Book Review: Death in the Aegean by M. A. Monnin (Intrepid Traveler Mystery #1)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong main characters and lots of actions

Cons: A few niggles, but nothing major

The Bottom Line:

Vacation in Greece

Filled with danger and mayhem

Which is fun for us

Travel to Greece for this Fun Caper

My last book was set in Rome, and I decided to stay in Europe (fictionally) instead of coming back to the United States.  I mean, as long as I was there, right?  So I picked up Death in the Aegean, the first Intrepid Traveler Mystery from M. A. Monnin.

Stefanie Adams is finally returning to Greece on vacation.  Her trip is timed with the debut of the gold statue of the Akrotiri Snake Goddess, a new archeological find.  She is on hand for its first viewing, but that event might turn out to be its last viewing since someone steals it that night.  The next day, Stefanie finds the dead body of a woman she’d met the day before.  With her reputation, not to mention her freedom, on the line as the police think she is tied into both of these events, Stefanie begins investigating to find out what is really happening.  The only person she might be able to trust is, Thomas, a German traveler she met along the way, but a man with secrets of his own.  Will she clear her name of not one but two crimes?

This book is more of a caper than a traditional mystery.  Yes, it has the who done it aspect, but the art theft adds another fun layer.  I will say there is something about capers that seem a little chaotic.  It’s not just this book, but it’s others I’ve read as well.  Clearly, that is a me issue, and I do still enjoy these books, so this is more an observation than a criticism.

Because this book is definitely fun.  I was hooked within the first few pages, and I wished I’d had more time to read than I did because I needed to know what was going to happen to Stephanie next.  I may have said “I knew it!” a couple of times while nearing the end, but I was also caught off guard by several of the twists in the book.  Still, when we reached the end, everything was wrapped up nicely, and there was plenty of action along the way.

The characters are great as well.  I really liked Stefanie and Thomas.  The romantic tension between them was strong, which added another layer to the book.  It was easy to root for them to figure things out and get out of danger safely.  The other characters aren’t quite as well developed as the two of them are, but they are still entertaining and serve their purpose in the story perfectly.

Most of the action takes place on Crete.  I have never been, but this book made me want to visit even more than I already did.  It does an excellent job of taking us to a few sights without slowing down the story.

I’m already booking a trip to join Stefanie for her next adventure.  If you are looking for a caper that will keep the pages turning, you definitely need to pick up Death in the Aegean.