Customer Reviews

The Mask of Atreus

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I enjoy archeological/historical thrillers very much, but unfortunatly many of the ones out there are plagued with shoddy characterization, and really poor plotting. I was very glad to pick up this book, and discover not only a fast-moving story, but a female lead who is genuinely tough-minded in a very realistic way. She doesn't spend the book as a sidekick, a damsel in distress, or a mere decoration while an Indiana-Jones type does all the heavy lifting, and that's something I really cherish.

'The mask of Atreus' is one of those rare mystery novels that combines an exciting story line, rich in history and archaelogical detail with a quality of writing which is a joy to read. The book is an extremely accessible read without being patronising and the chapters move in a sharply paced style.
Gradually the reader is drawn into this intriguing novel and kept guessing.
The characters are well delineated and believable, whilst the plot has many twists and turns building up tension and suspense and the compulsion to keep turning the pages.
To say more would spoil the mystery. Read and enjoy!

The Mask of Atreus was a slightly above average suspense thriller. It was an easy, fast read that was well written despite a few things that should have been found by the editor. The plotting was done well and the story moved along at a good pace. The historical and archeological parts of the story were very interesting going back from ancient Greece to WWII.

Some of the characters seemed kind of under used like Marcus who was an interesting character, but never really did much to add to the story. Also characters did some things that one would not expect to be natural in a given situation. Like one minute one character is holding the other at gunpoint and the next they are having lunch and going shopping. The main character was a little hard to relate to and like, since she did a lot of things that were kind of boneheaded and off the books. She also really felt sorry for her self and kept reminding us. "A guy like that would never be interested in a girl like me..." and so forth and so on.

All in all this was a fun read and a good effort for a first book, but it was nothing special. But I do look forward to Hartley's next book.

This is an outstanding and admirable novel. Outstanding because of its historical and detective style and admirable because of its literary content. The characters are real and believable and the story is fascinating and compelling. The author uses his considerable literary skills in order to provide the reader with not only a fascinating story but also in a style of considerable quality. This is the sort of book which holds the reader's interest and makes one want to keep on reading. The chapters are short and pithy and make the reader anxious to move onto the next one.

A. J. Hartley has woven together, with intrigue and fascination, the History of Ancient Greece, the happenings at the end of the Second World War and the present day problems of many people, into a tapestry of detective triumphs and thrilling events.

This book will make the literary world sit up and take notice,

BUY IT:

The Mask Of Atreus mixes a Dan Brown style unrelenting pace and intrigue with wolrd travel with deep histoircal background.

The book is well researched without being over boring in the level of historical detail and reflects the authors passion for the both the art of writing as well as the subject matter.

The intrigue is plentiful and keeps you guessing and you'll not want to put it down!

The characters are credible and original!

Enjoy.

Atlanta based Druid Hills Museum curator Deborah Miller is on her way home from the opening of a new exhibit when the exhausted woman receives a cell phone calls from a distraught man insisting she go back. Ignoring it she enters her home where the near hysterical man calls again insisting she goes back before they take the body. Though little fazes the six foot plus striking Deborah, the word body has her, and though bone tired, returns to the museum.

There she is stunned when she finds her sexagenarian mentor, museum owner Richard Dixon dead with what appears to be priceless Mycenaean Age artifacts that she never saw before surrounding him. He also left a note with the word Atreus on it. Based on what she knows of the legend of Atreus and some research, Deborah thinks a Mycenaean death mask is the only thing stolen. As she follows up including overseas trips to Greece and Russia, someone tries to kill her making her reconsider that the adversary either has or is after something much more powerful than a death mask.

THE MASK OF ATREUS is a terrific amateur sleuth mystery starring a likable intelligent "amazon" struggling with her Jewish roots and Massachusetts family as her biggest "issues" until the murder of her beloved mentor, a father figure to her (Deborah's dad died two decades ago). Deborah keeps the exhilarating thriller focused as she conducts her investigation using what she knows, myths and antiquities. A.J. Hartley provides a fabulous whodunit made fresh by its deep historical and archeological base and an endearing heroine.

Harriet Klausner

I bought "The Mask of Atreus" at an O'Hare airport bookstore and started to read it as my flight to LA took off. The story starts innocuously with museum curator, Deborah Miller, hosting a reception for museum sponsors and friends, but soon it develops into her discovering the murdered body of her boss. She takes off to Greece and Russia in search of a murderer. Deborah is an inquisitive, loyal and caring woman whom I would love to have as a close friend. The book is truly absorbing. I was oblivious to the pilot's announcements, "we are now crossing the Mississippi River down below...we are now going over the Rockies..." I have almost finished the book now as the pilot announces our approach into LA. I am saving the last few chapters to enjoy this evening. It has been the fastest Chicago-LA trip I have ever had.

Mary Kerr
Evanston, Illinois

This book takes off quickly and keeps up the pace. The main character is likeable and believable, with an insatiable need to get to the truth. The plot keeps you guessing up to the end, when the stakes turn out to be much bigger than they first seemed. Hartley weaves together historical elements, myth and the dark side of American culture for a book that is tense and well-written, with insight into how the prejudices and mistakes of the past continue to haunt the present.

I'm a great fan of mystery novels with an archeological flavor, and this is one of the best I've read in years! The plot revolves around two major time periods (three if you count the archeological finds!), and it keeps you on your toes till the end. The final solution to the mystery is most unusual and certainly NOT something you would expect - I hate it when you can ascertain the whole ending about half-way through the book, don't we all?? I could not put this book down until I was finished reading it. I'm re-reading it now.

Grab a beach-chair and a tall lemonade for the best literary pleasure of the summer. A. J. Hartley's first novel, The Mask of Atreus, is fast-paced and captivating. The well-researched, plot unfolds an ancient mystery-the mask of Atreus.

On an otherwise unspectacular balmy evening in Atlanta, Deborah Miller receives a cryptic telephone call which leads to the discovery of her murdered supervisor and his concealed art collection. Even before she grasps the significance of this collection, Miller-now the top murder suspect-leaves the country in search of the real killer. From Atlanta, GA to Athens, Greece, Miller narrowly escapes attacks from sinister strangers. With complex tactical maneuvers Miller outwits antagonists and while evolving from a competent curator into a star-struck ingenue considering romance. Each harrowing dodge brings her closer to solving the mystery and closer to her quiet life in Atlanta.

Hartley, with the experience of a true thriller devote, supplies just enough intrigue and murder to satisfy the inner-detective; meanwhile, the interwoven historical accuracy never overwhelms the thriller-junkie. His sharp crafting of plot and protagonist draws audiences into the novel's action. Readers don't want to warn Deborah Miller "Run!"--we want to be Deborah Miller, running.

After this introduction, fans will demand a Deborah Miller sequel.