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Currently Reading

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This week I read two really good books.

The first is by Victoria Thompson. She previously wrote the Gaslight mysteries. City of Lies is roughly the same period but very different.

Elizabeth is a grifter, a con woman, now going by the name Betty Perkins. When the current con. goes badly, she has to run for her life. Chased by two heavies, she takes refuge in a protest by a band of suffragists. They are quickly arrested and Elizabeth finds herself in a workhouse in Virginia. All of the woman embark on a hunger strike, including Elizabeth. She is greatly changed by her experience and her growing connection to Mrs. Bates and another young woman.

But the mark is still waiting for her to appear so that he can wreak his vengeance.

Highly Recommended.

The second book is a collection of short stories by Elly Griffiths.

The stories include some with Ruth Galloway and Max Mephisto, but others are cozies and a few are barely mysteries at all. But they are all captivating and show Griffiths is a master of the short story as well as the novel. Highly recommended.

Medusa

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One of the Greek myths that has captured even modern imaginations is that of Medusa.

In the Greek myth, Medusa was a priestess for Athena. Poseidon violated her inside Athena’s temple and Athena was so enraged by the sacrilege she changed Medusa from a beautiful girl into a monster with venomous snakes for hair and a gaze that turned people into stone.

Medusa and her two sisters were banished to a small, faraway island where they lived until Perseus slew Medusa. (He used her head as a weapon but that is another story.)

Here are my takeaways. Athena was supposed to be the goddess of wisdom but she chose to punish Medusa instead of Poseidon. Athena was a powerful goddess but instead of confronting another God she attacked a mortal woman.

Clearly, the attitudes toward rape haven’t changed much. Many of the rape victims in the Greek myths, like Medusa, are the ones punished, not the rapists.

According to some of the sourcesI read, this is an example of the unfairness of divine retribution in the Greek myths. The Gods were frequently unfair.

What color was the Minoans Hair?

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I’m sure the overwhelming response is black. After all, dark hair and eyes are consistent with Mediterranean coloring. What then, does one make of Apollo, whose hair was a golden blond? When I asked my Greek guide several years ago why Apollo was supposed to have blond hair, she replied that his hair fit in with his role as the sun god.

Fast forward a few years and a lot more research. It turns out that, although blond hair was uncommon, it was not that unusual. Some of the ancient pottery depicts warriors with blond hair and Achilles in fact was supposed to be fair. Another famous blond – Helen of Troy. She literally was fair. They were not the only ones.

DNA evidence confirms that although the prevailing hair colors were black and dark brown, blond and red hair were not unknown. Partly that was due to contact with people from the steppes.

My takeaway: people have always traveled from place to place, intermarrying with local populations. We are all mutts.

I hope to see everyone at the Cohoes Public Library this Saturday, 11 – 4.

Hecate: was she a witch?

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Don’t forget! I’ll be at the Rensselaer Public Library this Saturday from 1 to 3. Six authors will discuss their works, answer questions and sign books.

Since it is Halloween, I thought I’d discuss Hecate. By Shakespeare’s time – in fact, long before, Hecate was a witch, a powerful dark force. The three Weird Sister answer to her calling on her for help and suffering from her wrath.

But in Ancient Greece, Hecate was not a witch. She was a Goddess, not a child of Zeus, but, like Dionysus, a divinity far older than even the Mycenaeans. She could slip easily between the world of the living and the world of the dead. When Hades took Persephone, Demeter asked Hecate to find her daughter, which Hecate did, locating Persephone in the Underworld.

Hecate, triple bodied, was the goddess of the crossroads, and, by extension, of boundaries. Her eyes could see into the souls of me and her torch was brighter than the moon. Since she was not a witch, she did not rely on magic or spells. (She evolved into a witch throughout the centuries.)

Hecate is usually represented holding torches, a key or snakes. That suggests to me that her roots go all the way back to Minoan times and the Priestess for whom snakes were divine. Her frequent companion was a large black dog. Together they were so fearsome that when she went to Hades, even the spirits of the dead stepped aside.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Currently Reading

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This week I read Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce.

This was an Edgar Award winner in the Children’s category. It reminded me strongly of the Enola Holmes books and Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce series. Here’s an interesting fact. Although all the protagonists are young girls (opinionated and very bright, it goes without saying), the Bradley mysteries are considered adult while the Enola Holmes and Myrtle Hardcastles are classed as children’s lit.

Myrtle is a bright twelve year-old with an obsession for criminal justice. In the interest of science, she Observes (she always capitalizes this word) her neighbors. When her next door neighbor, an eccentric older lady who breeds lilies, dies under Mysterious Circumstances, Myrtles sees her chance to investigate. Armed with her mother’s microscope, and accompanied by her governess, Miss Judson, Myrtle sets about proving that Miss Woodhouse was murdered. No one believes her, not even her father, but Myrtle perseveres, putting not only herself in danger but also her father.

