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jazmac's review
The pace was a little too slow for me. I did appreciate the interesting archeology insights.
lozza's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
marieintheraw's review
2.0
In this cozy mystery, while the characters are sometimes lacking, the depth of knowledge the author has on archaeology makes for a fun ride.
I received an ecopy in exchange for an honest review through Netgalley
I received an ecopy in exchange for an honest review through Netgalley
kcfromaustcrime's review
2.0
Cosy mysteries are so far from my comfort zone we could be classified as sworn enemies. Which is not to say that some haven’t worked for this particular reader. But to be fair, those that have worked normally deploy a sly, dry sense of humour, a huge dollop of self-awareness and preferably have a hefty dose of tongue in cheek. It also doesn’t hurt to have a strong plot buried in the ancillary bits and pieces that seem to be part of the cosier side of the genre.
In the OLMEC OBITUARY there is a lot of ancillary - be it family background (harmonious racial blending with a hefty dose of Welsh and Asian sensibilities, philosophies, traditions and food), romantic longing (with our heroine Elizabeth Pimms cruelly dragged from the arms of her lover to return to Australia and hold this vast and diverse family together), and a major working life dilemma. Pimms would much prefer to be an archaeologist than working in a library, despite following in her father’s much revered footsteps. Somewhere in the middle of all the ancillary there is a 3,000-year-old skeleton and a suspect cause of death that eventually seems to have been resolved.
Relying heavily on the hanging around until things sort of fall into place style of investigation seems to fit perfectly with the personality of the protagonist Elizabeth Pimms. It’s not often that a debut author takes the sort of brave step that Owen has with this character. A victim of her family’s wants and needs, after being compelled to return to keep the wolves from the door (which home it seems is big and gorgeous and been in the family for years… that’s another one of those ancillary bits and pieces), Pimms is not best-pleased by this outcome. Having her react as a kind of victim is an interesting approach to take, and one that readers will undoubtedly have a strong reaction for - or against. Surrounding this seemingly constantly complaining and persnickety character with a cast of forced eccentrics makes the contrasts even stronger giving the reader a real opportunity of taking sides very firmly.
Given that the OLMEC OBITUARY is flagged as a very cold case mystery styled novel though, there did seem to be some major deficiencies with the plot, the reasons for which were less easy to fathom. Whilst there’s a lot of excavation through the ancillary layer required to find the plot, when elements were located, they all too often coincidental, under-developed or inexplicable. In the end, what aspirations for the likelihood of a complex past crime being unearthed, quickly dissipated into the hope of something interesting or educative. In the end that felt poorly served by the litany of unresolved threads and plot holes that felt like they would require more than a little digging to fill.
Having said all of that, my first line stands - cosy and this reader have a chequered and frequently turbulent history, so perhaps OLMEC OBITUARY is aiming to attract a considerably different readership.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/review-olmec-obituary-ljm-owen
In the OLMEC OBITUARY there is a lot of ancillary - be it family background (harmonious racial blending with a hefty dose of Welsh and Asian sensibilities, philosophies, traditions and food), romantic longing (with our heroine Elizabeth Pimms cruelly dragged from the arms of her lover to return to Australia and hold this vast and diverse family together), and a major working life dilemma. Pimms would much prefer to be an archaeologist than working in a library, despite following in her father’s much revered footsteps. Somewhere in the middle of all the ancillary there is a 3,000-year-old skeleton and a suspect cause of death that eventually seems to have been resolved.
Relying heavily on the hanging around until things sort of fall into place style of investigation seems to fit perfectly with the personality of the protagonist Elizabeth Pimms. It’s not often that a debut author takes the sort of brave step that Owen has with this character. A victim of her family’s wants and needs, after being compelled to return to keep the wolves from the door (which home it seems is big and gorgeous and been in the family for years… that’s another one of those ancillary bits and pieces), Pimms is not best-pleased by this outcome. Having her react as a kind of victim is an interesting approach to take, and one that readers will undoubtedly have a strong reaction for - or against. Surrounding this seemingly constantly complaining and persnickety character with a cast of forced eccentrics makes the contrasts even stronger giving the reader a real opportunity of taking sides very firmly.
Given that the OLMEC OBITUARY is flagged as a very cold case mystery styled novel though, there did seem to be some major deficiencies with the plot, the reasons for which were less easy to fathom. Whilst there’s a lot of excavation through the ancillary layer required to find the plot, when elements were located, they all too often coincidental, under-developed or inexplicable. In the end, what aspirations for the likelihood of a complex past crime being unearthed, quickly dissipated into the hope of something interesting or educative. In the end that felt poorly served by the litany of unresolved threads and plot holes that felt like they would require more than a little digging to fill.
