Beneath the Tor

October 19, 2015
At the start of British author Milton’s unsettling third Shaman mystery (after 2014’s Unraveled Visions), a group of 10 people, all “keen to explore shamanism,” climb to the top of Glastonbury Tor to celebrate Midsummer Eve. When Alys Hollingberry, who has been dancing nonstop, suddenly collapses, Sabbie Dare phones emergency services. Another participant says it’s too late (“I saw her spirit go”). On the day of the inquest, Alys’s grieving husband, Brice, receives a strange email (“The Tor needs no sacrifice. The utter waste of blessed life signals doomsday”). It’s signed Morgan le Fay. Since Brice doesn’t want the police involved, he asks Sabbie’s help in identifying Morgan le Fay and figuring out this person’s connection to Alys. Meanwhile, a priest alleges that Alys took drugs during the celebration on the tor that may have led to her death. Milton puts an intriguing New Age spin on the traditional English mystery.

October 1, 2015
The mysterious death of a woman in a shamanic group leads one of her colleagues to launch a full-bore investigation on earthly and other planes. A group of people interested in shamanism has gathered to celebrate life on Midsummer Eve atop Glastonbury Tor when an unexpected tragedy occurs. Alys, a newcomer who's been dancing all night, appears to be struck down amid the celebration. In the ensuing confusion, it's unclear whether Alys' death was accidental or caused by something more mysterious, and her husband, Brice, implores experienced shaman Sabbie Dare to help him understand what's happened. Sabbie isn't sure where to start, since Brice is not a believer in the occult and doesn't trust any of the community. Though Sabbie is a member of said community, even she isn't sure whom to trust when it's implied that someone may have drugged Alys with malice aforethought. Sabbie wants to rely on her main squeeze, police detective Rey Buckley, but she's having trouble even getting him to commit to communicating with her at the boyfriend/partner level, much less helping her investigate. There may be something more afoot with him, but he's not one to fill Sabbie in. In a world where she isn't sure which way to turn for help, Sabbie forswears human assistance and enters her spiritual realm with her trusty otter guide, Trendle, hoping he can show her something not visible on the earthly plane. It may be something Trendle is hinting at that relates Alys' death to creepy emails Brice keeps receiving from a supposed Morgan le Fay. Is Alys' death connected to ancient tales of King Arthur's Round Table? Readers may still be wondering when the tale ends. Less successful than others in this series (Unraveled Visions, 2014, etc.), partly because both Milton's villain and heroine are insufficiently sketched to draw one in, partly perhaps because she's trying to do too much at once.

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December 1, 2015

Sabrina Dare, better known as Sabbie, is a practicing shaman. With a degree in psychology, she helps her clients explore their inner lives with the assistance of her bodhran (Irish drum) and Trendle, her otter spirit animal. On the evening of the summer solstice, Sabbie leads a group of seekers up England's Glastonbury Tor, said to be the Avalon of Arthurian legends. Alys Hollingbury, a newcomer to the proceedings, dances through the night to greet the dawn but then suddenly collapses. Was her death an accident or an act of murder? As Sabbie investigates, she uncovers a formidable foe, who has taken the name of Morgan le Fay, King Arthur's archnemesis. VERDICT Milton's third series entry (after Unraveled Visions) is tense, atmospheric, and well written. With its fascinating details about shamanic lore and an unusual sleuth, this title is bound to lure aficionados of New Age books as well as mystery readers who enjoy something a bit different.

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