Customer Reviews

The Moche Warrior (Archaeological Mysteries, No. 3)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

The book's appeal rests in the historical background of the Moche culture of pre-Columbian Peru. Antiques dealer Lara McClintock finds out about the Moche when gold artifacts come into her possession and murders follow.

She traces the objects back to Peru and uncovers the source of the illegal antiquities trade.

Good writing and historical detail make this mystery a good read.

Not a particularly interesting or captivating read. The characters were not engaging and mostly unbelievable. The pace was slow and at times rather difficult to grasp and mostly unrealistic. I'd recommend Clive Cussler, Dan Brown for a far far better read.

First, Lara is a bit too precious. She doesn't have boyfriends, she has 'partners.' Second, I find it hard to believe that after her shop is the scene of arson and murder, that she runs away to Peru, stopping in Mexico to assume a false identity. (And where in Mexico does one find a congressman named Lucas May?) Never mind that one of her best friends is Canandian Mountie and she refuses to listen to his advice, never mind that she leaves her business partner in the lurch, never mind that she questions everyone's ethics but her own when she is using forged documents. Third, the plot is contrived and complicated, but everything get neatly wrapped up in the final pages. Fourth, Hamilton fills pages with 'archaelogy lessons.' And just to be picky, how does a Canadian pass herself off as a Kansas woman to other Americans? Lara's linguistic talents must be as impressive as her smugness.

This review is for the Berkley Prime Crime (a Penguin Putman imprint) paperback edition published in January 2000, 321 pages of story. THE MOCHE WARRIOR is one of nine novels in the Lara McClintoch Archaeological Mystery Series. None of them has appeared in USA Today's list of 150 best selling books.

In THE MOCHE WARRIOR, Lara McClintoch, half-owner of an antique shop in Toronto, buys an odd lot of supposedly not too valuable stuff at auction. The lot includes three artifacts, marked as replicas, from the Moche culture, which thrived on the North Coast of Peru from 100 AD to 500 AD, according to the author. (Some researchers have found evidence of the Moche well into 800 AD.) Soon after Lara acquires the pieces, someone breaks into her shop, seriously beats her employee and torches the shop's storage room, which has a dead stranger in it. The only item missing is one of the Moche artifacts. The police suspect that Lara had her employee torch the shop to collect insurance, an accusation that is about as improbable as the rest of the plot.

Lara, although initially unaware of the Moche culture, realizes the three artifacts are not replicas, but authentic and valuable pieces that were illicitly smuggled out of Peru. To save her reputation and prove her innocence, Lara goes to New York City where she finds another man murdered, then to Mexico City to obtain a false identity, and finally to Peru to solve the archaeological mystery.

Listless writing makes this mundane and often improbable plot duller. Superficially drawn characters talk about Peru and the Moche in long, speech like dialogues, which illustrate only that the author did considerable research but was incapable of weaving it into her story. I have researched the Moche and traveled in Peru for a novel I am writing. The author's information on Peru and the Moche are accurate. If you want to learn about the Moche, however, a textbook would be a livelier read.

I read Lyn Hamilton because I like mysteries with an archaeolical background. Her three books so far have made that part interesting, however she lacks the 'good story' ability. I loose interest in her characters. This story was too hard to believe. Anyone who would just fly off to New York, then Mexico and then Peru after the loosing the profit capability of her business (believe me I know the cost of one-way airfares) has to have an income that makes the reasons was going off on this jaunt seem ridiculous. All the characters were set up well enough, but very little they did seemed real. Example: the wife of the customes inspector from Peru with three births to her body being able to attract a very successful French smuggler and be able to wear the 'teen' styles of barely a silk slip. Her endings are neat, but that's fine with me. It suits the genre.

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