The Orkney Scroll by Lynn Hamilton Book Review

The ORKNEY Scroll
By Lynn Hamilton
Berkeley Group (Penguin) Prime Crime
February 2007

This is the 10th novel in this series, and I have read most of them. The main character is Lara McClintoch, an antiques shop owner in Toronto (although the location is not specified). Lara usually ends up investigating murders that almost always have some connection with antiquities.

In this novel, a colleague finds a very valuable writing deak that is worth thousands, and sells it to a well known Toronto Lawyer. Lara is called by the Lawyer to appraise it. She sees it and agrees that it appears to be genuine, however she would like to do more research. The lawyer does not want to wait and agrees to purchase it. Several days later the lawyer puts the desk on show and throws a party.

At the party, Lara tries to have another close look at the desk, as something about it does not look right. Several minutes later, in full view of the party attendees, the lawyer grabs an axe and literally shops the desk to pieces, crying that he had been deceived and that the desk was a fake.

The very next day the colleague who sold the desk is found dead with an axe in his head. The wealthy lawyer is arrested. Lara still wants to know what the story was with the desk. Since the desk came from Orkney, Lara flies to Glasgow and then to Orkney where she eventually discovers what happened, who done it and why.

I LOVE Archaeology and Antiquities, as well as books. This book was set in Orkney and involved an ancient Viking scroll. I love Orkney as well, although I have never been there. My great-great-grandmother was born in Orkney. She died in New Zealand. But there's so much about her that is still a mystery. I also love Genealogy too.