Night of the Furies

Angsten's second novel in his mythic thriller trilogy falls short of his promising debut, Dark Gold (2006). Having barely survived an encounter with mysterious forces along the Mexican coast in Dark Gold, adventurer Jack Duran joins his brother, Dan, and Dan's liberated Dutch girlfriend, archeologist Phoebe Auerbach, in Greece, where they visit the Oracle at Delphi. Jack is eager to learn the truth behind the legendary Eleusinian Mysteries, which celebrated the goddess Demeter, but he and his companions soon get into trouble after they stumble on a group of women whose violent orgies and butchery is reminiscent of the Maenads, the frenzied worshippers of Dionysus. That traumatic meeting leads to murder, with the Duran brothers as chief suspects. While the opening chapters offer glimpses of the author's talent, the over-the-top plot line, underdeveloped characters and shortage of surprises won't make many readers eager for volume three.