Having said all of that, my first line stands - cosy and this reader have a chequered and frequently turbulent history, so perhaps OLMEC OBITUARY is aiming to attract a considerably different readership.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/review-olmec-obituary-ljm-owen
katreader's review against another edition
4.0
OLMEC OBITUARY by L.J.M. Owen
The First Dr. Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth Mystery
The sudden death of Dr. Elizabeth Pimms' father forces her to give up her dream job, working on an archaeological dig with her boyfriend, and return home to Australia to work as a librarian in order to support her family. When a former classmate offers her a chance to join an archeology team in town Elizabeth can't resist, even if she has to volunteer her time on weekends while still performing her library duties. As her research unfolds, Elizabeth finds serious flaws with the original findings and the hypotheses surrounding the dig itself. Will Elizabeth discover the true story behind the skeletons? And will she come to terms with her family?
OLMEC OBITUARY is a fascinating start to a new series. This traditional mystery introduces readers to Dr. Elizabeth Pimms, an intelligent, capable, determined, yet ultimately flawed, woman. Elizabeth has a compelling backstory, hinted at and slowly revealed thought the book.
Two distinct stories comprise the first Dr. Pimms mystery. There is the modern day mystery of Dr. Pimms set in Australia and the story of Ix and her family in ancient Olmec, what is now central Mexico. The book weaves the modern day story of Dr. Pimms and her investigation with the ancient story of the people behind the remains that she is called upon to investigate.
I admit to being a closet archeologist wannabe and am fascinated by the details revealed here. Those less academically inclined however, may find the minutia of true archaeological work and the historical details a bit daunting. Those who love history and dream of going on archaeological digs, if only via armchair, will find the information compelling.
Ultimately, OLMEC OBITUARY is a book of sacrifices, exploring family loyalty and the ties that bind. It looks at how our beliefs can skew our vision and how the past can shape our present and our future.
I enjoyed this first Dr. Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth mystery, and appreciated not only the historical detail, but details about the various people living in Australia and how their cultures and traditions impact their life. I look forward to learning more as the series continues.
The First Dr. Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth Mystery
The sudden death of Dr. Elizabeth Pimms' father forces her to give up her dream job, working on an archaeological dig with her boyfriend, and return home to Australia to work as a librarian in order to support her family. When a former classmate offers her a chance to join an archeology team in town Elizabeth can't resist, even if she has to volunteer her time on weekends while still performing her library duties. As her research unfolds, Elizabeth finds serious flaws with the original findings and the hypotheses surrounding the dig itself. Will Elizabeth discover the true story behind the skeletons? And will she come to terms with her family?
OLMEC OBITUARY is a fascinating start to a new series. This traditional mystery introduces readers to Dr. Elizabeth Pimms, an intelligent, capable, determined, yet ultimately flawed, woman. Elizabeth has a compelling backstory, hinted at and slowly revealed thought the book.
Two distinct stories comprise the first Dr. Pimms mystery. There is the modern day mystery of Dr. Pimms set in Australia and the story of Ix and her family in ancient Olmec, what is now central Mexico. The book weaves the modern day story of Dr. Pimms and her investigation with the ancient story of the people behind the remains that she is called upon to investigate.
I admit to being a closet archeologist wannabe and am fascinated by the details revealed here. Those less academically inclined however, may find the minutia of true archaeological work and the historical details a bit daunting. Those who love history and dream of going on archaeological digs, if only via armchair, will find the information compelling.
Ultimately, OLMEC OBITUARY is a book of sacrifices, exploring family loyalty and the ties that bind. It looks at how our beliefs can skew our vision and how the past can shape our present and our future.
I enjoyed this first Dr. Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth mystery, and appreciated not only the historical detail, but details about the various people living in Australia and how their cultures and traditions impact their life. I look forward to learning more as the series continues.
ellelainey's review against another edition
4.0
Book – Olmec Obituary (Dr. Pimms, Intermillenial Sleuth, #1)
Author – L.J.M. Owens
Star rating - ★★★★☆
No. of Pages – 352
Cover – Gorgeous!
