The Theban Mysteries (Kate Fansler Novels) [Mass Market Paperback]

Amanda Cross (Author)

Book Description

Series: Kate Fansler Novels | Publication Date: April 3, 2001

For a century, wealthy New York girls have been trained for the rigors of upper class life at the Theban, an exclusive private school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Kate Fansler is lured back to her alma mater to teach a seminar on Antigone. But a hostile note addressed to Kate, the uniform mistrustfulness of her six, bright students, and the Dobermans that patrol the building at night suggest trouble on the spot. As Kate leads her class through the inexorable tragic unfolding of Antigone, a parallel nightmare envelops the school and everyone connected with it. . . .

Editorial Reviews

Review

“If by some cruel oversight you haven’t discovered Amanda Cross, you have an uncommon pleasure in store for you.”
–The New York Times Book Review

“Amanda Cross writes wonderfully witty mysteries full of well-developed characters and insights on modern foibles.”
–United Press International

“The most appealing detective since Lord Peter Wimsey.”
–Newsweek

From the Inside Flap

For a century, wealthy New York girls have been trained for the rigors of upper class life at the Theban, an exclusive private school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Kate Fansler is lured back to her alma mater to teach a seminar on Antigone. But a hostile note addressed to Kate, the uniform mistrustfulness of her six, bright students, and the Dobermans that patrol the building at night suggest trouble on the spot. As Kate leads her class through the inexorable tragic unfolding of Antigone, a parallel nightmare envelops the school and everyone connected with it. . . .

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Fawcett (April 3, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449007065
• ISBN-13: 978-0449007068
• Product Dimensions: 4.4 x 0.5 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #945,686 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Kate Fansler joins the faculty of an elite girls school, July 4, 2001

By 

Moe811 (New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Theban Mysteries (Kate Fansler Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a little bit of a departure from the usual collegiate themed mystery. Kate is asked to teach a senior seminar on the Antigone(appropriate for a murder mystery) at her old school, the Theban. A young man is found unconscious and bleeding, having been frightened by the school's guard dogs, and shortly thereafter his mother is found dead under similar circumstances. This is very much like the other Fansler mysteries, although the setting is different. The mystery is difficult to figure out and this is faster reading than the usual Cross mystery. I enjoyed it even more than usual.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Theban Mysteries, October 25, 2008

By 

Carol Chernega "Anglophile" (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Theban Mysteries (Kate Fansler Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

What I love about the Kate Fansler mysteries is their many literary references. I'd love to spend the cocktail hour with Kate and Reed, trying to keep up with the snappy dialogue.

The Theban Mysteries is especially good due to its being set in a college seminar on Antigone. This lets Kate be her highbrow best.

Many times a mystery series gets repetitive as the series goes on, with the author churning them out like a factory. But every book in this series by Amanda Cross is as good as the last. The only sad thing about reading her books is knowing Amanda Cross is dead and therefore we'll never get another one.

If you like this series, you should also try the Sarah Caudwell mysteries.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Realists beware, January 2, 2003

By 

Jenna Laurreaux (Baton Rouge, LA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Theban Mysteries (Kate Fansler Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

The Theban Mysteries is an interesting read IF you're interested in literature or drama, and if you have a few open hours. It's a quick and easy read, one that won't knock you "off your feet," so to speak, but probably worthwhile. The plot tends to unravel and become too far-fetched and mediocre in terms of structure and you have to suspend some realism and belief in order to get through the book. That said, if you don't mind musing through some exaggerated and pompous dialogue to enjoy a decent (but not great) mystery, then give it a go.