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Pylia #1
Sacred Grounds
A Labyrinth in Crisis
For two years, severe drought has devastated Crete. To appease the gods, the priesthood of Knossos has selected a year-king, Sammaru, to enact a miracle of death and rebirth. But when Sammaru turns up dead weeks ahead of the scheduled sacrifice, the prospect of a third year of drought portends disaster.
Pylia, mortuary priestess of Hekate and a gifted scribe, joins the investigation as an expert witness, only to find herself way in over her head when the case ends up in her lap. Restricted by her sex and lack of access, followed by unknown enemies, and unsure where to turn, can Pylia discover the truth behind the year-king's death and avert disaster before it's too late?
For two years, severe drought has devastated Crete. To appease the gods, the priesthood of Knossos has selected a year-king, Sammaru, to enact a miracle of death and rebirth. But when Sammaru turns up dead weeks ahead of the scheduled sacrifice, the prospect of a third year of drought portends disaster.
Pylia, mortuary priestess of Hekate and a gifted scribe, joins the investigation as an expert witness, only to find herself way in over her head when the case ends up in her lap. Restricted by her sex and lack of access, followed by unknown enemies, and unsure where to turn, can Pylia discover the truth behind the year-king's death and avert disaster before it's too late?
- GenresHistorical Fiction
377 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 2, 2022
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 24, 2022
Those who enjoyed Gill's epic novel Knossos will definitely enjoy revisiting ancient Crete in this mystery. (And you may even greet some familiar faces!) While I was skeptical that an excellent ancient-world mystery could be recounted in a believable enough way, without our contemporary thoughts on the investigation (re: the CSI effect) creeping in, Gill proves that the more people change the more they stay the same. The world of powerful families, religion, and politics are always fraught with tension... and sometimes murder! As always, her characters are the novel's greatest strength, with a cast of heroes, villains, and companions that are wonderfully fleshed out. I admit that there were only one or two logical conclusions to the plot, so the conclusion wasn't too much of a "big reveal", but it was still a joy reading Sacred Grounds in order to get there. I would love to see other mysteries solved by the pair of Pylia and Eurodoros.
Displaying 1 of 1 review