POV – 3rd person, one character
Would I read it again – Yes
Genre – Mystery, Historical, Crime, Archaeology
** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **
WARNING: contains mentions of historical rape and tyranny (not on page)
I enjoyed this one, my first by this author, though it was a lot more of an academic mystery than I'd expected. I had thought it would be a murder mystery or a historical mystery, but I found the 'cosy' aspect suited the story and characters just fine.
The story had a good start, with great characterisation and I found Elizabeth to be, initially, very relateable. As an archaeological student, I love that it was written by an experienced archaeologist. The attention to detail, the characterisation, and the plotting and setting. It was clear that a whole lot of research and knowledge went into making this book as historically accurate as possible, while allowing the fictional narrative to hold. When it comes to the writing, I loved the detail, accuracy and the writing of the historic Olmec sections. They felt so evocative and natural, and felt all the more relateable for the modern speech patterns used, making it easier to transition between the past and present storylines.
Now, saying that, I do have some problems with the historical plotting. Like the sense of it being unfinished. There were lots of unanswered questions that I can't guarantee or even imagine will be answered in the next book. Such as, did Ajaw just get away with everything and carry on his disgusting dynasty in Olmec times or did the fates and the truth finally see justice done? There was no concept of that being resolved within the story, even in a quick mention. I also felt that the entire Luke issue was left unanswered, though there is a higher likelihood of his reappearance in the next book.
There was a lot I liked about the story beside that. There was a really lovely contrast of professional passion and excitement in the prologue set against the short sharp shock of her father's death leading into the main story.
The characterisation of Elizabeth started off really well, showing us this smart, independent woman who had a love of archaeology, history, and Egyptology. But, as the story progressed Elizabeth had quite a few Drama Queen moments that made my feelings about her wane a little. There were times when she was ungrateful and selfish, but that made her a little more human and less 'perfect', so I quite liked that they happened, even if they were a little more often than I would have liked. She had a tendency to burst into tears or throw a temper tantrum when things didn't go her way, that often turned me off.
The side characters were intriguing; I loved Nathan and Henry, who were academic, quirky, a little weird, but totally relateable. I loved them both equally. But, I had some reservations about Luke, the boyfriend. I didn't believe in their relationship nor their long-distance ability to survive. Judy was nice but I definitely had problems about whether she was trustworthy and about her strange temperament. At times she was normal, other times she was a little dismissive, didn't seem to care about what was happening, and she had suspicious conversations with strange people that wasn't explained. At first I was suspicious about Mai, but it quickly became clear who she was and why she behaved the way she did. Though her part in the story wasn't actually explained, there is a pseudo-spoiler at 99%, on the Coming Soon page, that reaffirms my theory.
Elizabeth's family were interesting. I liked Mattie and Taid (apparently meaning grandfather, though it was used in place of his name so often that I got confused about how it was being used) the best, though I did find it really confusing to keep track of who was who, etc, because of the variety of cultures, ethnicities and personalities.
When it came to formatting, I loved the little Olmec heads at the Chapter headings, how the timeline and era were clearly marked in bold at the start of the chapter, and that the chapters spent in Olmec were in a slightly different font, making it clear at first glance that the time/location had changed.
I do feel like the setting was confusing, for a while. The timeline of Elizabeth's story was simply marked as 'present day', but often read like something from the early 1950's, especially due to her manner and personality traits. There was also a lot of confusion about the cultures involved. It felt like the book was crammed with far too many cultures, and it was often difficult to keep track of what was going on, who was who, and where they were from. There was the historical Olmec society, Elizabeth's Welsh, Chinese and Australian family heritages that felt too many for one story. Sometimes I felt they were only added to legitimise the numerous recipes and detailed food descriptions.
The story dragged in some places, focusing too much on the family dynamics and food, than on the actual story. I could easily see the book being at least fifty pages less, if the excess food and family dramas were limited. There were also a few times where the investigative processes were over explained. A few times some of the characters were immature and overly dramatic, leading to incidents that feel unrealistic and orchestrated to lead to other events or revelations.
I'll admit that I was hoping for something along the lines of Amelia Peabody, but this is a bit more 'cosy', and far less crime/drama fuelled. It lacked a little excitement, as it was all academic, leading to a lot of pages that were 100% Elizabeth's thought processes and written events that demanded no other involvement from people. I feel like this is where it failed, a little. The family dramas, their home life, and the numerous cooking mentions, as well as Elizabeth's regular coffee with Nathan were used to inject some involvement from other people and some actual dialogue. Without them, this would all have been Elizabeth sitting inside her mind palace or working in a lab, never speaking to anyone, so while I understand the need for them, I kind of wish it wasn't required so often. There were huge chunks where nothing happened but Elizabeth sitting thinking about things or doing investigative tests that the average reader wasn't likely to fully understand.
