Hello readers! Today I’m sharing my review of Barnabas Tew and the Case of the Hellenic Abduction by Columbkill Noonan, as a part of blog tour organized by Rachel’s Random Resources. Many thanks to Rachel for tour invite and author for providing eARC.

Zeus is used to getting what he wants…but that was before he met Barnabas Tew!

Barnabas and Wilfred, the unluckiest detectives ever, are happily enjoying their time in India, working on mastering their emotions, and learning how to do all sorts of interesting yoga poses. They’re having a splendid time, and feel as if they’ve finally found some peace in their lives. Everything changes, though, when Zeus suddenly whisks them away from their idyllic retreat and demands that they solve a case for him.

Having no choice, they reluctantly accept the job, but quickly come to realize that nothing is as it should be. Zeus’ motives are suspect from the beginning, the rest of the Greek gods and goddesses are untrustworthy at best, and Barnabas’ temper hasn’t improved at all during his time in India. And, most importantly, who is the mysterious lady who keeps popping up just when they need her? Is she friend, or is she foe?

To make matters even worse, both Barnabas and Wilfred have unresolved feelings of their own. Can they settle their own emotional affairs, once and for all? Will they figure out what’s right and what’s wrong in this topsy-turvy world of lies, intrigue, and trickery? Or will the Greek gods and goddesses prove too much for them?

Previous books I read in series-

Book 1 – Barnabas Tew and The Case Of The Missing Scarab
Book 2 – Barnabas Tew and The Case of The Nine Worlds
Book 3 – Barnabas Tew and The Case of The Cursed Serpent
Book 4 – Barnabas Tew and the Case of the Enlightened Cow

Barnabas Tew and The Case of The Hellenic Abduction was fun and adventurous combination of mythical fantasy and cozy mystery that revolved around bumbling detectives Barnabas and Wilfred and their new abduction case in Greek world. It was about doing right thing even if that means going against the God himself, friendship, morality, and fate.

Writing was entertaining like previous books, vivid with Victorian accent and expressions. It was written in third person narrative from Barnabas and Wilfred’s POV. Setting of Greek world and mythology added its own charm to the story. If you haven’t read previous books, I advise to read this in order as there are many refences to previous books that you might not get if you haven’t read previous books.

In last book I thought it might the end of the series as detectives were not whisked away as soon as their mystery was solved in Indian setting. But turned out there was a year of resting period from their adventure. That didn’t last long when a cyclone whisked them away from learning yoga and enlightenment under the tutelage of Guru Ravi to Olympus on behest of Zeus himself. He wanted them to find Princess Amarantha who was his new conquest but she was kidnapped by her brothers along with her sisters. Zeus wanted detectives to bring princess to him but not her sisters.

Now Zeus intentions and his selfishness to save only princess Amarantha and not her sisters didn’t set well with detectives and that put them in quite dilemma of whether to save the princess or not. If they don’t save princesses, they might be in danger and risk angering Zeus and if they do save them and bring her to Zeus, she might be another vile kind of danger. I was curious to find out what they will do with their complicated situation, if they will save the princess from her brothers or from Zeus and who was going to help them in their quest and who is going to put obstructions in their path.

Both Barnabas and Wilfred were fun and cute. They might have learned from their experience a little and with their luck and little bit of deducing they have solved all case so far but their bumbling nature has remained the same.

As always Barnabas was moody, dramatic and quick to anger who didn’t know when to stop arguing and pay attention to the danger they were in but his heart and conscience were in right place. He was honest and honourable person who loved his partner Wilfred.

Wilfred as ever the diplomatic saved Barnabas’ ass many time with his skill of handling Barnabas’ blunders and moods and averting the danger tactfully. He definitely was more smart, wise, and knowledgeable than Barnabas but humble not to show it to him and loved and respected Barnabas.

It was amusing and enjoyable world filled with Greek stories and characters, willy-nilly journey and adventures, flibbertigibbet detectives making poppycock, nincompoop decisions and getting tangled in verbal sparring more than often. I liked seeing Greek characters and their stories or situations through Barnabas and Wilfred’s perspective. What I loved most was underlying social comments on unwanted desire of a male gods, unfair treatment of women, people being turned into monster and suffer punishments for eternity for going against Gods or for finding themselves in middle of celestial domestic issues.

Many scenes were hilarious and I laughed how detectives handled things. Most amusing was their encounter with minotaur, Graeae sisters, cyclopes, Sphinx, Charon, Hades, and Tartarus. I can’t believe they compared Hell with Cornwall!

As for the mystery, there was so less deducing in this compared to previous books. It was obvious from when they landed in Crete, the abduction wasn’t exactly an abduction and the whereabouts of princess. And yet I was curious to know when detectives will figure that out and if they will go against Zeus or what they will report to Zeus and what might be its consequences. But I was surprised to find mystery ending in totally different purpose with retrieving object.

Climax was shocking and unexpected. I enjoyed all scenes from climax to end. End was perfect. Finally, in this world Gods gave them a chance to return back to London and yet I have learned not to guess this as the end of the series. I’m curious now if they will be going to London in next book or to totally different world.

Overall, Barnabas Tew and The Case of The Hellenic Abduction was hilarious and adventurous cozy mystery in the Greek world with uplifting and amusing bumbling detectives.

Purchase Link:

mybook.to/hellenic

Affiliate Links:

Author Bio:

Columbkill Noonan is the author of the best-selling Barnabas Tew series, which features a proper British detective from Victorian London who ends up solving mythological cases for gods all around the world. She was was born in Philadelphia and grew up in the suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland, and teaches Anatomy and Physiology at a university in Maryland. Her writing is mostly speculative fiction (especially stories that involve mythology, or the supernatural, or any combination thereof). Some of her work is a bit on the spooky side, but usually there is a touch of humor (who says the afterlife has to be serious?) 

When she’s not teaching or writing, Columbkill can be found with her rescue horse (whose name is Mittens), hiking in the woods, or doing yoga of all kinds (aerial yoga and SUP yoga are particular favorites). She is an avid traveler, and can’t wait to get back to seeing the world again.

You can visit her on Social Media – Twitter @ColumbkillNoon1 | Facebook 

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I hope you enjoyed this post. Let me know in comments what do you think about this book and my review, have you read this book already or previous books in the series or going to add it to TBR. Which is your favourite book based on Greek Mythology?

Happy Reading!

 

      

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