Review: The Moai Murders by Lyn Hamilton

There was clearly a very fundamental disagreement between those who believed that Rapa Nui had been settled by Polynesian mariners and the other group, which was convinced that Rapa Nui had been inhabited originally by people from South America, Peru, and Bolivia. . .

I had a few reviews that I planned to post before sitting down to write a review of The Moai Murders, but the fact that I stayed up until half past one last night reading it spoke volumes (pardon the pun) to it being a perfect candidate for the Single Sitting blog. The Moai Murders is one of several in best-selling author Lyn Hamilton's archaeological mystery series around antiques dealer Lara McClintoch, and Ill certainly be sure to find her earlier novels to read and review. Regrettably, a glance at Ms Hamiltons website shows that she passed away late last year after a battle with cancer.

The book opens with our smart and gutsy heroine Lara and her friend Moira actually taking some time out of their businesses to head off on a much-opened vacation to Rapa Nui, which may be better known to readers as Easter Island. Lara and Moira find themselves feigning a deep-seated knowledge about Rapa Nui culture in order to get themselves into a convention that's underway, but as the body count begins to mount, and the fierce debates amongst rival academics continue to heat up, the two begin to feel that perhaps having done so is not the best idea.

Having churned through The Moai Murders so quickly that I only barely escaped a painful death from a thousand papercuts, I can see why Lyn Hamilton is such a well-regarded author. The Moai Murders is a smartly written book with a likeable heroine who's not only smart, but is self-assured and full of agency, as well. I find that cozy mysteries tend to overuse the ditzy heroine who relies overly on their cop lover/friend a trope a little too often to my tastes, so it's great to see that while Hamiltons main character does have a police offer lover, hes off-stage for the entire novel, our heroine free reign to muse over the mystery as it unravels. And what a mystery it is. The twists come thick and fast in this novel, and while some of them seem to come a little out of left field, with a few logical leaps here and there, the novel is generally well-plotted and well-paced. I also really enjoyed the smattering of information about Rapa Nui culture, which is presented nicely and without being an info dump.

Id definitely recommend The Moai Murders to anyone looking for a smart cozy mystery read.

Rating: (excellent)