On The Horns of Death (An Ancient Crete Mystery, 2)
Crete, 1450 BCE. Young Martis is apprenticed to her mother, a weaver, yet dances with bulls for the thrill of it. When a fellow dancer Duzi turns up dead in a bull’s pen, the others assume he was mauled after daring to enter the raging beast’s enclosure. Yet his injuries seem to be stab wounds, not the result of a furious animal. With the help of the town healer, who confirms her suspicions, Martis investigates the mysterious death. She soon finds herself deep in a web of conflicting romances and alliances, all involving bull jumpers and their wealthy admirers. As she draws closer to the truth, which seems to somehow relate to a twinned set of golden dragonfly pins, the bodies continue to pile up. I didn’t figure out the killer’s identity until Martis herself did.
The unique setting and fascinating characters really drew my interest. Rarely does one find historical fiction set in ancient Greece, let alone upon the island of Crete specifically. The author does an extraordinary job of depicting this enthralling, exotic world. I especially liked her decision to focus on bull-jumpers, whose thrillingly dangerous occupation is often depicted in surviving art. The risks of dancing with such volatile animals add a unique tension and drama to the already dramatic story. My only quibble relating to the setting is the repeated mention of tea, which was not available in Ancient Crete. However, this is only an anachronism if she is specifically referring to what we generally call tea rather than an herbal infusion of some kind involving plants known to Crete.
Overall, On the Horns of Death is a thrilling read, sure to fascinate fans of historical mysteries and anyone with an interest in ancient Greece.
