From Publishers Weekly
In Hamilton's well-told 9th archeological mystery (after 2004's
The Magyar Venus), Toronto antiques dealer Lara McClintoch and her friend Moira Meller, while on vacation on Rapa Nui (better known as Easter Island), decide to register for the First Annual Rapa Nui Moai Congress, which they discover is being held at their hotel. Notable among the conference's participants—an eccentric lot of interested amateurs rather than serious scholars—is Jasper Robinson, an adventurer filming a documentary and putting forth his own theory about the Moai, the huge carved heads for which the isolated Pacific island is famous. Many are jealous of Robinson, but who would go so far as to murder the man? Vivid descriptions of the terrain, as well as details of the history and cultural evolution of Easter Island's people, enrich this chatty whodunit. While some of the action strains credulity, Hamilton makes effective use of flashbacks and puts a first-class twist on the traditional locked-room mystery.
Agent, Bella Pomer. (Apr. 5) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Antiques dealer Lara McClintoch and her friend Moira Meller head to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) to celebrate Moira's return to health. When they reach their hotel, they find it's the site of the Rapa Nui Moai Congress--an academic conference to exchange information on the
moai, giant stone carvings that populate the island. After the two join the conference, planning to attend the lectures and field trips, one of the attendees is found dead, thought by police to have been trampled by wild horses. Lara disagrees with the verdict and begins her own investigation as further participants die. Fascinating details about the island's history and the
moai enhance this ninth adventure in the archaeologically rich series. Lara and Moira are well-drawn characters, but, disappointingly, the numerous secondary characters are hard to differentiate. Still this is an enjoyable addition to the series. Readers who enjoy the archaeology frame may also enjoy Aaron Elkins' forensic anthropology mysteries.
Sue O'BrienCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
