Jan 9, 2015

Book Review: The Oracles of Delphi by Marie Savage

The Friday 56: *Grab a book, any book. *Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader  *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you. *Post it. *Add your (url) post in Linky at Freda's Voice. Also visit Book Beginnings at Rose City Reader.



Title: Oracles of Delphi: A Novel of Suspense by Marie Savage
Published October 15, 2014; Blank Slate Press
Genre: historical mystery

Book beginning:
Nikos's heart pounded against his rib cage like a siege engine. He pressed his back into the stone wall, closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing. He couldn't believe he had been such a fool. "Next time I'll surrender the prize," Charis had always promised. Next time he would claim it, he always hoped. But instead ....
page 56:
"I don't know No one familiar with the cult's traditions would suspect such a thing. They would never sacrifice one of their own."
Where and when: Delphi 350 BCE, Greece 
The plot: Right off the bat, you find out who is killed and who is responsible for the death. Charis, a handmaiden of the head priestess of Gaia, is killed accidentally while trying to blackmail Nikos, son of a priestess. Nikos hides her body on the altar of Appolon to make it look like a sacrifice. "...the priests of Apollon are not on good terms with the priestesses of Gaia." A conflict emerges between these two cults. Who murdered Charis, and why? 
Recommendation: A good mystery plot that is enhanced by the setting and time - ancient Greece with the ancient religions vying for prominence. The characters seem very modern in their desires, strengths, weaknesses, their romances and love interests, even in much of their speech. But the location and time makes this mystery unique. 
I have always wanted to visit Delphi and the place of Apollo's oracle. Hopefully, someday I will! In the meantime, I have read this book for its setting and historical background. I do wish though that the details of Charis's death/murder had been left in the dark till further in the novel, to enhance the suspense. Give it a try, mystery lovers!


Marie Savage is the pen name of Kristina Marie Blank Makansi, co-founder and publisher of Blank Slate Press, an award-winning small press in St. Louis, and founder of Treehouse Author Services. Books she has published and/or edited have received several awards. She is on the board of the Missouri Center for the Book and the Missouri Writers Guild. She has co-authored The Sowing and The Reaping (Oct. 2014), the of a young adult, science fiction trilogy. Visit Kristina Makansi’s website and the Blank Slate Press website. You can also follow Krisina Makansi and Blank Slate Press on Twitter.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, December 8
Review at The Mad Reviewer
Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading
Tuesday, December 9
Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book
Wednesday, December 10
Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past
Thursday, December 11
Interview at The Maiden’s Court
Spotlight & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More
Monday, December 15
Review at Book Nerd
Tuesday, December 16
Interview at Oh, For the Hook of a Book
Thursday, December 18
Guest Post at Just One More Chapter
Monday, December 22
Review at Book Lovers Paradise
Tuesday, December 23
Review at Book Babe
Tuesday, December 30
Guest Post & Giveaway at The Book Binder’s Daughter
Thursday, January 1
Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book
Friday, January 2
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views
Monday, January 5
Review at A Bookish Affair
Tuesday, January 6
Review at Book Drunkard
Wednesday, January 7
Review at bookramblings
Review & Giveaway at Brooke Blogs
Spotlight at CelticLady’s Reviews
Friday, January 9
Review at Book Dilettante

Thanks to Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and the author for a review copy of this book. 

12 comments:

  1. Oh, sounds like a page turner! Thanks for sharing, and enjoy.

    Here's mine: “COPPER BEACH”

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  2. This sounds interesting! I've always been fascinated by ancient Greek history and I imagine it would be especially intersting in mystery form. Thanks for sharing! I'll have to add this to the TBR!

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  3. I really like this one for the setting too. The murder is solved at the very beginning might not bother me. It seems so exciting. I would just want to remain a part of the setting and get to know the characters. Hope you enjoyed the Blog Tour.

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  4. The first line made me stop and try to envision a siege engine! But I'd definitely keep reading. This sounds like an enjoyable mystery in a fascinating historical setting.
    My Friday post features FETCHING LOVE.

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  5. I do love suspense, so I get what you mean about waiting to reveal the murderer. I think it does take away from the book, but that doesn't mean that it's not worth the read. Glad you enjoyed it.
    sherry @ fundinmental Friday Memes

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  6. This sounds like a good mystery, but it wouldn't go to the top of my tbr list.

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  7. This sounds fantastic! I am adding this one to my tbr!

    Here's mine.

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  8. I like that you know who did it right from the beginning. It's an effective way to start the story as you then want to know how it came to that. This has been on my TBR.
    Here's my 56 - http://fuonlyknew.com/2015/01/09/the-friday-56-47-dinosaur-lake-iii-infestation/

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  9. Sacrifices? Oh, it must be good.
    Happy weekend!

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  10. The plot and setting of this one sounds really good. It seems very original and creative.

    I also would love to visit Delphi.

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  11. ENJOY!!!

    I like the setting - ENJOY!!

    http://atrianewsroom.com/2015/01/new-year-new/

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  12. Harvee, this does sound like an intriguing mystery with a wonderful setting--Ancient Greece!

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I appreciate your comments and thoughts...

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