I seem to have missed book two but it didn't matter. As always, Oliver's words flow and it worked well as a standalone. You'll meet the regulars early on, members of the Detection Club, and get a quick feel for each. Eliza and Theo are the leads, however, and the tension and attraction between them intensifies as the story moves along. I looked back at my review of book one and noted that aspect was rather overwhelming but it was obvious from the blurb that this would be a key element this time so I went with the flow. Agatha is in Mesopotamia and sends a cryptic message to them to come there as things simply aren't right. She doesn't say what but, as it turns out, even Agatha Christie isn't quite sure what is going on amidst the heat and sun baked sands and ever changing light of the site of a high stakes artifact evacuation where we'll also meet one Max Mallowan. Christie fans will know his connection. Grin. In any case, Eliza and Theo, along with Dorothy Sayers, yes, that Dorothy Sayers, go. Eliza even manages to smuggle in her trusty beagle Queenie who, trust me, is a star in this installment. An annoying reporter wanting to interview Agatha tags along soon after.
I won't detail the plot, it's a twisty one, but revolves around not just the murder of artifact catalogue worker Julian Larch but what is going on with missing and odd finds amongst the artifacts being found, not to mention a supposed Queen's Curse and spotted sickness plaguing the workers. Author Oliver excels in describing the setting, making me feel the oppressive heat and gritty sand between my teeth at the height of a sand storm. And, oh, boy, if you're claustrophobic, be prepared for a tense scene Eliza and Theo find themselves in. Poor Theo does take quite a beating through this installment, I must say, but it never dulls his growing attraction to the fact based Eliza. Through it all there's a dash of history, cultural conflicts, curses, people being attacked, lost and found diaries, and troubled characters, both real and fictional. Be sure to read the author's note at the end for more on that. There's a dose of humor here and there, too, to relieve the growing tensions.
Bottom line, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will be looking for the next in the series. Oliver's writing flows with many a poetic phrasing and there are even quotes from Shakespeare that pop up, albeit a few not quite fully accurate. Nope, not telling you any more. Thanks #BoldwoodBooks for giving me this early peek at Eliza and Theo's adventures (and misadventures) in a mysterious world while managing to sneak in the debate about who artifacts found should really belong to, one not quite settled to this day, I think. Readers will get a good overview of what an excavation was like in those days, including things like grids resembling chess boards in Theo's mind, and the scholar's need to create order out of a jumble at times. I'm sorry I missed the second book but will be looking forward to the next, especially after that ending.
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