Lara is always the perfect travel companion - adventurous, witty, stubborn and clever…. Among the many charms of a Lyn Hamilton novel is the always carefully researched picture she draws of the geography, history and culture of whatever country Lara is exploring. Woven through The Chinese Alchemist is a quick jaunt through the old dynasties, a flurry through China's grim 20th and 21st century march to and from Communism, and an optimistic nod to its future. And as ever there's a secondary narrative that gradually reveals the long-ago story behind the sought after artifact -Hamilton's deft technique for linking the antiques trade with its sources and roots." (The Chinese Alchemist) The London Free Press (Canada)

"Antiques dealer Lara McClintoch is targeted by ruthless criminals while trying to recover an eighth-century Tang Dynasty silver box with an alchemical for the elixir of immortality etched on the inside of the lid. The rare item holds the key not only to the mysterious death of a museum curator, but to Lara's own survival…In this 11th outing for the globe-trotting Lara McClintoch, fans will enjoy the China setting as well as the history provided in flashbacks at the start of each chapter. An enjoyable, educational and suspenseful road trip." (The Chinese Alchemist) Fresh Fiction

"Chinese history from the perspective of a royal concubine, a eunuch, a family of tomb raiders and even the Chairman himself. Hamilton, who rivals Jan Morris as a travel writer gives her eunuch Wu Yuan a mesmerizing story about serving the Imperial Palace and the Son of Heaven [in this Lara McClintoch mystery]." (The Chinese Alchemist) Kirkus Reviews

"...longtime series fans will enjoy seeing McClintoch in action in China." (The Chinese Alchemist) Publishers Weekly

"The mystery reading year is brighter when a new Lyn Hamilton appears…USA today calls these archaological mysteries 'a wonderful series' and The Chinese Alchemist is ample evidence:….the plotting that weaves the storyline into a cohesive whole, the exquisite description of people and events, the integration of setting into the story and the character evolution that combines, motive deception and consequences." (The Chinese Alchemist) The Hamilton Spectator

"As usual Hamilton makes travel to a destination I'd never considered, very appealing, as is this series." (The Orkney Scroll) Deadly Pleasures

"Lyn Hamilton is emerging as one of Canada's most successful crime writers. Her series of archeological mysteries featuring Toronto antiques dealer Lara McClintoch has found legions of devoted fans." (The Orkney Scroll) Globe and Mail

"Hamilton is a funny writer. Lara's culture shock in super-friendly Orkney is especially humorous." (The Orkney Scroll) Publishers Weekly

"Hamilton makes the islands of Orkney so beguiling they ought to be listed as a top-ten travel destination." (The Orkney Scroll) Kirkus Reviews

"Vivid descriptions of the terrain, as well as details of the history and cultural evolution of Easter Island's people, enrich this chatty whodunit… Hamilton…puts a first-class twist on the traditional locked-room mystery." (The Moai Murders) Publishers Weekly

"Hamilton makes maximum use of her setting with superb research and lots of local colour. This book is a lot of fun, and should make a great companion for the beach or the pool." (The Moai Murders) Globe and Mail

"There's also the pleasure of spending time with smart, independent, funny Lara who, always keen to travel, is a reliably entertaining instructor in far-flung histories and geographies - useful for the real traveler and perfect for the armchair sort." (The Moai Murders) London Free Press

"The ninth in Hamilton's appealing series takes chatty, always upbeat antiques dealer Lara McClintoch to Hungary to research the provenance of the Venus, an ancient bust carved from mammoth ivory. Lara's tireless quest gives an absorbing view of post-Communist Budapest and its surrounding prehistoric caves full of archaeological treasures. A lively blend of romance, humor and occasional tragedy." (The Magyar Venus) Publishers Weekly

"She's three inches tall and over 25,000 years old. Or is she? That's the question Lara McClintoch must answer, as a suspicious suicide, a rekindled flame, and the clues and lies given to her by six old college chums lead her to the fascinating city of Budapest. Hamilton has executed a thrilling mystery full of flawed but lively characters, each with his/her own agenda…..I highly recommend this book." (The Magyar Venus) The Best Reviews

"It's always a pleasure to follow Hamilton and Lara around the Globe." (The Magyar Venus) Deadly Pleasures

"This is the eighth novel in the series featuring antiques expert Lara McClintoch and to say it's as good as the rest is no insult. She gives us a puzzle, a recurring heroine, an interesting setting, a fabulous antique object, some history and some travel - and a whiff of forbidden romance." (The Magyar Venus) Globe and Mail

"When it comes to archaeological mystery, there are few writers in the genre who can hold a candle to Lyn Hamilton. The Toronto author's Lara McClintoch series, authoritatively written, yet appealingly human and funny, is gathering a growing fan base in North America." (The Magyar Venus) Ottawa Citizen

"Take a fascinating place, a mysterious item and some attractive people….and it works for Hamilton…..[She] provides lots of atmosphere, plenty of action and enough insider info about the antiques trade that we learn a lot, have fun and never get put off by the gore." (The Thai Amulet) Globe and Mail

