To get there, don't follow the signs

Just one of the many lessons learned by Lara McClintoch on the island of Malta, the setting for Lyn Hamilton's second archaelogical mystery, The Maltese Goddess. I read Hamilton primarily for the settings and the historical/archaeological detail thereof; as mysteries they're merely so-so. However, I'm willing to overlook a somewhat contrived murder investigation to get to the smaller details that make the book worthwhile, even if it means that the characters tend to exposit more than talk.

Lara, co-proprietor of an antiquities shop in Toronto, is by turns delighted and nervous as prominent architect Martin Galea sweeps into her shop one day and buys up a healthy grouping of furniture and other pieces for his home in Malta. Galea also wants Lara to fly to Malta post-haste and arrange his many purchases to his exacting standards. Unsure about the deal but unable to walk away from the money, Lara agrees and takes off. However, all is not right at the Galea household - someone is clearly trying to scare Lara off. The worst-case scenario begins to unfold when the furniture finally arrives, complete with Galea's body stuffed into a trunk. Despite the fact that both local and Canadian police are involved in the case, Lara can't help poking her own nose in. Too bad she just might get it cut off.

Hamilton's definitely improved her form from this early outing in the series, as I was much more impressed by one of her more recent entries (The Magyar Venus). But despite the rough edges and somewhat paint-by-numbers plotting, the pace is swift and the characters are agreeably engaging. A good choice for someone who's into archaeology or the local history of often-overlooked settings, but otherwise skippable.