Avon Books, January
2013
Paperback
Obtained via: publisher
ISBN 978-0-06-166439-7
Fiction/
Romantic Adventure
Corpses,
Mayan gods, corrupt antiquities dealers, jungle tombs and maybe a little
romance are the setting for Elizabeth Lowell’s BEAUTIFUL SACRIFICE.
Archaeologist
Lina Taylor has spent her entire life studying ancient Maya artifacts, between
digs in South America with her father and teaching college students what she
knows. Lina’s ordered life spins out of
control the moment her mother calls asking about some rare and valuable
artifacts that have gone missing.
Former
immigration and customs enforcement agent Hunter Johnston is determined to find
the missing artifacts in order to clear the name of his best friend. And to find them, he enlists Lina’s
help. Hunter is just at home in the city
as he is in the jungle and perhaps that commonality is what has been drawing
him to sit in on Lina’s classes; that and her incredible and regal looks.
Elizabeth
Lowell’s BEAUTIFUL SACRIFICE educates readers on the history of the Maya,
ancient artifacts, greed, royalty and even introduces a well thought out and
crafted Mayan god. The descriptive
settings, both urban and later jungle, are easily felt by readers and pull them
into the story. The Maya history and
artifact details feel like something of a history lesson as the book
unfolds. For fans of learning along with
their romance, Lowell does not disappoint in this area. The heroine is a scholar as well as being a
beautiful woman of Mayan royal descent.
She is strong, confident and comfortable in her combined worlds. The combination is a lure that our hero finds
irresistible. Hunter is a modern day
warrior with contacts both legal and not so legal. He is both a gentlemen and a rogue with a
determination that is matched by our heroine.
Unfortunately,
the story is so entrenched in Maya facts, lore, cults and history that the
romance between the main characters is more sprung on readers than
developed. While Hunter’s character has
his best friend Jace and his wife’s insights into his character for us to build
on, Lena’s character must rely on the sparse emotional scenes shown as the
danger ratchets and the two characters attempt to unravel the mystery of the
missing artifacts. Further emotionally
distancing her is her royal bloodline and cold family members, one more
distasteful than the next. And when Jace
is suddenly freed from suspicion, yet Hunter and Lina continue to run headfirst
into obvious danger, the story really begins to stumble and become somewhat
“expected”.
Elizabeth
Lowell is a talented author who always does her research before penning her
tales and it really shows in BEAUTIFUL SACRIFICE. For this reader, a better balance between
research and romance would have been necessary to take this story from
interesting to truly unforgettable.
Still, BEAUTIFUL SACRIFICE is an interesting and well written story from
an author that rarely disappoints.
Reviewed by
T. Barringer
"This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this
book."
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