Friday Reads: A Terrible Beauty

A Terrible Beauty by Tasha Alexander

In the spirit of Halloween next week I searched my bookshelf for something resembling a spooky read. The back cover of A Terrible Beauty by Tasha Alexander promised a ghost from the past haunting Lady Emily among the ancient ruins of Greece. A few pages into the novel, the story delivered a coffin, a black Victorian mourning veil and a graveyard lashed with rain – spooky enough for me.

I was soon enchanted by the image of Lady Emily and her friends sipping champagne at midnight on a blanket in the centre of the Parthenon on the moonlit Acropolis.

In London a few years ago I saw the controversial Parthenon Sculptures (also known as the Elgin Marbles) that were removed from Athens by Lord Elgin, British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. These beautiful sculptures have been on public display at the British Museum since 1817. The Greek government has argued for their return since the early 1980s. The British Museum's position is explained on its website. 

British Museum, London

Parthenon Gallery, British Museum

Sculptures from the East Pediment of the Parthenon

Figure of Iris, West Pediment

Head of a Horse, East Pediment

Model of the Parthenon

A Terrible Beauty is book #11 in the Lady Emily mystery series and I've already added the earlier titles to my Want to Read list. This Victorian-age sleuth resides in England but often travels, being called upon to solve mysteries in enticing locations like Venice (Death in the Floating City), Paris (The Counterfeit Heiress) and St. Petersburg (Death in St. Petersburg).

I'm looking forward to exploring more of Greece, especially the island of Santorini, as Lady Emily attempts to solve the mystery of the man who has seemingly returned from the dead.

Tasha Alexander's website is tashaalexander.com.

Do you enjoy reading mysteries?