors, strange poisons, funerary rites and ancient artefacts, Sam's photographic memory and cryptic crossword skills are invaluable tools in her investigation.
But when archaeologist Dr Maggie Tremaine whisks her halfway round the world in pursuit of the truth, Sam finds way more questions than answers. From Australia to Egypt to Peru Sam and Maggie hunt down the clues to a strange pact and a legendary relic.
This novel was originally written for ICOM '98, the International Council of Museums' triennial conference, hosted by the Museum of Victoria in 1998. The ICOM '98 committee had the novel idea of promoting the prestigious conference, and its host city Melbourne, by commissioning a crime novel set in the museum world.
Under its original title, Stolen Property, Golden Relic was serialised on the Internet - one chapter a month - from February to September 1998 on the ICOM '98 homepage.
Golden Relic was launched at the Melbourne Convention Centre on the opening night of the ICOM '98 conference by Magistrate Jennifer Coate and Senator John Button.
When Professor Lloyd Marsden is found murdered in the Museum of Victoria, Special Detective Sam Diamond is assigned to catch the killer. Thrown into a world of obsessive collectors, strange poisons, funerary rites and ancient artefacts, Sam's photographic memory and cryptic crossword skills are invaluable tools in her investigation.
But when archaeologist Dr Maggie Tremaine whisks her halfway round the world in pursuit of the truth, Sam finds way more questions than answers. From Australia to Egypt to Peru Sam and Maggie hunt down the clues to a strange pact and a legendary relic.
This novel was originally written for ICOM '98, the International Council of Museums' triennial conference, hosted by the Museum of Victoria in 1998. The ICOM '98 committee had the novel idea of promoting the prestigious conference, and its host city Melbourne, by commissioning a crime novel set in the museum world.
Under its original title, Stolen Property, Golden Relic was serialised on the Internet - one chapter a month - from February to September 1998 on the ICOM '98 homepage.
Golden Relic was launched at the Melbourne Convention Centre on the opening night of the ICOM '98 conference by Magistrate Jennifer Coate and Senator John Button.
- GenresCrime
309 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 3, 1998
32 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 26, 2018
I am so glad that Clan Destine press decided to release a reprint of this book first written on commission in 1997 to be serialised and put on the early internet in the lead up to the ICOM'98.
Having met. Lindy with some other authors at a morning tea, and heard her story of how she came to have her first book published, I was sad when I learned that I could not get a paperback copy, for I have pretty much stopped reading electronic books in recent years. Reading the screen at work is enough.
So my joy when. I learned that the book was coming out in paper back was great, and finally. I have reached the part of the to be read pile that it was on.
I really enjoyed this book, with the humour in the writing and the insight into issues about cultural heritage and the responsibility of different museums to seriously consider the return of artefacts removed from their countries by archaeologists from Europan colonial countries.
I loved the play of different people in the book, the way the main investigator gets to experience unexpected travel, the interweave of cryptic clues, and the building to the climax.
This was a read I highly recommend.
A side comment are a couple of proof reading errors were noticed, but these did not affect my enjoyment of this read.
Having met. Lindy with some other authors at a morning tea, and heard her story of how she came to have her first book published, I was sad when I learned that I could not get a paperback copy, for I have pretty much stopped reading electronic books in recent years. Reading the screen at work is enough.
So my joy when. I learned that the book was coming out in paper back was great, and finally. I have reached the part of the to be read pile that it was on.
I really enjoyed this book, with the humour in the writing and the insight into issues about cultural heritage and the responsibility of different museums to seriously consider the return of artefacts removed from their countries by archaeologists from Europan colonial countries.
I loved the play of different people in the book, the way the main investigator gets to experience unexpected travel, the interweave of cryptic clues, and the building to the climax.
This was a read I highly recommend.
A side comment are a couple of proof reading errors were noticed, but these did not affect my enjoyment of this read.
October 25, 2021
This was an easy five star read for me...loved it! Loved the adventure, the mystery the fact that it was set in the 90s! Two strong female leads, working out clues along the way. Really hope there's another one with the same leads. Loved it!
Sent to me by Clan Destine Press in exchange for an honest review...and honestly I thought it was cool as!
Sent to me by Clan Destine Press in exchange for an honest review...and honestly I thought it was cool as!
May 24, 2010
When local Crime and True Crime Author Lindy Cameron decided to re-release GOLDEN RELIC as an ebook I was very very pleased (DISCLAIMER - I did the conversion of the manuscript into the ePUB file). I remember the story of STOLEN PROPERTY (as it was originally titled) when it was released on the website of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) '98 website and I was lucky enough to get a copy of the paperback GOLDEN RELIC when it was released (which I've still got!). I do like to go back and re-read books, and I simply don't get that opportunity that often these days. One of the things that intrigued me the most about re-reading GOLDEN RELIC was to see how it stood the test of time, particularly as the story was originally released on the Internet, in the very very early days of the Internet. Yes there was a time when wireless / broadband access from anywhere wasn't even contemplated, so much was still text-based (and I don't mean SMS), and the idea of using a website to release a murder mystery was, well unheard of.
