The Lost Sisterhood

In her second novel, best-selling author Fortier (Juliet) tackles Greek mythology through two densely plotted parallel tales. The first and more compelling story is narrated by Diana Morgan, a modern-day Oxford philologist who studies the Amazons, a "mythical" tribe of women warriors. When a stranger representing a secretive foundation approaches Diana claiming to have proof of the Amazon's actual existence, she leaves immediately for a North African drill site. There, she finds an inscription on a temple wall that reveals the name of the first Amazon queen, Myrina. Diana translates this inscription using notes jotted down by her grandmother, who claimed to be a modern day Amazon and was subsequently diagnosed as a schizophrenic. Morgan begins a complicated and dangerous quest to discover the treasure Queen Myrina stole from Troy, and uncover the truth behind her grandmother's claim. The book is convoluted by a second narrative which follows Queen Myrina centuries earlier as she rescues her Amazon sisters from Greek pirates. Together, these intricate and multi-layered plots are often hard to follow. Still, the novel manages to maintain its appeal: an entertaining tale about smart warrior princess who faces shadowy bad guys, exploding drill sites, and deep-think puzzles, with some enticing romance on the side. (Mar.)