The Night Villa

I've previously discussed on this blog how much I love Carol Goodman (see my review of The Drowning Tree here). Her books are always very well written and are intriguing, to say the least. There is almost always a mythological undercurrent to her works, which gives them a subtle complexity and makes it seem as though there is more than meets the eye. Her writing style is also very mysterious; her books give a haunting feeling to the reader that lingers on through the end of the book and beyond. Being such a fan of Carol Goodman's, I was extremely excited to receive an advance copy of her latest work, The Night Villa. First of all, let me say that the blurb above (from the back cover of the book) simply doesn't do the story justice. There is a whole story involving Sophie's ex-boyfriend's involvement with a Pythagorean cult that isn't even addressed (although it's alluded to in the second paragraph). Though the story is a bit slow at times, there is so much going on just beneath the surface that it's difficult to whittle down to a two paragraph summary. I really liked the main character of Sophie. She is flawed and has a tendency to be blind to what is really going on, yet it doesn't denigrate the character. She's one of those whose flaws help make her a whole person. Too often in literature, character defects aren't written well; the reader ends up hating characters who display these shortcomings. Yet Sophie's flaws make her a better, fuller character. Though her circumstances are unique, the reader can identify with her and why she thinks the way she does. She really is a marvelously written character. Carol Goodman's ability to craft yet another novel which is rooted in so much history with so many mythological aspects astounds me. I don't know how she isn't a master of Greek and Roman mythology by this point. I can't even begin to imagine how much research must go into her novels, but however much work is required, I'm glad the author takes the time to do it well. Her books really are unsurpassed, especially because they are so unique. I don't know what else I can say about Carol Goodman's novels except to go read one if you haven't yet. 4.5 rounded up to 5

THE NIGHT VILLA, award-winning author Carol Goodman's sixth novel, begins with a tragic shooting on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin. It involves the jealous ex-boyfriend of student Agnes Hancock, who opens fire on a classroom filled with students and teachers, and ends up taking two lives before turning the gun on himself. Injured in the attack is Dr. Sophie Chase, who bravely attempted to thwart shooter Dale Henry and ends up being shot in the chest, causing serious damage to her lungs. In the aftermath of this tragedy, Dr. Elgin Lawrence puts together a team of experts (archaeologists, historians, theologians and a student) to travel to Italy as part of a project sponsored by a philanthropic billionaire. Dubbed the Papyrus Project, it revolves around the use of new spectrograph technology that allows ancient scrolls to be scanned and interpreted. The texts in question are located in the Villa della Notte --- the Night Villa --- and had been buried under centuries of ash and debris following the devastating eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D. 79. The narrator, and main focus, of THE NIGHT VILLA is Dr. Sophie Chase, and her reason for participating in the excavation is not just to escape the tragic campus shooting. Sophie also leaves behind the memory of her former lover, Ely Markowitz, who she has lost to his obsession with the Tetraktys, a cult that worships and follows the teaching of Pythagoras. The ritual of becoming a full-fledged Tetrakty consists of immersion at one of their communes and a five-year vow of total silence with no communication to the outside world. With Ely all but lost to Sophie forever, she has renewed interest in joining the Papyrus Project. During the excavation of the scrolls found at the Night Villa, an ancient story begins to reveal itself --- a diary scribed by Phineas in A.D. 79 that prominently features a young slave girl named Iusta --- and unearths a subterranean labyrinth that provides the team with further documents believed lost forever. Iusta's story is captivating as she proves to be more than just a simple slave girl. She is a strong-willed woman who seeks to win her own freedom from slavery in events that defy the pagan beliefs and rituals of the time and may potentially rewrite Italy's religious history in the process. What is more striking are the similarities that Iusta's tale has with the lives of both Dr. Sophie Chase and Agnes Hancock --- two modern women seeking to change their lives while revealing secrets of the past. What transpires at this point is an engaging mystery where revealing the secrets of the scrolls ends up being only one of the issues the team faces. Goodman's books always involve characters who are complex and whose present lives seem to be incomplete until past histories are revealed and understood. The parallel stories of Sophie and Agnes with the ancient tale of Iusta is utterly fascinating, and the novel switches back and forth at times between present day and

Prolific writer, Carol Goodman, has created another exciting page-turner in The Night Villa. The villa of the novel is located in the Italian (Roman) village of Herculaneum that was destroyed in 79 A.D. by the same volcanic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius that buried the city of Pompeii. In the novel, Classics scholar Professor Sophie Chase is recruited as a member of an expedition to help translate ancient Greek and/or Latin scrolls that have been found at an archeological site-the Night Villa which is named for a statue of a night goddess that was found there. Since this book encompasses ancient history, there are many references to the historical eruption of the volcano and what happened because of it. The scrolls were written by a traveler who visits the villa in his quest to study various pagan religious rites and celebrations. At least that is what the scholars initially believe. However, it seems he was also interested in a philosophy that the ancient mathematician, Pythagoras developed. There are also some fairly graphic descriptions of erotic artwork and unusual sexual practices and rites. The Night Villa is also a romantic thriller. Therefore it is not surprising that the heroine, Sophie, has romantic history with other characters-both the good guys and the bad. There is also a subplot romance involving an ancient slave girl and the traveler. The slave girl had been the subject of Sophie's doctoral thesis and remained a point of strong interest. The liaisons between various members of the study expedition add to the intrigue that develops from the very first chapter of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I could hardly put it down to deal with more mundane activities, like work or sleeping. Its literary style would make it an excellent book club choice. The intriguing plot would capture readers who are fond of books such as Dan Brown's DaVinci Code as well as those who are fans of Goodman's earlier works. Armchair Interviews agrees.

University of Texas Classics Professor Dr. Sophie Chase knows she is fortunate to be alive when cultist Dale Henry, ex boyfriend of promising classics student Agnes Hancock, starts firing a gun at those attending an interview. Although shook up, Sophie joins a special reenactment in Capri. John Lyros is sponsoring the rebuilding of an exact replica of a Herculaneum villa and will use an information technology program to interpret the burnt scrolls that somewhat have been salvaged from the volcanic ruins. However, Sophie's Italian dig turns sinister when her former boyfriend Ely, who vanished five years ago apparently into the same cult as Dale joined, sends her a message by returning a book he borrowed from her. Meanwhile a scroll found amidst the ruins written by a visiting Roman insists the NIGHT VILLA was a place for blood, sex and duplicity. In the labyrinth below the city, Sophie will find much of the same as what happened to a free woman in 79 AD. This is an engaging academic thriller with a delightful link between modern day archeology and the Ancient World; mostly through the scrolls. Sophie is a terrific lead player holding together the two prime parts of the novel while she and her cohorts dig into the past at the same time struggling to survive the present. Fans will enjoy Carole Goodman's fine tale and seek her previous literary mystery, (THE SONNET LOVER. Harriet Klausner

Carol Goodman's latest takes the reader from the university setting in Austin, Texas to the island of Capri, with it's lush settings and ancient history. This novel, like her previous works, is rich in mythological references, has a strong, scholarly protagonist, and again Ms. Goodman sneaks in little clues and links to her previous books by use of the character's names. A fan of her works should be able to pick up on them without too much difficulty. "The Night Villa" was an absolute pleasure to read and I truly couldn't put it down. I thoroughly enjoy her tales, and this one has replaced "The Drowning Tree" as my favorite.