Electra-Kerry Greenwood

Electra Kerry Greenwood Poisoned Pen, Dec 3 2013, $24.95 ISBN 9781464202131 The long war is finally over with the destruction of Troy although the surviving losers secretly begin construction of a new city. Many like Hector paid the price with their lives; others like Cassandra the seer have become prisoners; and some like weary Odysseus are unable to go home to Ithaca as puppets manipulated by the Gods venture on another quest. To the victors go the glory thinks elated King of Men Agamemnon as he sails home to Mycenae. However, his years away has led to his wife Queen Clytemnestra seeking comfort with Aegisthus, nephew child murdering Atreus, and not wanting her liege back in her life to take away her power accrued in his absence. One of their daughters Electra sees how much her mother prefers her father go back to war. When Clytemnestra kills Agamemnon, Electra expected the spousal murder and vows to avenge her sire’s death; though has an even more powerful reason to assassinate her mother the Queen. The final Delphic Women Greek mythology (see Cassandra and Medea) is a superb retelling of Electra that brings freshness by the title character having a viable second motive to commit royal murder and a fascinating where are the winners and losers now that the fighting ended. Readers will appreciate this strong rendition (and trilogy) as Kerry Greenwood provides a fabulous mythos. Harriet Klausner