In the Shadow of the Bull by Eleanor Kuhns

In the Shadow of the Bull
by Eleanor Kuhns
July 17 – August 11, 2023 Virtual Book Tour

Ancient Crete, 1450 BC. In a world of Goddess worship, sacred snakes and sacrifice, human jealousy, resentment, and betrayal still run wild . . .

When her sister Arge drops to the floor in convulsions and dies at her wedding, fifteen-year-old Martis, a young poet and bull leaper in training, is certain she was murdered. The prime suspect is the groom, Saurus, from the Greek mainland, but when Arge’s shade visits Martis, swearing Saurus is not the murderer, Martis vows to uncover the truth.

As Martis begins asking questions, she discovers that while Arge may have had no secrets, many of the people around her certainly do.

My Thoughts

Years of reading mystery novels have taught me one thing – people are the same, no matter the time period. Strong emotions such as love, hatred, and jealousy have caused humans to behave in terrible ways for centuries, and Eleanor Kuhns skillfully demonstrates her understanding of the human psyche in this well-constructed novel.

The characters here are especially well drawn. Martis is a headstrong young woman who chafes at the restrictions preventing her from following her dream of bull leaping, even though she is good at it. She doesn’t understand her sister’s eagerness to marry, and also does not appreciate her other sister’s rough treatment.

Imagine Martis’ heartbreak when Arge dies on her wedding day, then imagine her confusion as it becomes clear the death was not a natural one. The route to a solution is not an easy one for Martis or for the former bridegroom, Saurus, who is the prime suspect. Martis perseveres, leading up to an even greater emotional reveal of the murderer.

Kuhns delivers a readable, engrossing mystery full of vivid narrative depicting Ancient Crete, along with a set of memorable characters who will stay with you even after you turn the final page. I’ve not read Kuhns’ work before, but will be looking for it now.

Praise for In the Shadow of the Bull:

“This complex, character-driven mystery is loaded with fascinating historical details” 
~  Kirkus Reviews

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Mystery
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: July 2023
Number of Pages: 224
ISBN: 9781448310869 (ISBN10: 1448310865)
Series: An Ancient Crete Mystery (#1)
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | Severn House

Book Links:
Amazon -https://amzn.to/3oKwrrw
Barnes & Noble -https://bit.ly/3OI8bAX
BookShop.org – https://bit.ly/3qe6LUK
Goodreads – https://bit.ly/3qlhJYp
Severn House – https://bit.ly/3OLwC0p

Author Bio:

Eleanor Kuhns is the 2011 winner of the Minotaur/Mystery Writers of America first mystery prize for A Simple Murder. That was the first in the Will Rees series. She went on to write ten more.
In the Shadow of the Bull is the first in the Ancient Crete Mystery series.

Catch Up With Eleanor Kuhns:
www.Eleanor-Kuhns.com
Goodreads
BookBub
Instagram – @edl0829
Twitter – @EleanorKuhns
Facebook – @writerkuhns

Links:
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BookBub – https://bit.ly/42fvmG7
Instagram – @edl0829 – https://bit.ly/3N4v9Bk
Twitter – @EleanorKuhns – https://bit.ly/3BZWq1p
Facebook – @writerkuhns – https://bit.ly/3ouDwg5