A Fly Has a Hundred Eyes
Lily Sampson is an American archaeologist assigned to assist at a dig in Palestine during the turmoil of the late 1930s. Horrific riots, bombings and killings take place on the streets around her. Then her boss, British archaeologist Geoffrey Eastbourne, is killed, and an old blue amphoriskos from their dig site disappears. In her search to find the amphoriskos, Lily becomes intricately involved in the events surrounding not just her and the Holy Land, but the world on the eve of the Second World War.
There is no doubt that this is a snapshot of Palestinian history just prior to World War II. The descriptions are vivid, yet they lack emotional involvement, as if they were simply repeats of source material used by the author. The story is entertaining and filled with archaeological and geographical details, yet it never engages the reader. The writing style and the somewhat vague ending will lead readers to wonder if there are perhaps plans to create a series. In this regard, the main characters are likable, and a series may fill in details of people, politics and events over several books that are missing in this one. This novel would appeal to fans of Palestinian, Jewish, or Middle Eastern history, archaeology, or mysteries.
