Aileen G. Baron, Gold of Thrace

Gold of Thrace

Aileen G. Baron

Poisoned Pen, July 2007, $24.95

ISBN 1590584309

In 1990 Turkey, archaeologist Tamar Saticoy and Orman Celibi lead the Tepe Hazarfen excavation near the village of Hazarfen. When Tamar and her student workers uncover a tessera small mosaic tile at a Roman house, she stops the dig as she anticipates what must be just below the dust. She and her student assistant Binali slowly complete the excavation so as not to ruin the incredible find. Tamar and Orman travel to report their findings to Department of Antiquities.

The next day they return to the site, only to find Binali dead and the mosaic floor gone. Her co-director Andrew Chatham leaves the dig site, supposedly to visit his mother in Czechoslovakia. Although still under suspicion, Tamar is allowed to leave the country; she journeys to Switzerland where she expects the floor to surface on the black market. Soon others including Orman die while at the same time Chatham heads to Bulgaria chasing after THE GOLD OF THRACE.

This is an exciting archaeological whodunit in which the insight into Roman findings is cleverly interwoven into the exciting story line. There are actually two prime subplots, as each of the directors goes their own way throughout most of the novel. This leaves some reader bewilderment re what is going on until the climax when all is revealed tying the two seemingly separate tales together. Still readers will dig Aileen G. Baron's fun mystery.