"Hamilton is a skilled writer who knows how to maintain suspense. Her familiarity and obvious love of Thailand provides an interesting setting for her story." (The Thai Amulet) I Love a Mystery

"In Canadian Hamilton's alluring seventh archaeological novel, her globe-trotting antiques dealer and sleuth, Lara McClintoch, goes on a buying trip to Thailand, where she also tries to trace down a fellow dealer who's gone missing….the author does a fine job of blending history with the sounds, smells and tastes of the Orient." (The Thai Amulet) Publishers Weekly

"A fascinating addition to the series" (The Thai Amulet) Library Journal

"Lara finds a decades old mystery, and helps solve that crime and a more modern one….One of the features I like about this series is the feeling I am traveling right along with Lara." (The Thai Amulet) Deadly Pleasures Magazine

"An entertaining tropical tragedy." (The Thai Amulet) Kirkus

"The Thai Amulet is a fascinating tale about freed, treachery, betrayal and murder, and readers won't rest until they find out what happened and why."(The Thai Amulet) All the Best Reviews

"With snippets of ancient Thai history interspersed throughout, this well-researched book chronicles a tale of greed and deceit that spans nearly half a century. As the body count rises, the clues come together likes pieces of a puzzle, forming a craftily written mystery." (The Thai Amulet) Romantic Times

"In this seventh and best yet of her mystery series featuring Toronto antiques dealer lara McClintoch author Lyn Hamilton takes readers for a spin through a moment in Thai history and a corresponding period of wealth, intrigue, corruption and betrayal in the present. As ever in her far-flung work, which has already taken readers to such locales as Mexico, Malta and Ireland, Hamilton's ability to bring solidly researched places and their histories, smells, sounds, opulence, poverty, structures and ambiences to life is her most vivid gift to readers." (The Thai Amulet) London Free Press

"Lyn Hamilton's archeological mysteries follow a formula sure to have armchair travelers on the edge of their settees. At once erudite and entertaining, these jaunty whodunits tag along after Lara McClintoch, a Toronto antiques dealer whose quest for ancient artifacts takes her everywhere from Africa to Ireland." (The Etruscan Chimera) The New York Times Book

Review "Hamilton knows her antiques…and Lara is amusing and great fun." (The Etruscan Chimera) Globe and Mail

"Canadian Hamilton serves up her usual appealing mix of objets d'art and murder in her sixth well-researched mystery to feature antiquities dealer Lara McClintoch. The picaresque plot leads from France to Rome to Ireland via a twisting set of intricate machinations and a sense of wanderlust that never flags. The peripatetic Ms. McClintoch makes an engaging detective, whether she's canvassing a flea market at Vanves for a 1924 edition of Sir Richard Burton's The Kasidah or window shopping in a little street off the Boulevard St. Germain." (The Etruscan Chimera) Publishers Weekly

"Lyn Hamilton is a very creative and colorful writer who always manages to bring the past to life in her archaeological mysteries. Her latest work, The Etruscan Chimera, is a conspiracy buff's delight. The supporting case have schemes within plots that Lara innocently and unwillingly participates in. This is one mystery that will taike a genius to solve." Bookbrowser

"I read so many mystery novels that I'm always surprised when I come across an established series that I've yet to read and that promises to be really fun. Lyn Hamilton's archaeological mystery novels featuring antiques dealer Lara McClintoch is exactly such a series. I've just finished The Etruscan Chimera, the sixth book, and it has proved to be a really fantastic read. In fact, I enjoyed this novel so much that I'm going to be spending the entire weekend reading all her previous books!" I Love a Mystery

"Sometimes mystery writers do more for readers than offer up entertaining puzzles satisfactorily resolved. Sometimes their research on a complicated or obscure subject tucked into the plot painlessly gives the reader bite-sized history lessons. That's among Lyn Hamilton's accomplishments in her series of archaeological mysteries featuring Toronto antiques dealer Lara McClintoch who goes traveling here and there in the world, stumbling over odd murders and solving the crimes. In this fifth outing, Lara is off to Tunisia. Deftly sketching the flavours of a beautiful, faraway country with a long complicated history, author Hamilton adds to the solid 21st century plot a corollary mystery that dates back to 309 BC when the regions was called Carthage. (The African Quest) London Free Press

"A really good story, Hamilton's best, with solid research and setting." (The African Quest) Globe and Mail

"The exotic world of North Africa comes vividly alive with The African Quest, so much so that the audience will believe they accompany Lara on tour. The characters are fully developed, especially the heroine, and the who-done-it is engaging. What makes Lyn Hamilton's novel worth reading is the varying perspectives of Tunisia seen through the eyes of the tourists, Lara and the locals, adding much color to a strong amateur sleuth tale. Bookbrowser

