In 1450 B. C. the volcanic island now called Santorini, blew up, spreading ash all over the Mediterranean and dealing a mortal blow to the so-called Minoan culture on Crete. The Acheans (early Greeks) were able to sweep in and conquer the island, adopting cultural elements and gods as they did so.
This mystery series takes place twenty-five to fifty years prior to this cataclysm.
Martis is a young woman of about sixteen. In In The Shadow of the Bull, she has only a few months before she must take her agoge, her initiation into adulthood with marriage and children following. Martis swears she does not want to marry but fears she may be forced to. Before that happens, she is determined to become a bull dancer, one of the young men and women who grasp the bull’s horns and somersault over his back. We know from frescos and other artwork (and from the Theseus myth) that this was genuinely a sport. It is theorized that bull dancing had important religious significance.
Martis’s world is changing. Acheans are making their way across the water from mainland Greece. Although the Cretans are dismissive of these barbarians, they, and others, are becoming familiar. Martis’ sister Arge falls in love with one of these men. But on her wedding day, she falls to the floor, dead by poison. Saurus, the groom, is instantly assumed to be guilty. Martis is not sure of his guilt; a visit from Arge’s spirit assures Martis Saurus is innocent. (This is a culture rooted in religion where the wall between the dead and the living, between the real world and the supernatural is thin.) Through the course of her investigation, Martis befriends Tetis, an Egyptian prostitute who works the docks and Tinos, the consort to the High Priestess.
Upcoming Events
October 6, 2 – 4. Barnes and Noble – Colonie, New York. Join me and a few writers friends. Free
November 2, 1 – 3. Renssaler Public Library. Free
November 16, 11 – 4. Cohoes Library Book Fest. Free
December 8 Poughkeepsie Library Mystery Panel. More information to come.
Released on April, 2024. order now.
