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Every now and again it's a pleasure to desert hard crime fiction for a little while and, instead, take a gamble on a hit of fantasy. Thus, when I saw the promo for THE CRYSTAL SKULL, I decided to relax with something different for an afternoon or so. The book proceeds in two time frames – the present and the 16th century. The prologue is set in the mid- 16th century with a letter from Cedric Owen, a physician and PhD who was educated at the (imaginary) Bede's College, Cambridge. He makes it clear that persecution for witchcraft is alive and well and it would be best for him to flee the university city forthwith. Back in the 21st century, Stella and Kit are newlyweds. For a wedding gift, Stella has asked to be taken to an undiscovered cave. While Kit can't quite manage that, he has learned, from the work of Cedric Owen that he is deciphering, of a cave that has probably not been entered for 419 years, a cave complete with buried treasure. Needless to say, they find the cave, "the cathedral of the earth". Stella finds Owen's 'heartstone', a sapphire in the shape of a skull (or, as the author has it "an unfleshed man's head.") Despite the legend that everyone who has held the crystal skull has died, Stella happily takes possession of it. Then they discover they are being hunted, Stella finds she has some sort of telepathic communication with the skull, which has the happy knack of being able to warn her of imminent danger. Following such a warning, Stella is able to escape the cave but Kit vanishes, to be found, badly injured, another day. The narrative jumps back and forth in both time and space. Owen travels to the New World and is instructed in the mysteries of his heartstone, a family heirloom, by Mayans, before returning to England. The author cites end of the world predictions of various cultures, all indicating a date in 2012 and constructs her story on that postulate. The author also says that the crystal skull in the British Museum inspired the foundation of the story. The story is involving enough and obviously a great deal of work was done so far as the research necessary for the adventure goes. I am in two minds as to the success of the characterisation. I think the fantastical nature of the tale may have made my appreciation of the people rather less than it might have been had the elements of the whimsical been removed – but then there would have been no story.
Reviewed by Denise Pickles, December 2007
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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