The African Quest

Another fun murder mystery with a lot of really interesting history.

THE AFRICAN QUEST finds Lara McClintoch leading a tour group to North Africa. It seems like a good way to earn extra money and promote the antique store while hunting for antifacts. At least, it seems like a good idea until members of the group start having fatal "accidents". This is the fifth book in Lyn Hamilton's Lara McClintoch series. Of the five, I've enjoyed THE MOCHE WARRIOR and THE AFRICAN QUEST the most. In THE AFRICAN QUEST, the whodunit is intriguing and well-plotted, with a clearly delineated sequence of events and related clues, and without blind leaps of insight on Lara's part (see THE CELTIC RIDDLE for examples of contrived leaps of insight). In addition, the characters are quirky and interesting, and the Tunisian setting is nicely visualized by Ms. Hamilton. One of the pleasures of a series is the on-going development of the life of the main character. In this series, readers must take the good outings with the not-so-good to stay current with what's new in Lara McClintoch's life. THE AFRICAN QUEST is one of the good outings. If you're into the series, enjoy this one. If not, this is still a good read. It's a solid four stars in my book.

I enjoyed this book, the first I have read by Lyn Hamilton. It was well-plotted with enough red herrings to keep it interesting. Lyn Hamilton is a refreshing author who invests time and energy writing the story, rather than creating a lightweight piece that panders to the dumbing down of readers.

Through a quirky set of circumstances, Lara McClintoch finds herself in a partnership with her ex-husband Clive Swain. Clive has grandiose ideas, but expects everyone else to do the work to make them happen. Lara put up with Clive because her best friend is involved with him. She reluctantly agrees to his latest scheme to draw attention to their antique business starting with her acting as a tour guide to the ancient and mysterious North African country of Tunisia.Lara plans to purchase artifacts and furnishings for a client while guiding her charges. The trip starts off on the right foot. Everyone seems congenial and friendly towards one another. However, over time Lara notices strange happenings amidst the people on the tour. The weirdness turns sinister when guests die in what seems like accidents until finally a clear- cut murder occurs. The local police insist everyone remain in country while they investigate all the deaths. Unable to idly sit by, Lara decides to take matters into her own hands and begins her own investigation.The exotic world of Northern Africa comes vividly alive within THE AFRICAN QUEST so much so that the audience will believe they accompany Lara on tour. The characters are fully developed, especially the heroine and the who-done-it is engaging. However, what makes Lyn Hamilton's novel worth reading is the varying perspectives of Tunisia seen through the eyes of the tourists, Lara, and the locals, which adds much color to a strong amateur sleuth tale.Harriet Klausner