I just finished reading The Lost Goddess, by Tom Knox. I listened to the Recorded Books version on audiotape, narrated by Christopher Evan Welch. This is the first book I’ve read by Knox. From the blurb, it promised to be an interesting historical thriller. I’d say it delivered.
The book follows the lives of two people whose paths are destined to connect. Julia Kerrigan is an American archaeologist digging at a site in a French cave. Jake Thurby is a British photographer trying to snap money-making pictures in Southeast Asia. The novel alternates point-of-view between these characters throughout.
The novel is exciting, gritty, and packed with mystery and adventure. The scene-setting is very good, especially the detailed descriptions of Cambodia and Laos. The author really puts you right there, close to both the beauty and the ugliness. I see by his website that he conducted considerable research on that region. I thought the Julia character was well drawn; she seemed strong and had believable motivations. There’s some interesting sexual tension, though not between Julia and Jake, but this is no romance. The secret mystery of the book is compelling and fascinating; a great weaving together of some historical facts into a grand and fairly believable theory. I won’t spoil anything for you, but you won’t put it all together until near the end. Some readers might find the mystery’s explanation morally objectionable, but I’d encourage them to lighten up and remember this is a work of fiction.
On the negative side, I found the title a bit of a misnomer. Oddly, the book is sold under a different (and better) title in the United Kingdom — Bible of the Dead. While I said Julia was a strong character, Jake is not. He seems almost pathetic and stupid at times, always asking for explanations, seemingly swept along by events. Not the kind of character I care much about. Normally I have kind things to say about the narrator readers of audio books, and it’s not a bad performance by Mr. Welch. It’s just that sometimes it’s hard to tell that he’s speaking in Jake’s voice when Jake is speaking. The book’s ending seems to drag on a bit long.
Although I’m giving the book a rating of three seahorses according to my unique seahorse rating system, I recommend the book to lovers of mystery-adventure books set in exotic locales. Those readers will really enjoy The Lost Goddess. I enjoyed it, but I can only speak for–
Poseidon’s Scribe