~
Overall, I think the story was good, well plotted, and put together. It was slow in parts, and I would have liked more of the Olmec period, rather than just a chapter or two within the entire novel. It was a little disturbing to read the POV of the Olmec character Ajaw at the end, considering he was a historical tyrant and rapist; I much preferred the POV of Ix and her family.
I ended the book feeling slightly ambiguous about the end. I'm still curious to read more in the series, but I felt that there was a lot left to be desired, a lot left unsaid that I wanted to know. The recipes felt unnecessary, taking up a lot of space at the back of the book, which left me feeling disappointed that the story ended at 94%. There was also no Contents page, so I felt surprised and dismayed to find that there was a collection of much needed lists at the back of the book: a glossary of technical terms, a lexicon of foreign language phrases, and recommended additional reading. It would have been great to know about these before I started, so that I could refer to it when needed.
I feel it needed some excitement, something that raised the blood pressure or caused some apprehension or mystery, that wasn't about the archaeological case. It also could have used less descriptions and more activity that wasn't just focused on Elizabeth. But, in the end, I did enjoy it and look forward to seeing the characters and plots grow and evolve over time. I'm intrigued to visit the various periods of time that the author has chosen, though I can't deny that book three excites me the most, since my favourite period of history was Ancient Egypt. I'm intrigued to keep going.
Author – L.J.M. Owens
Star rating - ★★★★☆
No. of Pages – 352
Cover – Gorgeous!
POV – 3rd person, one character
Would I read it again – Yes
Genre – Mystery, Historical, Crime, Archaeology
** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **
WARNING: contains mentions of historical rape and tyranny (not on page)
I enjoyed this one, my first by this author, though it was a lot more of an academic mystery than I'd expected. I had thought it would be a murder mystery or a historical mystery, but I found the 'cosy' aspect suited the story and characters just fine.
The story had a good start, with great characterisation and I found Elizabeth to be, initially, very relateable. As an archaeological student, I love that it was written by an experienced archaeologist. The attention to detail, the characterisation, and the plotting and setting. It was clear that a whole lot of research and knowledge went into making this book as historically accurate as possible, while allowing the fictional narrative to hold. When it comes to the writing, I loved the detail, accuracy and the writing of the historic Olmec sections. They felt so evocative and natural, and felt all the more relateable for the modern speech patterns used, making it easier to transition between the past and present storylines.
Now, saying that, I do have some problems with the historical plotting. Like the sense of it being unfinished. There were lots of unanswered questions that I can't guarantee or even imagine will be answered in the next book. Such as, did Ajaw just get away with everything and carry on his disgusting dynasty in Olmec times or did the fates and the truth finally see justice done? There was no concept of that being resolved within the story, even in a quick mention. I also felt that the entire Luke issue was left unanswered, though there is a higher likelihood of his reappearance in the next book.
There was a lot I liked about the story beside that. There was a really lovely contrast of professional passion and excitement in the prologue set against the short sharp shock of her father's death leading into the main story.
The characterisation of Elizabeth started off really well, showing us this smart, independent woman who had a love of archaeology, history, and Egyptology. But, as the story progressed Elizabeth had quite a few Drama Queen moments that made my feelings about her wane a little. There were times when she was ungrateful and selfish, but that made her a little more human and less 'perfect', so I quite liked that they happened, even if they were a little more often than I would have liked. She had a tendency to burst into tears or throw a temper tantrum when things didn't go her way, that often turned me off.
The side characters were intriguing; I loved Nathan and Henry, who were academic, quirky, a little weird, but totally relateable. I loved them both equally. But, I had some reservations about Luke, the boyfriend. I didn't believe in their relationship nor their long-distance ability to survive. Judy was nice but I definitely had problems about whether she was trustworthy and about her strange temperament. At times she was normal, other times she was a little dismissive, didn't seem to care about what was happening, and she had suspicious conversations with strange people that wasn't explained. At first I was suspicious about Mai, but it quickly became clear who she was and why she behaved the way she did. Though her part in the story wasn't actually explained, there is a pseudo-spoiler at 99%, on the Coming Soon page, that reaffirms my theory.
Elizabeth's family were interesting. I liked Mattie and Taid (apparently meaning grandfather, though it was used in place of his name so often that I got confused about how it was being used) the best, though I did find it really confusing to keep track of who was who, etc, because of the variety of cultures, ethnicities and personalities.
