THE LOST GODDESS

When an archaeologist unearths Neolithic skulls in France with multiple holes drilled into their foreheads and arrowheads still lodged in their bones, the discovery causes the brutal murder of her mentor. It’s a great premise; however, this anthropological thriller disappoints even though Christopher Evan Welch’s narration does not. He realistically portrays archaeologist Julia Kerrigan, photographer Jake Thurby, and a strange demonic woman who links the three. Welch’s capable reading takes listeners from the prehistoric caves of Western Europe to the jungles of Southeast Asia in a mystery that includes the mysterious Hands of Gargas and the Plain of Jars. It’s too bad that the story becomes bogged down with extraneous details on the likes of Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge, and more. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2012]