Barnabas and Wilfred, the unluckiest detectives ever, are happily enjoying their time in India, working on mastering their emotions, and learning how to do all sorts of interesting yoga poses. They're having a splendid time, and feel as if they've finally found some peace in their lives. Everything changes, though, when Zeus suddenly whisks them away from their idyllic retreat and demands that they solve a case for him.
Having no choice, they reluctantly accept the job, but quickly come to realize that nothing is as it should be. Zeus' motives are suspect from the beginning, the rest of the Greek gods and goddesses are untrustworthy at best, and Barnabas' temper hasn't improved at all during his time in India. And, most importantly, who is the mysterious lady who keeps popping up just when they need her? Is she friend, or is she foe?
To make matters even worse, both Barnabas and Wilfred have unresolved feelings of their own. Can they settle their own emotional affairs, once and for all? Will they figure out what's right and what's wrong in this topsy-turvy world of lies, intrigue, and trickery? Or will the Greek gods and goddesses prove too much for them?
Purchase Link - mybook.to/Hellenic
Review
Two Victorian-era detectives bicker their way through mythological Greece.
Caught up by a cyclone, bumbling detective Barnabas Tew and his assistant-turned-partner Wilfred are instructed by Zeus to rescue a princess. Anyone with a passing familiarity with Greek myth or a modicum of reading comprehension (whose numbers include Barnabas and Wilfred) would be able to guess that Zeus's intentions are less than honourable, yet in the interests of self-preservation, they agree to take the case.
Not having read the previous books in the series, I can't tell if it is normal for this detective series to contain quite so little detecting. Rather than solve a mystery, Barnabas and Wilfred are bounced between figures and places of Greek mythology on a series of hare-brained quests and dead-ends with what seems like very little agency but a lot of bickering. I did feel like the dynamic between Barnabas and Wilfred began to get repetitive and can almost imagine practically everyone they meet looking into the camera like The Office with Barnabas and Wilfred scuffling in the background. There are some funny moments as characters are bewildered by Barnabas's cavalier approach to, well, everything.
I enjoyed how the author wove together different stories, often with a unique spin. I really liked how Barnabas called out how many of them involve Zeus cheating on Hera with unfortunate results for the mortals involved. There was an added layer of depth there with both men mourning lost loves from previous books while judging if closing the case for Zeus was really the right thing to do. The ending, while solid, seemed like quite the deus ex which felt unsatisfying though perhaps thematically appropriate?
Overall I enjoyed reading this book but the story didn't quite hit the spot for me.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Rachel's Random Resources; all opinions are my own
Author Bio
Columbkill Noonan is the author of the best-selling Barnabas
Tew series, which features a proper British detective from Victorian London who
ends up solving mythological cases for gods all around the world. She was was
born in Philadelphia and grew up in the suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland, and
teaches Anatomy and Physiology at a university in Maryland. Her writing is
mostly speculative fiction (especially stories that involve mythology, or the
supernatural, or any combination thereof). Some of her work is a bit on the
spooky side, but usually there is a touch of humor (who says the afterlife has
to be serious?)
When she's not teaching or writing, Columbkill
can be found with her rescue horse (whose name is Mittens), hiking in the
woods, or doing yoga of all kinds (aerial yoga and SUP yoga are particular
favorites). She is an avid traveler, and can't wait to get back to seeing the
world again. You can visit her on Twitter @ColumbkillNoon1, or on
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ColumbkillNoonan.
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