When it came to formatting, I loved the little Olmec heads at the Chapter headings, how the timeline and era were clearly marked in bold at the start of the chapter, and that the chapters spent in Olmec were in a slightly different font, making it clear at first glance that the time/location had changed.
I do feel like the setting was confusing, for a while. The timeline of Elizabeth's story was simply marked as 'present day', but often read like something from the early 1950's, especially due to her manner and personality traits. There was also a lot of confusion about the cultures involved. It felt like the book was crammed with far too many cultures, and it was often difficult to keep track of what was going on, who was who, and where they were from. There was the historical Olmec society, Elizabeth's Welsh, Chinese and Australian family heritages that felt too many for one story. Sometimes I felt they were only added to legitimise the numerous recipes and detailed food descriptions.
The story dragged in some places, focusing too much on the family dynamics and food, than on the actual story. I could easily see the book being at least fifty pages less, if the excess food and family dramas were limited. There were also a few times where the investigative processes were over explained. A few times some of the characters were immature and overly dramatic, leading to incidents that feel unrealistic and orchestrated to lead to other events or revelations.
I'll admit that I was hoping for something along the lines of Amelia Peabody, but this is a bit more 'cosy', and far less crime/drama fuelled. It lacked a little excitement, as it was all academic, leading to a lot of pages that were 100% Elizabeth's thought processes and written events that demanded no other involvement from people. I feel like this is where it failed, a little. The family dramas, their home life, and the numerous cooking mentions, as well as Elizabeth's regular coffee with Nathan were used to inject some involvement from other people and some actual dialogue. Without them, this would all have been Elizabeth sitting inside her mind palace or working in a lab, never speaking to anyone, so while I understand the need for them, I kind of wish it wasn't required so often. There were huge chunks where nothing happened but Elizabeth sitting thinking about things or doing investigative tests that the average reader wasn't likely to fully understand.
~
Overall, I think the story was good, well plotted, and put together. It was slow in parts, and I would have liked more of the Olmec period, rather than just a chapter or two within the entire novel. It was a little disturbing to read the POV of the Olmec character Ajaw at the end, considering he was a historical tyrant and rapist; I much preferred the POV of Ix and her family.
I ended the book feeling slightly ambiguous about the end. I'm still curious to read more in the series, but I felt that there was a lot left to be desired, a lot left unsaid that I wanted to know. The recipes felt unnecessary, taking up a lot of space at the back of the book, which left me feeling disappointed that the story ended at 94%. There was also no Contents page, so I felt surprised and dismayed to find that there was a collection of much needed lists at the back of the book: a glossary of technical terms, a lexicon of foreign language phrases, and recommended additional reading. It would have been great to know about these before I started, so that I could refer to it when needed.
I feel it needed some excitement, something that raised the blood pressure or caused some apprehension or mystery, that wasn't about the archaeological case. It also could have used less descriptions and more activity that wasn't just focused on Elizabeth. But, in the end, I did enjoy it and look forward to seeing the characters and plots grow and evolve over time. I'm intrigued to visit the various periods of time that the author has chosen, though I can't deny that book three excites me the most, since my favourite period of history was Ancient Egypt. I'm intrigued to keep going.
jeremyawilliams's review
3.0
Olmec Obituary starts with an interesting premise. A young archeologist gets involved with a dig that could have enormous implications in the world of archeology, but as she continues her work, she realizes everything isn't necessarily as it seems, or as her bosses want her to believe. The best part of the book was the lives of the ancient Olmec who were discovered at the dig site was interwoven into Elizabeth's present-day story. Unfortunately, the characters all felt a little flat (plus, her boyfriend that she basically never talks to and is essentially not in the story at all, although he's referenced quite frequently? Weird). I never really rooted for anyone in the story.
I still might check out the 2nd book in the series ([b:Mayan Mendacity|31117244|Mayan Mendacity (Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth #2)|L.J.M. Owen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1468459508s/31117244.jpg|51723179]Mayan Mendacity), but likely only if my TBR list dries up.
I received a copy of [b:Olmec Obituary|26127259|Olmec Obituary (Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth, #1)|L.J.M. Owen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1439969675s/26127259.jpg|45612793] from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I still might check out the 2nd book in the series ([b:Mayan Mendacity|31117244|Mayan Mendacity (Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth #2)|L.J.M. Owen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1468459508s/31117244.jpg|51723179]Mayan Mendacity), but likely only if my TBR list dries up.
