Keepers of the Labyrinth

Set in present-day Crete, this action-heavy and occasionally convoluted novel is steeped in Greek mythology. Sixteen-year-old Lilith "Lil" Bennette leaves Vermont for the Future Leaders International conference at the Melios Manor, with the private aim of learning more about her mother, who also attended the conference and allegedly committed suicide. Lil's curiosity spikes when she notices the symbol of a Minoan labrys (a double-headed axe) on walls throughout the manor: it's just like the one from her mother's missing necklace. Teaming up with three other witty, capable girls from different countries, Lil finds the entrance to a hidden labyrinth beneath the manor; there, she uncovers the truth about her role in an ancient order that exists to protect the labyrinth from a cultlike group of Zeus worshippers, the Zephylites, led by a deranged professor. Moulton (Chasing the Milky Way) offers moody descriptions and lively banter, but the motivations behind the Zephylite society, as well as Lil's role in protecting the labyrinth, remain confusing despite lengthy passages of exposition. Ages 12%E2%80%93up. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. (Aug.)