Reed Stirling – författare

> "e;Shades of Persephone is a literary mystery that will entertain those who delight in exotic settings, foreign intrigue, and the unmasking of mysterious characters. Crete in 1980-81, more specifically the old Venetian harbour of Chania, provides the background against which expat Canadian Steven Spire labours in pursuit of David Montgomery, his enigmatic and elusive mentor, who stands accused in absentia of treachery and betrayal. The plot has many seams through which characters slide, another of them being the poet Emma Leigh, widow of Montgomery's imposing Cold War adversary, Heinrich Trüger. In that the setting is Crete, the source of light is manifold, but significant inspiration for Steven Spire comes from Magalee De Bellefeuille, his vision of Aphrodite and his muse. "e;Find Persephone,"e; she directs him, "e;and you'll find David Montgomery."e;  Her prompts motivate much of the narrative, including that of the Cretan underground during the Nazi occupation, 1941- 45. Shades of Persephone presents a story of love and sensuality, deception and war, spiritual quest and creative endeavour. The resolution takes an unanticipated turn but comes as no surprise to the discerning reader. Like Hamlet who must deal with his own character in following the injunctions of his ghostly father, Steven Spire discovers much about the city to which he has returned, but much more about himself and his capacity for love."e;

Day one: check-in on the Iphigenia, a Boat & Bike home for thirty guests of diverse backgrounds on a one week excursion through Holland and Belgium. Personalities clash, conflicts arise. Day seven: a body is found in canal waters at the stern of the boat. On the final morning a second body is discovered. Who among the cyclists and crew is hateful and motivated enough to kill? Twice. How are the two murders related? Why two coins for the ferryman? Is the phoenix jug, both admired and derided, merely symbolic? How does the death mask of Agamemnon lead to resolution? Determining truth entails travelling from Amsterdam to Bruges to Paris to the ancient site of Mycenae in Greece where what's past is shown to be prologue.

Leaving Amsterdam, twenty engaging personalities begin a seven-day bike and barge excursion through the Netherlands. Allegiances form, love interests develop, conflicts arise, and a cyclist's lifeless body mars their arrival in Maastricht. Who is responsible? The insulted chef? An angry deckhand? The most antagonized among the guests? Everyone onboard, the result of a well-wrought plot?Eros? Could the culprit be the god of love whose arrows never miss their mark and whose intentions never falter? Editorial ReviewJD ShiptonCupid?  No.  Not on this voyage.  Instead we catch a ride on the breeze with Eros, and on the Dutch canals with the river barge Amoretto Algea.  The perspectives from each are engaging, even challenging at times.  What do you really know about love and the whims of the gods?  Sterling understands well these unfathomables and the questions we ought to be asking.