I received a copy of [b:Olmec Obituary|26127259|Olmec Obituary (Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth, #1)|L.J.M. Owen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1439969675s/26127259.jpg|45612793] from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review
3.0
‘Pinpoints of light studded the inky sky, taunting Dr Elizabeth Pimms with their stubborn persistence.’
Doctor Elizabeth Pimms, aged 26, is an archaeologist with the job of her dreams in Egypt. Then life intervenes, and she is forced to leave this job and her boyfriend and return to Australia, to take up a job as a librarian in Canberra to support her siblings and grandparents.
Shortly after returning to Canberra, Elizabeth is approached by a former colleague. Apparently a royal Olmec cemetery has been discovered, deep in the Mexican jungle. This cemetery apparently also contains the earliest writing in the Americas. Elizabeth is invited to join the team to undertake skeletal analysis (fortunately located in Canberra), and is very excited about this.
But Elizabeth quickly finds some contradictions in the evidence, and this brings her into conflict with the team’s director. And she has some challenges at home as well.
The novel shifts between Elizabeth in the present, and some Olmec people in 1231 BCE. How did these Olmec people die? Will Elizabeth be able to find a cause of death? Will she be able to make sense of the discrepancies in the evidence?
This novel didn’t completely work for me. There are two reasons for this. Initially, I did not much care for Elizabeth. Secondly, I had some difficulties with the team (especially the director) established to do the skeletal analysis in Canberra. I can’t write more about this without introducing spoilers. While I found the story interesting, it didn’t completely hold my attention.
Yet I’m intrigued, and I’m hoping that Ms Owen further develops a number of the characters. Will I keep reading? Yes, I’m keen to read the next book to see how Ms Owen develops the character of Elizabeth and her role as ‘Intermillennial Sleuth’. I think that the series has potential.
This is Ms Owen’s first novel, and I understand that eight more novels are planned, in a series entitled ‘Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth’.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Doctor Elizabeth Pimms, aged 26, is an archaeologist with the job of her dreams in Egypt. Then life intervenes, and she is forced to leave this job and her boyfriend and return to Australia, to take up a job as a librarian in Canberra to support her siblings and grandparents.
Shortly after returning to Canberra, Elizabeth is approached by a former colleague. Apparently a royal Olmec cemetery has been discovered, deep in the Mexican jungle. This cemetery apparently also contains the earliest writing in the Americas. Elizabeth is invited to join the team to undertake skeletal analysis (fortunately located in Canberra), and is very excited about this.
But Elizabeth quickly finds some contradictions in the evidence, and this brings her into conflict with the team’s director. And she has some challenges at home as well.
The novel shifts between Elizabeth in the present, and some Olmec people in 1231 BCE. How did these Olmec people die? Will Elizabeth be able to find a cause of death? Will she be able to make sense of the discrepancies in the evidence?
This novel didn’t completely work for me. There are two reasons for this. Initially, I did not much care for Elizabeth. Secondly, I had some difficulties with the team (especially the director) established to do the skeletal analysis in Canberra. I can’t write more about this without introducing spoilers. While I found the story interesting, it didn’t completely hold my attention.
Yet I’m intrigued, and I’m hoping that Ms Owen further develops a number of the characters. Will I keep reading? Yes, I’m keen to read the next book to see how Ms Owen develops the character of Elizabeth and her role as ‘Intermillennial Sleuth’. I think that the series has potential.
This is Ms Owen’s first novel, and I understand that eight more novels are planned, in a series entitled ‘Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth’.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
vsbedford's review
1.0
This is a hard pass for me - the writing is amateurish and stilted, the characters are one dimensional, and the lead, Elizabeth Pimm, needs a hard shake and a wake up call. I realize that to be annoyed by a fictional character is, hmmm... a waste of time? Unfruitful? Potentially ridiculous? But girl, seriously, SHUT UP. Also, this is peppered with phrases like "dratted younger sister" and "sharing those little moments of understanding". BOOOOOOO.
This is the book version of a Lifetime movie so, I guess if you're into that go for it?
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the book version of a Lifetime movie so, I guess if you're into that go for it?
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
roxyc's review
3.0
An easy and pleasant read. The characters are well constructed and the storyline is intriguing enough to keep the reader interested. I'm not sure about the phrenic library, it didnt really appeal to me. I did,however, enjoy the family story that interlaced throughout. overall it was an enjoyable and interesting novel.