GOLDEN RELIC, is a story built in and around the world of Museums, collections, artefacts and strange goings on. When Professor Lloyd Marsden is murdered in the Museum of Victoria, Special Detective Sam Diamond is given the case. Her photographic memory and passion for cryptic crosswords definitely help in the investigation, but then so does archaeologist Maggie Tremaine who not only knows all about the internal machinations of Museums, she can help get Sam from Melbourne to Egypt and Peru as they search for a legendary relic.
Given that this is a book that was released originally on the very new-fangled Internet the author has pulled off a very delicate balancing act in the use of technology. One of the things that instantly ages a book dramatically is the overt use of (or not) of elements that we take for granted these days - mobile telephones, GPS, Internet databases and search engines. Whilst GOLDEN RELIC refers in general terms to searching for information on the Internet and so on, it's very general, it's not intrinsic to the story, and the reader can just roll through it without instantly being made aware that this is a story from a past era (seems strange to be calling 1998 a past era - but it definitely is).
Aside from the gotchas of technology and timing, the main point of a mystery story like GOLDEN RELIC has to be the mystery itself. This really is a good, fun read. Woven into the goings on in a Museum sense, the search for answers remains the focus of the book. That's not to say that you won't learn quite a bit about Museum roles in the preservation of artefacts and knowledge; the tensions between Indigenous cultures the world over and the holders of "repatriated" collections; and the very human conflicts between staff and colleagues. There's no obvious pushing of any particular barrows though, so the novel reads ultimately as an entertainment, and the lightness of the banter between Sam, her own police colleagues, Maggie and her museum colleagues, and the sense of good, old-fashioned friendship between Sam and Maggie is really very good. As is the relationship between Sam and her sister, and Maggie and her romantic pursuit of Sam's colleague.
All in all, this is still a really good story, told with a lightness of touch that's very engaging and refreshingly Australian. It's a pity that Sam and Maggie have only had the one outing thus far - they would be a tremendous crime-fighting duo, sort of the Australian Rosemary and Thyme, with just the slightest larrikin streak.
The ebook of Golden Relic is available from Clan Destine Press - http://www.clandestine-books.com.au/n...
GOLDEN RELIC, is a story built in and around the world of Museums, collections, artefacts and strange goings on. When Professor Lloyd Marsden is murdered in the Museum of Victoria, Special Detective Sam Diamond is given the case. Her photographic memory and passion for cryptic crosswords definitely help in the investigation, but then so does archaeologist Maggie Tremaine who not only knows all about the internal machinations of Museums, she can help get Sam from Melbourne to Egypt and Peru as they search for a legendary relic.
Given that this is a book that was released originally on the very new-fangled Internet the author has pulled off a very delicate balancing act in the use of technology. One of the things that instantly ages a book dramatically is the overt use of (or not) of elements that we take for granted these days - mobile telephones, GPS, Internet databases and search engines. Whilst GOLDEN RELIC refers in general terms to searching for information on the Internet and so on, it's very general, it's not intrinsic to the story, and the reader can just roll through it without instantly being made aware that this is a story from a past era (seems strange to be calling 1998 a past era - but it definitely is).
Aside from the gotchas of technology and timing, the main point of a mystery story like GOLDEN RELIC has to be the mystery itself. This really is a good, fun read. Woven into the goings on in a Museum sense, the search for answers remains the focus of the book. That's not to say that you won't learn quite a bit about Museum roles in the preservation of artefacts and knowledge; the tensions between Indigenous cultures the world over and the holders of "repatriated" collections; and the very human conflicts between staff and colleagues. There's no obvious pushing of any particular barrows though, so the novel reads ultimately as an entertainment, and the lightness of the banter between Sam, her own police colleagues, Maggie and her museum colleagues, and the sense of good, old-fashioned friendship between Sam and Maggie is really very good. As is the relationship between Sam and her sister, and Maggie and her romantic pursuit of Sam's colleague.
All in all, this is still a really good story, told with a lightness of touch that's very engaging and refreshingly Australian. It's a pity that Sam and Maggie have only had the one outing thus far - they would be a tremendous crime-fighting duo, sort of the Australian Rosemary and Thyme, with just the slightest larrikin streak.
The ebook of Golden Relic is available from Clan Destine Press - http://www.clandestine-books.com.au/n...
January 4, 2013
This is such a clever story. A trans-continental mystery which starts and finishes in Melbourne with visits to Egypt and Peru, delving into Incan history and woven together with engaging and likeable characters. The reader is sometimes reminded that the story was commissioned to promote an international museum conference being held in Melbourne as there is a lot of in-depth background information about museums and their workings. And some descriptions of Melbourne that were clearly intended to invoke interest about the city the international attendees were to visit. That said - a great mystery story with enough twists and turns that I always forget who-dunnit when there are a few years between readings!
June 17, 2017
A decent crime/adventure book. The underlying theme of Incan history was interesting.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews