jeremyawilliams's review
3.0
Olmec Obituary starts with an interesting premise. A young archeologist gets involved with a dig that could have enormous implications in the world of archeology, but as she continues her work, she realizes everything isn't necessarily as it seems, or as her bosses want her to believe. The best part of the book was the lives of the ancient Olmec who were discovered at the dig site was interwoven into Elizabeth's present-day story. Unfortunately, the characters all felt a little flat (plus, her boyfriend that she basically never talks to and is essentially not in the story at all, although he's referenced quite frequently? Weird). I never really rooted for anyone in the story.
I still might check out the 2nd book in the series ([b:Mayan Mendacity|31117244|Mayan Mendacity (Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth #2)|L.J.M. Owen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1468459508s/31117244.jpg|51723179]Mayan Mendacity), but likely only if my TBR list dries up.
I received a copy of [b:Olmec Obituary|26127259|Olmec Obituary (Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth, #1)|L.J.M. Owen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1439969675s/26127259.jpg|45612793] from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I still might check out the 2nd book in the series ([b:Mayan Mendacity|31117244|Mayan Mendacity (Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth #2)|L.J.M. Owen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1468459508s/31117244.jpg|51723179]Mayan Mendacity), but likely only if my TBR list dries up.
I received a copy of [b:Olmec Obituary|26127259|Olmec Obituary (Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth, #1)|L.J.M. Owen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1439969675s/26127259.jpg|45612793] from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review
3.0
‘Pinpoints of light studded the inky sky, taunting Dr Elizabeth Pimms with their stubborn persistence.’
Doctor Elizabeth Pimms, aged 26, is an archaeologist with the job of her dreams in Egypt. Then life intervenes, and she is forced to leave this job and her boyfriend and return to Australia, to take up a job as a librarian in Canberra to support her siblings and grandparents.
Shortly after returning to Canberra, Elizabeth is approached by a former colleague. Apparently a royal Olmec cemetery has been discovered, deep in the Mexican jungle. This cemetery apparently also contains the earliest writing in the Americas. Elizabeth is invited to join the team to undertake skeletal analysis (fortunately located in Canberra), and is very excited about this.
But Elizabeth quickly finds some contradictions in the evidence, and this brings her into conflict with the team’s director. And she has some challenges at home as well.
The novel shifts between Elizabeth in the present, and some Olmec people in 1231 BCE. How did these Olmec people die? Will Elizabeth be able to find a cause of death? Will she be able to make sense of the discrepancies in the evidence?
This novel didn’t completely work for me. There are two reasons for this. Initially, I did not much care for Elizabeth. Secondly, I had some difficulties with the team (especially the director) established to do the skeletal analysis in Canberra. I can’t write more about this without introducing spoilers. While I found the story interesting, it didn’t completely hold my attention.
Yet I’m intrigued, and I’m hoping that Ms Owen further develops a number of the characters. Will I keep reading? Yes, I’m keen to read the next book to see how Ms Owen develops the character of Elizabeth and her role as ‘Intermillennial Sleuth’. I think that the series has potential.
This is Ms Owen’s first novel, and I understand that eight more novels are planned, in a series entitled ‘Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth’.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Doctor Elizabeth Pimms, aged 26, is an archaeologist with the job of her dreams in Egypt. Then life intervenes, and she is forced to leave this job and her boyfriend and return to Australia, to take up a job as a librarian in Canberra to support her siblings and grandparents.
Shortly after returning to Canberra, Elizabeth is approached by a former colleague. Apparently a royal Olmec cemetery has been discovered, deep in the Mexican jungle. This cemetery apparently also contains the earliest writing in the Americas. Elizabeth is invited to join the team to undertake skeletal analysis (fortunately located in Canberra), and is very excited about this.
But Elizabeth quickly finds some contradictions in the evidence, and this brings her into conflict with the team’s director. And she has some challenges at home as well.
The novel shifts between Elizabeth in the present, and some Olmec people in 1231 BCE. How did these Olmec people die? Will Elizabeth be able to find a cause of death? Will she be able to make sense of the discrepancies in the evidence?
This novel didn’t completely work for me. There are two reasons for this. Initially, I did not much care for Elizabeth. Secondly, I had some difficulties with the team (especially the director) established to do the skeletal analysis in Canberra. I can’t write more about this without introducing spoilers. While I found the story interesting, it didn’t completely hold my attention.
Yet I’m intrigued, and I’m hoping that Ms Owen further develops a number of the characters. Will I keep reading? Yes, I’m keen to read the next book to see how Ms Owen develops the character of Elizabeth and her role as ‘Intermillennial Sleuth’. I think that the series has potential.
This is Ms Owen’s first novel, and I understand that eight more novels are planned, in a series entitled ‘Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth’.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
vsbedford's review
1.0
This is a hard pass for me - the writing is amateurish and stilted, the characters are one dimensional, and the lead, Elizabeth Pimm, needs a hard shake and a wake up call. I realize that to be annoyed by a fictional character is, hmmm... a waste of time? Unfruitful? Potentially ridiculous? But girl, seriously, SHUT UP. Also, this is peppered with phrases like "dratted younger sister" and "sharing those little moments of understanding". BOOOOOOO.
This is the book version of a Lifetime movie so, I guess if you're into that go for it?
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is the book version of a Lifetime movie so, I guess if you're into that go for it?
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
roxyc's review
3.0
An easy and pleasant read. The characters are well constructed and the storyline is intriguing enough to keep the reader interested. I'm not sure about the phrenic library, it didnt really appeal to me. I did,however, enjoy the family story that interlaced throughout. overall it was an enjoyable and interesting novel.
melbsreads's review
3.0
2.5 stars.
I picked this one up because it basically ticked all of my boxes. I mean, it's a cozy mystery in which the protagonist is an archaeologist turned librarian and it's set in Canberra. I'm a librarian with an undergrad degree in archaeology who used to live in Canberra. It should have been a slam dunk.
And there were DEFINITELY elements of the story that I enjoyed. I loved the reimagining of the National Library, right down to the stained glass Celtic cross in the cafe. I liked how well archaeology was represented. I liked the friendship that develops between Elizabeth and Henry. I liked how unapologetically bookish it was.
However.
Elizabeth is possibly the most annoying brat of a character I've ever come across. First of all, I'm not entirely sure WHY she had to give up archaeology to stay in Canberra. Like...girl. There are stacks of jobs going with Australian archaeology companies. You don't HAVE to work in Egypt or Mexico or Azerbaijan. You could easily work in Australia as an archaeologist.
Furthermore, YOU HAVE A JOB ON THE GRAD PROGRAM AT THE NATIONAL LIBRARY!! Do you know how many graduate librarians would murder all their colleagues to get that job?! And you're moping your way around the National Library because it's not a job in archaeology?? STFU.
And let's just talk for a moment about the fact that Elizabeth is supporting three of her grandparents, her two younger siblings - one of whom requires fairly significant medical treatment on a regular basis - and herself on a grad program salary. Like...most grad programs start you out as an APS3. I was an APS3 for two years, and the most I made was $52,000. Good luck supporting six people on that salary, particularly when you live in a house that's big enough to have a library and a courtyard, as well as bedrooms for all those people.
To be honest, an awful lot of this book felt like set up. We're getting to know Elizabeth (and how perfectly perfect she is). We're getting to know her family, who seem to do nothing but eat fancy soups that need to be prepared over two days. We're getting to know her friends and colleagues and her douchey boyfriend. And then finally, at about the 60% mark, we really start to get stuck into the mystery side of things.
And then at around the 90% mark, we're given all these hints that there's going to be a big dramatic ending where the douchey boyfriend returns. BUT NO. The book just...ends.
That said, I think part of my meh feelings towards this were because I interpreted "intermillennial sleuth" as "time travelling archaeologist investigates crimes", so I kept expecting her to time travel. And while I liked the parts where we get the story of how all the Olmec skeletons died (right up until the part where it got super rapey, anyway), I wanted Elizabeth to work out MORE of that, rather than just solving the present day stuff.
So I guess on the whole, it has promise. But there were a TON of unanswered questions (like WTF was going on with Mai) and given how much I wanted to punch Elizabeth in her perfect I'm-25-and-have-a-PhD-*and*-a-librarianship-degree-*and*-a-photographic-memory-and-a-developed-career face, I don't know that I'll be continuing on with it.
(In case anyone is wondering why I have it on my POC Narrator shelf, it's because Elizabeth's father was half Chinese, so she's biracial)
I picked this one up because it basically ticked all of my boxes. I mean, it's a cozy mystery in which the protagonist is an archaeologist turned librarian and it's set in Canberra. I'm a librarian with an undergrad degree in archaeology who used to live in Canberra. It should have been a slam dunk.
And there were DEFINITELY elements of the story that I enjoyed. I loved the reimagining of the National Library, right down to the stained glass Celtic cross in the cafe. I liked how well archaeology was represented. I liked the friendship that develops between Elizabeth and Henry. I liked how unapologetically bookish it was.
However.
Elizabeth is possibly the most annoying brat of a character I've ever come across. First of all, I'm not entirely sure WHY she had to give up archaeology to stay in Canberra. Like...girl. There are stacks of jobs going with Australian archaeology companies. You don't HAVE to work in Egypt or Mexico or Azerbaijan. You could easily work in Australia as an archaeologist.
Furthermore, YOU HAVE A JOB ON THE GRAD PROGRAM AT THE NATIONAL LIBRARY!! Do you know how many graduate librarians would murder all their colleagues to get that job?! And you're moping your way around the National Library because it's not a job in archaeology?? STFU.
And let's just talk for a moment about the fact that Elizabeth is supporting three of her grandparents, her two younger siblings - one of whom requires fairly significant medical treatment on a regular basis - and herself on a grad program salary. Like...most grad programs start you out as an APS3. I was an APS3 for two years, and the most I made was $52,000. Good luck supporting six people on that salary, particularly when you live in a house that's big enough to have a library and a courtyard, as well as bedrooms for all those people.
To be honest, an awful lot of this book felt like set up. We're getting to know Elizabeth (and how perfectly perfect she is). We're getting to know her family, who seem to do nothing but eat fancy soups that need to be prepared over two days. We're getting to know her friends and colleagues and her douchey boyfriend. And then finally, at about the 60% mark, we really start to get stuck into the mystery side of things.
And then at around the 90% mark, we're given all these hints that there's going to be a big dramatic ending where the douchey boyfriend returns. BUT NO. The book just...ends.
That said, I think part of my meh feelings towards this were because I interpreted "intermillennial sleuth" as "time travelling archaeologist investigates crimes", so I kept expecting her to time travel. And while I liked the parts where we get the story of how all the Olmec skeletons died (right up until the part where it got super rapey, anyway), I wanted Elizabeth to work out MORE of that, rather than just solving the present day stuff.
So I guess on the whole, it has promise. But there were a TON of unanswered questions (like WTF was going on with Mai) and given how much I wanted to punch Elizabeth in her perfect I'm-25-and-have-a-PhD-*and*-a-librarianship-degree-*and*-a-photographic-memory-and-a-developed-career face, I don't know that I'll be continuing on with it.
(In case anyone is wondering why I have it on my POC Narrator shelf, it's because Elizabeth's father was half Chinese, so she's biracial)
vesper1931's review
2.0
Due to family financial constraint Australian Dr Elizabeth Pimms no longer works as archaeologist, but as a librarian. She is asked to work on her weekends, in the lab, on a new find from Mexico - A royal Olmec cemetery. But her suspicions are raised from the start.
I was really looking forward to reading this as I enjoy ancient and historical mysteries, but I didn't like the central character of Pimms. I also didn't find the back story concerning her family relevant or appealing. Though as this is a first in a series, the character hopefully will improve.
A NetGalley Book
I was really looking forward to reading this as I enjoy ancient and historical mysteries, but I didn't like the central character of Pimms. I also didn't find the back story concerning her family relevant or appealing. Though as this is a first in a series, the character hopefully will improve.
A NetGalley Book
brightsunshaine's review
4.0
Thank you NetGalley and Echo Publishing for a free digital copy of this book.
While reading, this books makes me ask questions like the questions that Elizabeth had in mind. My curiosity didn't stop there to the point that I searched about the Olmec online. I like this book because it gives me new information, learning and understanding about anthropology, history, sociology, some part in biology. Further, the most that strikes my interest was philology. I'm very much interested with that now. I like reading books that I benefit at the end, I mean that I learn new things or about some part of the world. It's well-written and page-turner book.
I know my friends and fellow readers will enjoy this, especially those who like adventure kind of readings.
While reading, this books makes me ask questions like the questions that Elizabeth had in mind. My curiosity didn't stop there to the point that I searched about the Olmec online. I like this book because it gives me new information, learning and understanding about anthropology, history, sociology, some part in biology. Further, the most that strikes my interest was philology. I'm very much interested with that now. I like reading books that I benefit at the end, I mean that I learn new things or about some part of the world. It's well-written and page-turner book.
