Electra, by Kerry Greenwood

The third in the Delphic Women Mystery series continues looking at ancient Greek legends from a woman’s perspective. This one carries forward the story of Cassandra, prophet of Troy, as much as it tells the story of Electra. It also drops in some of the Odyssey, somewhat gratuitously, in a mish-mash of a tale that doesn’t really hang together as a whole. Cassandra’s search for a home that will accommodate her unorthodox ‘trios’ relationship is the most interesting element. It depicts the strong divide between male and female roles in ancient Greece, naturally championing the cause of women’s freedom. Her two lovers are somewhat pale in comparison, more tagging along for the ride. Electra’s story becomes one of survival after childhood trauma and abuse, in an interesting twist on the old tale. The Gods dip in from time to time to interfere in the lives and loves of mere mortals, for good and for ill. One major flaw of the book is the sloppiness of the publishing. The proofreading was clearly inadequate, if not non-existent, as there are many typos throughout.