Oracles of Delphi: A Novel of Suspense (An Althaia of Athens Mystery)
Althaia’s trip to Delphi with her tutor and two slave companions was meant to be in honor of her dead father’s final wishes. But the body of a young woman, discovered as an apparent human sacrifice on the altar of Dionysos, interrupts those plans. For Theron, Althaia’s tutor, is accused by one of the priests as a possible suspect. They are further drawn into the mystery when they are called upon to help uncover the culprit. A second corpse only worsens the situation. She will need to use all of her skills learned from her Egyptian instructor, and those of her companions, if she is to not only solve the murders, but also diffuse what is shaping up to be a deadly power struggle among the oracles of Delphi.
This novel is mostly mystery, with a dash of romance (and explicit scene or two) thrown in. Savage makes the intriguing choice to reveal the original culprit right at the outset, though the identity isn’t known to anyone else. The story and setting are believable and rich. Savage obviously enjoys her characters, perhaps a bit too much. The ending is neatly bundled to tie off every loose string, again perhaps a bit too much. There are a few anachronisms (references to the Gordian knot before Alexander had ever stepped foot in Gordia, for instance). That said, this could be the beginning of a good mystery series set in Classical Greece.