I know my friends and fellow readers will enjoy this, especially those who like adventure kind of readings.
rambling_books's review
**I received an ebook copy of this novel from NetGalley in exhange for an honest review**
I had decided to pick up this book after stumbling upon it on NetGalley while on a Agatha Christie high. I had just discovered Christie's work and was in the mood for a good mystery. The synopsis of 'Olmec Obituary' had me intrigued right away! Other than my new found love of Agatha Christie, and my childhood/current obsession with Nancy Drew, I did not have much experience with mystery novels. So in a way, this was sort of me branching out into a new genre. And I am very glad I did.
'Olmec Obituary' was a wonderfully written novel from beginning to end. I thoroughly enjoyed the character of Dr Elizabeth Pimms because she was a character that was easy to relate to, which is something that I find I do not see a lot of. When the reader feels more connected to the main character, in my opinion, that makes the whole difference. In my experience, I enjoyed books where the main character was unrelateable a lot less than ones with protagonists I could connect with.
To make a long story short, the writing was wonderful, the characters genuine, and the story itself hooks you from page one. I would highly recommend this book and look forward to continuing to read more works by L. J. M. Owen.
I had decided to pick up this book after stumbling upon it on NetGalley while on a Agatha Christie high. I had just discovered Christie's work and was in the mood for a good mystery. The synopsis of 'Olmec Obituary' had me intrigued right away! Other than my new found love of Agatha Christie, and my childhood/current obsession with Nancy Drew, I did not have much experience with mystery novels. So in a way, this was sort of me branching out into a new genre. And I am very glad I did.
'Olmec Obituary' was a wonderfully written novel from beginning to end. I thoroughly enjoyed the character of Dr Elizabeth Pimms because she was a character that was easy to relate to, which is something that I find I do not see a lot of. When the reader feels more connected to the main character, in my opinion, that makes the whole difference. In my experience, I enjoyed books where the main character was unrelateable a lot less than ones with protagonists I could connect with.
To make a long story short, the writing was wonderful, the characters genuine, and the story itself hooks you from page one. I would highly recommend this book and look forward to continuing to read more works by L. J. M. Owen.
pavedwithbookss's review
3.0
I love cosy mysteries and lady detectives, so naturally I was intrigued by the premise of Dr. Pimms, Intermillenial Sleuth: Dr. Elizabeth Pimms, Canberra-based archaeologist-slash-librarian, sets upon solving thousands-year-old cold cases. It's a brilliant idea. As the first installment in the series, Olmec Obituary did a great job setting up the methods of Elizabeth's detections and introducing the core cast of characters. Its inclusion of various cultures is fabulous, but there are moments that gave me pause.
One of my favourite parts of Olmec Obituary is the murder mystery and the detective work. Since the death Elizabeth investigates happened 3000 years ago, the usual detecting procedures don't apply. She can't go around interrogating suspects or inspecting crime scenes. Instead, she hits the books, talks to experts, and works with very old bones. There's a fair sprinkling of explanations around the methods she uses, like radiocarbon and dental non-metric analysis, which was easy to follow. It could be the nerd in me, but I really enjoyed reading about Elizabeth working.
My other favourite part of the book is the family dynamic. Family plays a huge part in Elizabeth's life, and we see both the support she receives from them and the conflict and resentment she feels for them. Her grandparents are a welcomed presence in the story, in turn comforting as well as helpful. It's worth noting that Elizabeth is biracial, half-Welsh, half-Chinese, and I really enjoyed that we got to see both sides and how their influences entwine in her home. In contrast to this, however, I was less taken by the conflict between her and her sister. While at the heart of it the conflict is deeply bitter, I felt that their clashes come across as childish at times.
There were moments when the villains felt a little caricature-ish at times in their actions and descriptions. At one stage, flecks of phlegm gathered at the corners of one of the characters' mouth because he was growing angry. A colleague called Elizabeth out, in front of everyone else they worked with, on not wishing her a happy birthday. I felt that their characterisations could use with more subtlety.
