On the Horns of Death - (Ancient Crete Mystery) by Eleanor Kuhns (Hardcover)

About the Book

Ancient Crete, 1450 BC. When young bull leaper Martis finds Duzi, the newest member of the bull leaping team, dead in the bull pen early one morning. Made to look like he met his end on the horns of the bull, it's clear to Martis that this was no accident.

Book Synopsis

Ancient Crete, 1450 BC. Young bull leaper Martis finds Duzi, the newest member of the bull leaping team, dead in the bull pen early one morning. Made to look like he met his end on the horns of the bull, it's clear to Martis that this was no accident . . .

Martis once again finds herself thrown into a dangerous game of hunting down a murderer as the deaths start to mount. An old friend of Martis' sister, and possible lover to Duzi, is the next person to be found dead, and Martis' investigations lead her to believe love and jealousy are at the heart of these crimes against the Goddess.

Is someone targeting the bull leaping community? Or is there something else at play? With only the Shade of her sister Arge to confide in, Martis struggles to untangle the growing web of secrets which stretches around her.

Review Quotes

A fabulously detailed world . . . deserves reading by mystery and history fans alike-- "Fresh Fiction"

A
wonderful sojourn into Crete in
1450 BC-- "firstCLUE"

A clever, feisty, likable heroine, vivid descriptions of life in ancient Crete, and a complex murder make this a good pick for historical-mystery fans-- "Booklist"

A wealth of historical detail-- "Kirkus Reviews"

A complex mystery that focuses on the institutional racism still sadly ingrained in the nation's psyche-- "Kirkus Reviews on Murder on Principle"

A fascinating look at the Great Dismal Swamp and the enslaved who fled there trying to find freedom. The murder mystery is multi-faceted, with many red herrings and plot twists-- "Historical Novel Society on Death in the Great Dismal"

Crisply drawn characters, combined with the immersive Boston setting, which beautifully delineates the life and times of the era, from the rich to the very poor, add up to a satisfying historical mystery-- "Bookliston Murder, Sweet Murder"

Plenty of interrogations, sleuthing, and complicated family secrets coming to life-- "The Historical Novels Review on Murder, Sweet Murder"

The setting and historical detail remain sharp, with strong, descriptive prose-- "Booklist on A Circle of Dead Girls"

The story shines for its historical backbone and atmospheric details ... Perfect for readers of Margaret Lawrence's Hannah Trevor novels and Eliot Pattison's Bone Rattler series-- "Booklist on Death in the Great Dismal"

This complex, character-driven mystery is loaded with fascinating historical details-- "Kirkus Reviews on In the Shadow of the Bull"

This sobering look at the cultural divide over slavery in the early days of the Republic deserves a wide audience. The intricate plot builds to a satisfying resolution-- "Publishers Weekly on Murder on Principle"

About the Author

Eleanor Kuhns is a previous winner of the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel competition for A Simple Murder. The author of eleven Will Rees mysteries, she is now a full-time writer after a successful career as the Assistant Director at the Goshen Public Library in Orange County, New York.