Murder on Olympus

April 15, 2013
When the gods of Olympus need a discreet private eye, they call Plato Jones. Rancher Nicolas Parker would like to hire Plato, whose world is modern but ruled by the gods of Olympus, to track down the rustler who has stolen one of his finest gorgons (bad-tempered livestock). On a self-imposed hiatus after some unspecified trouble while working for Zeus and his family, Plato is very picky about which cases he'll take. And gorgons are nasty. So, he turns Parker down. Similarly, he rejects Hermes' request to probe the death of an unnamed goddess. Instead, Plato does uncomfortable stakeouts for disgruntled spouses. His personal life is likewise unrewarding. His ex-wife, Alexis, has called with the surprisingly devastating news that she's getting remarried, and his mother, who calls him PJ, wants him to cart away his stuff to make room for her new lover, James. And Plato makes the mistake of crossing the line with Bellanca, an attractive female client. So he may be feeling particularly vulnerable when Hermes returns with another request concerning Hephaestus, "The Smith God," who's been found murdered at his estate. This time, Plato accepts the challenge and is plunged into all the outrageous family dysfunction that he, perhaps wisely, had previously escaped. In his debut novel, Warren's prose is appropriately cheeky. But his many clever conventions and inventions consistently overshadow the awkwardly structured plot. Here's hoping he can improve on his puzzles while Plato and his quirkily mashed-up world continue to delight us.

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Starred review from April 15, 2013

Plato Jones, formerly of the Olympus Bureau of Investigation, now works as a PI in New Olympia. His clients are both mortals and immortals, though Jones--himself a mortal-- prefers human foibles to the petty grievances of the gods. Still, when he receives a "request" from Zeus, Jones finds it difficult to refuse. Someone is killing the gods, and Zeus wants the killer found before the deaths become public knowledge. As the detective threads his way among feuding gods, attempted assassinations, and a seduction or two, he begins to see a pattern and realizes that someone is targeting him as well. In Warren's first novel mortals and immortals mix and one man dares to fight for rule by law. Jones is a likable character with a ready quip and the courage to speak his mind, even to a god. VERDICT Fans of Greek mythology, urban fantasy fans, and followers of Sherrilyn Kenyon's "Dark Hunter" novels should find something pleasing in this quirky blend of fantasy and noir detective story.

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