I really enjoyed the mystery and Myrtle is a great character. However, a young reader would have to be a very good reader to enjoy Premeditated Myrtle.

Recommended with reservations.

Just a reminder: I will be at Rensselaer Public Library Saturday, 1 to 3. The event is free. I will be giving away a copy of Death in Salem to all who buy a book.

Welcome to Renssalaer Public Library

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Very excited to serve on a panel on Saturday, November 2, 1 to 3 pm at the Library with some amazing other authors.

Meet the authors. Find out about paths to publication. Book signings!. Hope to see you there.

Currently Reading

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This week I read the fifth in the C.J. Bellamy Burgoyne mystery series, Primrose Hill.

Sophie, Flora, Ada and Mrs Barker are sent to a house on Primrose Hill by Inspector Penrose to investigate a murder. To fit in with the other residents, Sophie is given a dog. To complicate matters, the Home Office has been watching one of the houses which is inhabited by Bolsheviks. Sophie is given strict instructions not to engage the members of that house at all.

Gradually, Sophie and Flora begin to meet the other residents of the hill. Who could have killed Mr. Hamilton? And what was the weapon?

The situation become further confused as the Home Office sends agents into the house to watch number fifteen, the house of the Communists. With whom, I might add, Sophie does become involved.

As usual, the book was light and fun. However, there were almost too many stories. The spying theme, the murder, the introduction to Indian food. By the time the reveal of the murder occurred, I was confused about which of the Primrose Hill residents this was.

Recommended with reservations.

New Mexico’s Balloon Fiesta

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I did not follow my usual routine blogging last week because I was in New Mexico. Although the purpose was to visit my brother, we also went to the balloon festival. New Mexico’s hot air balloon festival is the largest in the world. Balloons of all shapes and sizes go up into the air, fueled by propane, and swept along in the sky by thermals. The balloons come in all shapes. The basket at the bottom is so small, compared to the balloon, that it is almost invisible. In the center of the basket is a propane burner. Hot air rises into the balloon to keep it aloft. If the balloonist wants to descend, he releases hot air from the balloon.

The balloons do descend gradually throughout the day and by evening Albuquerque is dotted with hot air balloons that have landed in fields, yards and parking lots.

Here is the field of ‘specials’, balloons of unusual shapes.

Besides the Kong (the red dog toy), and the spaceship, there is a cement truck at the extreme right. Who thinks of a cement truck as a balloon?

I was told a few facts of interest. The balloons like the cement truck or the ones that are very oddly shaped balloons do not fly as high or as far as the more circular ones because of air drag. (That really makes sense.)

The propane needed to take a balloon aloft is significant, as much as might be required to heat a house. It can be a very expensive hobby. Besides the cost of propane is the cost of the balloons which can run into the thousands.

This event draws thousands so traffic and parking is a concern. Nonetheless, this is something everyone should see at least once in their lives.

Currently Reading

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This week I read two books by members of my writing group – the Mavens of Mayhem.

A Wedding Gone to the Dogs is the fourth in Kazlo’s cozy Samantha Davies series. In this outing, Samantha and her cousin Candie are preparing for Candie’s wedding. Of course, nothing goes smoothly. One of Candie’s previous suitors has photos of her – and those photos might disrupt her relationship. More concerning, a dead man is found in Candie’s house and it looks suspiciously as though she has murdered him. Samantha is convinced her cousin could not be involved and investigates.

Frothy and fun.

The second mystery could not be more different. Autumn Embers by Tina De Bellegarde is a more traditional mystery.

While Sheriff Mike is worried about his upcoming election (and is already upset over his separation from his wife, Bianca is heading to Kyoto, Japan to visit her son. A murder, witnessed by Bianca, upsets everything. J.C. was universally disliked so there are many suspects, including Bianca’s son Ian. In a foreign country with none of her usual supports, Bianca calls Mike for help. He runs background checks on some of the other expats and gradually Bianca unravels the mystery.

De Bellegarde’s admiration and affection for Japan shine thorough out this beautifully written mystery. It really inspires me to visit Japan myself. Highly Recommended.

Was Minoan Crete an Empire?

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One of the problems with understanding the culture in Ancient Crete is that we are limited to archaeological discoveries. We have not deciphered Linear A and so the writings, that might explain unknowns about this civilization cannot be read. That means that many facts, about their diet for example – did they have cheese? -, about their political structure – was there a King or was it a theocracy-, or about whether this society was an empire or a loose confederation of city states, are unknown.

We know there were colonies spread out over the Aegean. Akrotiri, buried in ash and currently being excavated, is one. But were they just colonies or independent city states?

On Crete, other cities besides Knossos, arguably the largest and best known, were wealthy and powerful. Gortyna was one and it is thought there was conflict between the two cities. That seems to imply equally powerful city states – but we don’t know.

I’ve read arguments on both sides of the debate and both seem equally plausible to me.