Once upon a time Zeus decided to have a Government made up of Gods and Humans. One of the humans who was hired for this body, as member of the Olympic Bureau of Investigation, was Plato Jones. After a fallout, Jones decided to work on his own as Private Investigator, but was hired by Zeus himself to unearth an impossible act - the murder of a god.
Robert B. Warren's premise made for a very interesting read, refreshingly different in its portrayal of a world where missing gorgons and disappearing scientists co-exist, and demigods, humans, satyrs and minotaurs work together.
What was slightly disappointing was the fact that, despite the title setting certain expectations, Warren really did not write a murder mystery. The narrative fell into a cycle of Jones going to one person, asking questions, getting no answers, getting one name (which, in the overall absence of in-depth characterizations, was no more than blatant name-dropping), going over to that person, asking ... and so on (punctuated by random rounds of beatings by hired goons). There really was not even a semblance of intelligent detective work.
What I found even more annoying however, was the slightly juvenile writing that broke through every now and then: the secretary doing her nails sitting at reception, the gorgeous woman discovering her husband was cheating on her and crying on, and kissing, the detective, the “playful smack on the rear” of women who then proceed to “squeal and hurry along” ... Argh!
Overall, however, I liked the setting of this world; the interaction of gods and humans, and the brief glimpse into the mansions and the lives of the gods made for a light, fun read.
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