Lady of the Labyrinth

by Caroline Llewellyn

Architect Hugo Raphael disappears into North Africa after boarding a plane in Tunis, and kidnappers try to snatch his son Jay, but Jay's half-sister Alison takes him to Sicily to an old castle where Hugo may be hiding from his pursuers.

Genres: Fiction, Suspense, Gothic, Italy, Adventure, Romantic Suspense

480 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating Clarification: 4.5 Stars

My GR buddies who like author Mary Stewart might check out this author, who has a similar style to Dame Stewart.

Very enjoyable fare.

[LeahBethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lady of the Labyrinth was billed as being like a Mary Stewart novel and it did not disappoint! It had mystery, suspense, adventure, a beautiful heroine, mythology and an exotic setting. Just as some of Mary Stewart's novels make we want to visit Greece, after reading The Lady of the Labyrinth I want to visit Sicily!!

[LJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE LADY OF THE LABYRINTH – G
Caroline Llewellyn – 2nd book
A research assistant at the American Embassy in Bonn, Alison Jordon travels to Sicily with her half-brother Jay to try to find their estranged father, world famous architect Hugo Raphael, who has mysteriously disappeared from Libya where he may have been held against his will.

This is a very enjoyable gothic with all the proper elements; mystery, suspense, light romance, history and mythology.

[Lynn Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars This book has something of a Mary Stewart feel to it. Our heroine, Alison Jordan, is a Foreign Service employee in Bonn. The book opens shortly after the US bomb strikes on Libya in 1986. Alison's diplomatic posting is working overtime and to add to her upheaval, she learns that her father, Hugo Raphael, has vanished from Libya. It's obvious from the tone of the early chapters that Mr. Raphael's time in Libya was controversial, and since the two had been somewhat estranged, Alison is full of conflicting emotions.

An encounter with her young half-brother sends Alison off to Sicily in search of a mysterious village where her father may be hiding. Throw in a dashing and mysterious Foreign Service colleague who keeps popping up on Alison's path, menacing men tailing Alison and her brother, and all manner of mysterious findings in Sicily, and you have plenty of mystery to satisfy.

On the positive side, Alison is an intrepid heroine and I enjoyed watching her find her way among all the secrets and complex characters she encounters in Sicily. At its best, the story moves along and draws the reader into its foreign locale much in the way I recollect from reading books by Mary Stewart and Phyllis Whitney. Unlike those books, which can sometimes feel a bit timeless, this one is firmly rooted in its late 80s setting. I rather liked it. Things feel mostly modern but the distinct lack of computers and cellphones definitely gave it a retro feel.

The biggest weakness in the book came from all the exposition. There is a lot of backstory, and Alison's family definitely has a complicated history. However, the story sometimes got bogged down in explanations or in periods where not much happened because everyone was ruminating on family complications. If the mystery plot hadn't gotten lost in the exposition sometimes, I think I would have loved this book but as it is, it's still a pleasant read.

[The Little Black Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm always wary when people claim something is as good as a Mary Stewart novel. This ACTUALLY is. I loved it so much that I gave it to my mother (the ultimate Mary Stewart fan) and it passed her critique with flying colors. The setting is beautiful, the mystery extremely intriguing, and the romance lovely. The book does get a bit long-winded at times, but if you power through you will be rewarded with some wonderful action scenes and plot twists. I highly recommend!

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's okay. This was recommended to me as a good book if you like Mary Stewart. I think that may have made my expectations a little too high :(. She is no Mary Stewart, but it was still fun to read.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alison Jordan is on her way to her job at the American Embassy in Bonn when she hears a news report that American architect Hugo Raphael has fled from Libya. Hugo is Alison's father and it had been 3 years since she'd heard from him. A co-worker of hers asks her to research what is known about Hugo, not knowing the family connection. When she goes home for lunch that day, her brother, who is supposed to be at boarding school in England, has arrived on her doorstep. Jay is convinced that Hugo has returned to Sicily and he convinces Alison to join him in the search. Once in Sicily, it is suggested that they contact Clio Hunt, an American who knew Hugo. While she's helpful, they can't help but think that she's withholding information. It's a matter of determining who they can trust. Will they be able to find their father?
Re-read in 2021. For some reason, I associate this title as one that my Grandmother had recommended. I remembered absolutely nothing so it was like reading it for the first time. I quickly got caught up in it so it became the book I reached for when I had time to read. And yes, I stayed up late one night to finish when I was about 40 pages from the end because I didn't want to wait another day to find out the conclusion.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hugo Raphael, a famous architect had disappeared in North Africa a year before, and it is news when he is seen one day in Tunis, boarding a plane for Palermo, but then he vanishes again. When Alison Jordan, a research assistant at the American Embassy in Bonn, hears this news she is more than normally curious, for Raphael is her father (although few people know this.) Then Alison's brother Jay is kidnapped from his school in England, but escapes and arrives on Alison's doorstep. Together they go to Sicily to Castell'alto, an old castle owned by Hugo, because they feel that if he is in hiding, that is probably where he would be. An American woman who lives in the village is helpful, and seems to know a lot about Hugo... A suspense story of the Daphne DuMaurier/Mary Stewart type, with a good page turning plot, and a strong sense of place.

[Sewingdervish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great Mary Stewart style book. It checked all the boxes, exotic location, unidentified danger, rash decision making, a vulnerable underaged child, reunions, myths and legends, peril from nature as well as man, and Romance. I loved it. The love scenes were just a bit spicier than a MS but still pretty tame.

[Foggygirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I still have this book on my bookshelf

[Catie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a little draggy at times but really picked up toward the end.

[Donna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dull. Not worth critiquing.