Review Rating
With the October 2004 review, we began rating the books on the basis of one to four trowels;
one trowel= don’t bother, to four trowels= run right out to your local book store and buy the hard cover!
Golden Oldies - reviewing previously unreviewed books by previously reviewed “greatest hits” authors!
As we approach nearly twenty-five years of the MVAC reviews of archaeological fiction, I thought it would be fun to re-visit six of the authors whose works have been reviewed in the past. Three of these authors have sadly passed away since I first reviewed them (Margot Arnold, Lynn Hamilton, and Elizabeth Peters); two have “retired” their archaeologist protagonists, Gideon Oliver (Aaron Elkins), and Emma Fielding (Dana Cameron); and one, (Kate Ellis) continues to put DI Wesley Peterson and his friend, archaeologist Neil Watson, in harm’s way as solve contemporary crimes that have their roots in the distant past. While these authors have been reviewed previously, these books have not.
Dark Mind by The Naxos Mysteries Newsletter
Reviewed on: January 1, 2026
The Naxos Mysteries Newsletter
December 2025
"Harrow schoolboy, spendthrift, wanderer
Most beloved and yet reviled.
This is your only chance. You do not have long."
When classical archaeologist and “TV presenter” Martin Day had his obligatory early evening gin and tonic break disrupted by a small boy who handed him the above note and then promptly ran away, he could hardly have guessed that he was about to be drawn into one of the most unusual mysteries of his career as an amateur sleuth.
A call from his friend and oft-times collaborator Chief Inspector Andreas Nomikos, recently assigned to the Athens-based International Antiquities Fraud Agency (IAFA), suggests a possible connection between a case he is pursuing and the mysterious “Harrow schoolboy” note Day just received. The previous evening the home of one of Greece’s wealthiest antiquities collectors had been broken into and his collection of Third Century BCE Greek jewelry had been burgled. Day was familiar with the collection for he had been a student when the artifacts had been unearthed, and then soon to be purchased by the prestigious Greek collector.
Day held out little hope for his friend tracing the stolen cache; it was too recognizable for even a sale on the black market. The treasure would likely disappear into the hands of a private collector for his or her private gratification. But Andreas had more information for Day: a young boy had delivered a letter to police headquarters and then promptly disappeared. That letter stated that the collection would be melted down and destroyed if it wasn’t discovered by Christmas Day. It went on to enigmatically state:
"Guest of Ali Pasha. Despiser of Delphi.
Ask Martin Day.
This is your only chance. You do not have long."
Day opined that both letters—he now showed his to Inspector Nomikos—were written by the same person: the same paper, the timing, similar wording, and delivery by children. Most importantly, he believed both messages referred to George Gordon Byron-Lord Byron-a major poet in the 19th Century Romantic movement, who was martyred in the cause of Greek freedom from Ottoman rule. Unfortunately, Day’s erudite knowledge of Lord Byron’s life did not seem to bring them any closer to divining the location of the stolen jewelry. Both Day and Andreas agreed that it was unlikely the stolen plunder would have been spirited away to either Delphi or even farther away Albania, where Byron met the Turkish warlord, Ali Pasha.
Another mysterious message was delivered by yet another young boy to Martin’s front door, but this one, which alluded to two of Lord Byron’s poems—“Maid of Athens” and “Don Juan”—and included a direct challenge to Martin and his ability to puzzle out the meaning of the notes. Another message to Martin contained—at last—what would seem to be explicit directions to a famed monument in Athens that had a direct connection to Lord Byron. A fourth and final message, left under the windshield wiper of Day’s battered old Fiat, seemed more threatening than any of the earlier missives:
"The wandering outlaw of his own dark mind.
You’re not following, are you, Martin?
Your time has almost run out."
Martin now determined that he must make every effort to confront his mysterious rival. Fearing that his adversary might be a seriously unbalanced individual, Martin leaves Helen safely on Naxos, takes the ferry to Piraeus, then the metro to Syntagma station in Athens, and a walk to the Monument of Lysiktrates—where he hopes to finally meet his nemesis. Martin will learn that this venture has so much more to it than stolen artifacts and that the past—especially his past--is really never over.
Four trowels for Dark Mind.
This short story—it is some fifteen pages long—was published as an “exclusive gift” to readers of Vanessa Gordon’s “The Naxos Mysteries Newsletter,” published monthly or every two months. It is a highly entertaining and beautifully written free publication and I highly recommend subscribing to it at the address https://www.thenaxosmysteries.co.uk When you subscribe, please request that you receive the December 2025 issue, which includes a link to Dark Mind.
