The Moche Warrior: An Archaeological Mystery

Wow such a great book. I could barely put it down.

THE MOCHE WARRIOR is the third entry in Lyn Hamilton's Lara McClintoch series. I read the first two, THE XIBALBA MURDERS and THE MALTESE GODDESS, several years ago. I was lukewarm on the former, but somewhat disappointed in the latter. Sufficiently disappointed that I had no particular inclination to purchase this third book. Finally, though, time triumphed over memory. Recollections of the reasons for my disenchantment with THE MALTESE GODDESS faded to the point where I decided to give THE MOCHE WARRIOR a shot. I'm glad I did. While I will agree with others who find it a bit incongruous for a character to just take off at the drop of a hat on a lengthy and costly expedition to Mexico and Peru (anyone else ever notice how money is rarely a consideration for fictional characters, whether in movies, TV, or books), it's hard to say how any of us would react if we thought our life was in imminent danger, and credit cards do make it possible to postpone costs. Nevertheless, I found the plot engaging enough to keep me turning the pages despite the improbabilities. To be fair, what work of fiction doesn't have some improbabilities in it? Further, I found the setting interesting (the arid Peruvian coast) and the archeology intriguing. All in all, I enjoyed this book. More than I expected to, in fact. As a result, I already have the next book in the series, and I'm giving THE MOCHE WARRIOR four stars. If you like nice little mysteries, consider giving this one a try.

Antique dealer, Lara McClintoch learns that revenge does not pay when she spitefully outbids her ex husband for a box of artifacts then discovers that someone is willing to murder for the contents. This archaeological mystery takes us to Peru where connections to grave robbers, the black market and drug runners place Lara in danger. The plot is tight with an assortment of potential bad guys that kept me guessing at the connections. But though Hamilton's books have exotic settings, her writing doesn't really give me the feeling that I've been there--and I have been to several of the countries she writes about. That said, I enjoyed the book anyway and laughed out loud at her wrap-up with the ex in the ending.

I loved this book! It was full of interesting information about Peru and ancient cultures that really fleshed out the story for me. I found myself reading more books about this area of the world.

Second novel of Lyn Hamilton with the same character: Lara Mc Clyntoch, owner of antiquities shop in Toronto. Perhaps not as good as the first one, but still a good plot with great mistery. And after the Mayan civilisation you will discover Peru. Here perhaps the only lacking point: were is all the historical research we were now used to? A little bit less of that and the story doesn't have all the appeal that THE XIBALBA MURDER had. Anyway a good story to read, other adventures of our heroin Lara Mc Clintoch, a simple curious woman in her forties.

In Toronto, antiques' dealer Lara McClintoch knows that her and her partner Sarah Greenhalgh will never become wealthy with their work, but both enjoy their avocation. However, Lara's pleasure in the buying and selling of antiques becomes disturbed when her former spouse Clive Swain, opens up a competitive store right across the street from Greenhalgh and McClintoch. Clive adds to the insult by stealing a good client right in front of Lara, which starts a personal war between them. Lara and Clive attend an auction hosted by the exclusive Molesworth & Cox. After he outbids her on something she desperately wanted for a customer, she once again retaliates overextending herself by bidding on a box of replications of ancient Peruvian artifacts. Before Lara knows what has happened, she finds herself caught in the middle of illegal contraband, murder, and implied accusations from the law. So what is a modern Canadian woman to do? Simple, you go girl to the source in Peru to clear up your name and that of your associates by solving the mystery even if it costs you your credit cards and perhaps your life. The second McClintoch archeology mystery, THE MOCHE WARRIOR, is an entertaining, fun to read, and educational who-done-it. The action-packed story line never quits even when it teaches the audience about the ancient Moche people and their civilization along the Northern coast of Peru. Lara remains an intelligent and warm character, whose internal dialogues are humorous yet poignant. The secondary players, especially the returnees from the previous novel, THE XIBALBA MURDERS, enhance the plot and add dimension to Lara's persona. Even the new players, some who appear very fleetingly, provide depth to a brilliant book.Harriet Klausner