Meeting the Minotaur

This is the first novel by Carol Dawson that I've read and I really loved it. The other reviewer mentioned that the characters and some of the story were a bit unbelievable, but that's becuase the story is based on a myth. So, the characters need to be a little larger than life. Overall, though, I didn't feel that the story moved too far outside of the realm of belief. The characters were likable and interesting and good dialouge kept the story moving. It does feel as if the novel is divided into two halves with a brief interlude. It starts out in Mexico, moves to Dallas, and ends in Japan. All three locations are very well developed and visible while reading. The second half of the book moves a lot quicker and I found myslef picking up the pace as the story headed to Japan. The ending is pretty surprising, and the Epilogue provides a nice finality and reminder of the legend it is based on, which lets you know how the story will end without going into it. For a good entertaining read, with a little bit of mythical adventure thrown in, don't miss this novel. Dawson has a very powerful grasp of the English language, so keep your dictionary handy. Also, a slight knowledge of conversational Spanish will help you get through the first half of the book.