Book Review | Barnabas Tew and The Case of the Hellenic Abduction by Columbkill Noonan

Goodreads’ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Barnabas Tew and his partner, Wilfred Colby, are detectives to the gods. Delving into the world of mythological gods and creatures, they solve a series of cases set up like a line of dominoes that demanded patience and precision for success.

I adored the premise and the plot that blends my two favorite genres of fantasy and mystery. Most of the mysteries involve finding lost objects or lost people, and through a great deal of bungling and little taps of luck when needed, they manage to solve their case. In this story, they are hired by none other than the Greek head god himself, Zeus, who fears the mortal princess he is lusting after is kidnapped. Barnabas isn’t sure he wants to help Zeus, though, because he recognizes that this situation is not going to work out well for the princess and the gallant man he is – he cannot justify doing that to her.

Barnabas Tew reminds me of a Victorian age Don Quixote of the PI world. He has this ideal version of himself that exists solely in his head. He imagines himself as a Sherlock Holmes and the model of everything valued in Victorian England. But, what everyone else sees is a bungling, round little man who manages to mess everything up and make everybody angry at some point. Wilfred is the one who tries to bring Barnabas back to reality and kicks or hits him to warn him when he is crossing a line. He has to do that quite often.

But deep inside, Barnabas has a great deal of love for Wilfred, and their lady loves, Bindi and Brynhild. It is hard to see as he continuously builds himself up by knocking everyone around him down, but when push comes to shove, Barnabas will show his true feelings.

My only concern about this novel is that, even though the writing flows beautifully and naturally, the dialogue, of which there is a considerable amount, is challenging to read with Barnabas’s attempts to show his intelligence through the way he speaks. The words become dense, and I struggled to get through them and keep up the pace.

Overall, I found this story to be a fun read with its blend of fantasy and mystery. It’s a remarkable story from start to finish.

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About the Book

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Zeus is used to getting what he wants…but that was before he met Barnabas Tew!

Barnabas and Wilfred, the unluckiest detectives ever, are happily enjoying their time in India, working on mastering their emotions, and learning how to do all sorts of interesting yoga poses. They’re having a splendid time, and feel as if they’ve finally found some peace in their lives. Everything changes, though, when Zeus suddenly whisks them away from their idyllic retreat and demands that they solve a case for him.

Having no choice, they reluctantly accept the job, but quickly come to realize that nothing is as it should be. Zeus’ motives are suspect from the beginning, the rest of the Greek gods and goddesses are untrustworthy at best, and Barnabas’ temper hasn’t improved at all during his time in India. And, most importantly, who is the mysterious lady who keeps popping up just when they need her? Is she friend, or is she foe?

To make matters even worse, both Barnabas and Wilfred have unresolved feelings of their own. Can they settle their own emotional affairs, once and for all? Will they figure out what’s right and what’s wrong in this topsy-turvy world of lies, intrigue, and trickery? Or will the Greek gods and goddesses prove too much for them?

Purchase Link – mybook.to/Hellenic

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About the Author

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Columbkill Noonan is the author of the best-selling Barnabas Tew series, which features a proper British detective from Victorian London who ends up solving mythological cases for gods all around the world. She was was born in Philadelphia and grew up in the suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland, and teaches Anatomy and Physiology at a university in Maryland. Her writing is mostly speculative fiction (especially stories that involve mythology, or the supernatural, or any combination thereof). Some of her work is a bit on the spooky side, but usually there is a touch of humor (who says the afterlife has to be serious?) 

When she’s not teaching or writing, Columbkill can be found with her rescue horse (whose name is Mittens), hiking in the woods, or doing yoga of all kinds (aerial yoga and SUP yoga are particular favorites). She is an avid traveler, and can’t wait to get back to seeing the world again. You can visit her on Twitter @ColumbkillNoon1, or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ColumbkillNoonan.

Social Media Links –

Twitter: @ColumbkillNoon1

https://www.facebook.com/ColumbkillNoonan