Pre-numbered label used for registration.

hardback
338pp
published, 1990

FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
Llewellyn ( The Masks of Rome ) sets her second accomplished romantic mystery in Sicily, where young Alison Jordan, a government researcher working in Bonn, travels with her half-brother Jay to search for their father, famed archeologist and architect Hugo Raphael. Hugo, whose monumental achievements match his ego, has been reported missing from Libya where he may have been detained against his will, designing a desert city for Qaddafi. Alison, who is unsure of her feelings for the father she has rarely seen, and Jay, whose devotion to the man is unmitigated, believe he may turn up at the ancient castle in Sicily's coastal mountains that had once been his home. Against a background of modern corruption and ancient myths of the earth goddess, Alison discovers surprises in her past, and, in a fully satisfying climactic passage through centuries-old mountain caves, achieves understanding of the ways of her own heart, as well as others'. Llewellyn skillfully weaves ancient and modern threads of greed and revenge into a richly atmospheric tale that delivers considerably more than its genre generally promises.

Library Journal
When famed archaeologist/architect Hugo Raphael eludes his Libyan captors and goes into hiding, daughter Alison Jordan and her half-brother Jay fear for his safety. Traveling to the mysterious Sicilian village of Castell'alto where Hugo may be, they encounter the enigmatic Clio Hunt, the menacing Don Calogero, and Hugo's amiable associate Elliot Carter, as well as the ancient bee cult of Erice. A desperate escape from the island's fabled labyrinthian caves resolves all. Despite obvious similarities to the novels of Elizabeth Peters, minus the acerbic wit, Llewellyn's second outing ( The Masks of Rome, LJ 8/89) is well written, fast paced, and entertaining.

School Library Journal
Where is Hugo Raphael, the famous American architect and archaeologist? Why is the Libyan government pursuing him? More importantly, Alison asks herself why her estranged father would go to work for Qaddafi in the first place. These initial questions send Alison and her 15-year-old half-brother Jay to remote Sicily in search of answers. This creative and unusual story occurs immediately after the American bombing of Tripoli but represents a culture from a time long before this era. Llewellyn vividly describes the ancient ruins and explains most of the mythological references in this fast-moving mystery. Readers will feel part of each and every scene, and will not want to put the book down.

RELEASE NOTES:

YMCA