My biggest issue about Olmec Obituary, however, revolves around a couple of lines regarding the Chinese characters. Full disclosure: I come from a diaspora and immigrant background, so I bring my experiences of the assumptions some people make of my background and language skills when they first look at me to my reading. These experiences are why I cringed at the following occurrences in the book:
The first is when Elizabeth meets Mai, the aforementioned colleague, and remarks that Mai looks similar to Nainai, her Chinese grandma. Then it comes as a surprise to her that Mai has an Australian accent. Later in the book, she's talking to Nainai and is struck again by the fact Nainai's English is so much better than her French grandma's. Now, I think there's a plotty reason as to why Elizabeth noticed the similarities between the two Chinese women's appearances, and she may be coming to it from an archaeological perspective about bone structures or something. The delivery, however, at first read as if it was going to be an ignorant comment about how Chinese all look alike. I thought the comments about the accent and the English fluency were weird, particularly given Elizabeth's own background, as it seems underlined by an assumption that Mai would've been foreign, or that French people would be better at English by default. Other readers might not have an issue with this at all. To me, unfortunately, they stuck out.
Overall, Olmec Obituary is a fun and interesting approach to the cosy mystery genre, and I enjoyed its focus on family. It made an effort to include a diverse cast, but there are moments in the book that jarred in my mind regarding its description of its POCs.
(I bought and read a finished copy, thinking that my request for a review copy was not going to be granted. But then it was! So I do have a review copy, but this review was formed on the basis of the finished copy.)
One of my favourite parts of Olmec Obituary is the murder mystery and the detective work. Since the death Elizabeth investigates happened 3000 years ago, the usual detecting procedures don't apply. She can't go around interrogating suspects or inspecting crime scenes. Instead, she hits the books, talks to experts, and works with very old bones. There's a fair sprinkling of explanations around the methods she uses, like radiocarbon and dental non-metric analysis, which was easy to follow. It could be the nerd in me, but I really enjoyed reading about Elizabeth working.
My other favourite part of the book is the family dynamic. Family plays a huge part in Elizabeth's life, and we see both the support she receives from them and the conflict and resentment she feels for them. Her grandparents are a welcomed presence in the story, in turn comforting as well as helpful. It's worth noting that Elizabeth is biracial, half-Welsh, half-Chinese, and I really enjoyed that we got to see both sides and how their influences entwine in her home. In contrast to this, however, I was less taken by the conflict between her and her sister. While at the heart of it the conflict is deeply bitter, I felt that their clashes come across as childish at times.
There were moments when the villains felt a little caricature-ish at times in their actions and descriptions. At one stage, flecks of phlegm gathered at the corners of one of the characters' mouth because he was growing angry. A colleague called Elizabeth out, in front of everyone else they worked with, on not wishing her a happy birthday. I felt that their characterisations could use with more subtlety.
My biggest issue about Olmec Obituary, however, revolves around a couple of lines regarding the Chinese characters. Full disclosure: I come from a diaspora and immigrant background, so I bring my experiences of the assumptions some people make of my background and language skills when they first look at me to my reading. These experiences are why I cringed at the following occurrences in the book:
The first is when Elizabeth meets Mai, the aforementioned colleague, and remarks that Mai looks similar to Nainai, her Chinese grandma. Then it comes as a surprise to her that Mai has an Australian accent. Later in the book, she's talking to Nainai and is struck again by the fact Nainai's English is so much better than her French grandma's. Now, I think there's a plotty reason as to why Elizabeth noticed the similarities between the two Chinese women's appearances, and she may be coming to it from an archaeological perspective about bone structures or something. The delivery, however, at first read as if it was going to be an ignorant comment about how Chinese all look alike. I thought the comments about the accent and the English fluency were weird, particularly given Elizabeth's own background, as it seems underlined by an assumption that Mai would've been foreign, or that French people would be better at English by default. Other readers might not have an issue with this at all. To me, unfortunately, they stuck out.
Overall, Olmec Obituary is a fun and interesting approach to the cosy mystery genre, and I enjoyed its focus on family. It made an effort to include a diverse cast, but there are moments in the book that jarred in my mind regarding its description of its POCs.
(I bought and read a finished copy, thinking that my request for a review copy was not going to be granted. But then it was! So I do have a review copy, but this review was formed on the basis of the finished copy.)
janerel's review
3.0
3 1/2 stars - A simple, easy read with an interesting topic. A bit of analysing and sleuthing required by Dr Pimms to solve an archaeological conundrum where the data given didn't match the facts. A family story running alongside the archaeological one gives a background to Dr Pimm's life. Worth a read. Thanks to The Reading Room for this copy.