Midwest Book Review, The Healer’s Daughters

“An exceptional thriller that proves hard to put down.”

The Healer’s Daughters has been reviewed by Diane Donovan of the Midwest Book Review. The review will appear in print and online in August, 2019. I will post the link when it’s available. Here is the full review. What do you think? (Update: here is the link on Diane Donovan’s website.)

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The Healer’s Daughters is a thriller set in Turkey, where archaeologist Özlem Boroğlu and her daughter Elif face not just archaeological discoveries, but the pressing influence of political forces with vested interests in the outcome of their work.

As terrorists and corrupt officials influence their actions and threaten their lives, Özlem finds herself more than the protector of healer Galen’s ruins. She becomes the pawn in a larger game that threatens her entire family.

Added into the mix of intrigue and confrontation are historical flashbacks to Galen’s time, Elif’s own pursuit of art that reflects her worship of the Goddess, and an investigation into grave robberies by Tuğçe Iskan, who is also moving closer to a truth that holds much wider consequences than local trouble.

The Healer’s Daughters is replete with insights on Turkish culture. The characters all have Turkish roots and identities that may initially stymie Westerners unused to these names, but which lend to the authenticity of the background and events being described.

The process of archaeological investigations that lead to a treasure hunt is nicely described (“Galen’s reference to the scent of pine led Boroğlu out of the Kaikos Valley into the hills rising to Kapıkaya, and poor little Mehmet’s possession of the Hadrian Aureus confirmed that she is on the right track. And now, she has these two specific sites. She even gave Serkan the detailed geological map of the valley around Pergamon that she had painstakingly made. Let the Hamits dither around on their extensive land holdings in the valley. They, especially Mustafa, the overeducated, pompous son, have no real understanding of archeology and no chance of finding Galen’s treasure on their own.”) and tension builds on many levels, creating a complex, believable, and logically arranged sequence of events that keep readers on their toes.

With its powerful blend of Turkish cultural explorations, international intrigue, a treasure hunt, historical references, and characters who hold their own special interests close to their hearts, The Healer’s Daughters is an exceptional thriller that proves hard to put down.