"As usual Hamilton has excelled in creating a very inviting setting. The reader will want to go there in person to visit the beautiful coast, the Carthaginian ruins and the desert. Of course there are several mysterious deaths which turn out to be murders. Hamilton interweaves an ancient story of a Carthaginian sea voyage, interspersing just the right amount of information about the Carthaginian civilization and the Punic Wars, with the modern one, and neatly ties them together at the end." (The African Quest) Bookloons

"The fourth outing for Toronto antiques dealer Lara McClintoch is a sparkling classical puzzle mystery…to solve the riddle and locate the treasure and killer Lara has to dig dangerously deep in Eamon's past as well as Celtic history. Steeped in Irish lore, this multi-layered tale will please both puzzle enthusiasts and those who demand a logical but totally surprising solution to a crime." (The Celtic Riddle) Publishers Weekly

"This is the fourth 'archaeological mystery' form Hamilton, and it is funny, cleverly plotted, and rich in ancient Celtic lore. A rewarding change of pace for mystery lovers." (The Celtic Riddle) Booklist

"As in earlier Hamilton novels, the key to the present lies not only in the personal histories of those directly involved, but in the entertaining history, even pre-history, of the land itself. And Lara, with her antique collector's fascination with the past, is well placed to undertake the unraveling…. The result is a challenging puzzle bolstered by a recognizably human cast of characters - altogether heady stuff for the readers." (The Celtic Riddle) London Free Press

"Lara McClintoch, heroine of three other 'archaeological mysteries' is back and she comes into her prime in this clever tale set in Ireland's picturesque County Kerry… as the bodies drop, Lara moves into solve the puzzle. (The Celtic Riddle) Globe and Mail

"Like its predecessors, The Celtic Riddle sets out to demonstrate that ancient history is very much alive, and apt to throw mythological monkey wrenches into the present….McClintoch make a no-nonsense, likable heroine…the action moves along smartly, and armchair enthusiasts of archaeology and legend will find the mystic bits lip-smackingly spooky." Quill & Quire

"Toronto's Lyn Hamilton returns with a fourth smooth blend of murder and history. Globe-trotting antiques dealer Lara McClintoch is at it again, this time running into a mystery about local treasure and murder in County Kerry, Ireland. It takes all of McClintoch's savvy wiles to comprehend the riddle of Irish history behind it all." (The Celtic Riddle) Toronto Star

"Hamilton has obviously done a lot of homework to bring both modern and ancient Peru to life in a fictional package that's complex, witty, recognizable and realistic, with a protagonist who shares all those qualities. (The Moche Warrior) London Free Press

"…engaging, packed with entertaining characters and filled with information that is wrapped around a very puzzling mystery." (The Moche Warrior) The Book Report

"A super story, entrancing prose, and fascinating subject matter make this a surefire winner." (The Moche Warrior) Library Journal

"The Moche Warrior is an entertaining, fun to read, and educational who-done-it. The action-packed story line never quits even when it teaches the audience about the ancient Moche civilization along the northern coast of Peru." Internet review

"…think of this as Lovejoy without the motley…This story has a good message along with characters and a decent plot. Call it virtuous escapist reading." (The Moche Warrior) Globe and Mail

"Hamilton pulls all the threads together admirably, thanks to the spunk, credibility and wit of her protagonist, a finely turned plot, a believably human cast of characters and, not least, an excellent examination of fascinating history." (The Maltese Goddess) London Free Press

"Armchair travelers and mystery buffs will enjoy the smooth blend of history and murder in this second installment featuring Toronto antiquities dealer, Lara McClintoch….Interesting characters combine with an agreeably complicated plot to keep the story moving, while details about the island are skillfully interwove. Several twists at the end add emotional depth and leave the readers looking forward to Lara's next outing." (The Maltese Goddess) Publishers Weekly

"After reading this exotically absorbing and culturally colorful archaeological thriller, readers will what to fly to Malta to hear the siren's song. Lyn Hamilton is a gifted writer who has created an intricate who-don't-it wrapped inside a mystical tale that cleverly links past Goddess worship to current events…. A terrific read that would make a tremendous movie." (The Maltese Goddess) Internet Review

"…..extremely well written (hard to believe this is a first effort) with captivating description of Merida and its food, inhabitants and customs. If you can't go to Yucatan, you can read this and feel the heat as the sun rises in the morning over the Temple of the Warriors in Chichen Itza and smell the spices and peppers in the marketplace." (The Xibalba Murders) Mysterious Women

"Is the book a real deal? If you like Maya folklore, definitely: Hamilton's use and elaboration on the Mayan calendar is inventive. If you like amateur sleuths who face incredibly dangerous situations with little advance preparation and no consultation with another living soul, certainly. If you like symbolism and the puzzles inherent in legend and history, and figuring out their connections to the ongoing modern day story, yes, got for it." (The Xibalba Murders) The Drood Review

"…a smart, appealing, funny, brave and vulnerable protagonist, and a complex, entertaining and rational plot." (The Xibalba Murders) London Free Press

"The excitement, magic and adventure that is felt while watching an Indiana Jones flick will be felt while reading Lyn Hamilton's wondrous debut novel." Internet Review