Rise of the Snake Goddess

Gr 9 Up–Aspiring archeologist Sam Knox finds herself in another magical mess as she attempts to participate in a dig in Crete in the early 1920s. The fallout from her first adventure in Ireland doesn’t help her case when the misogynistic Professor Atchinson refuses to allow her to accompany the graduate field expedition, even though she has earned her place. However, a well-timed letter sends her and two best friends sailing off to Greece, where they encounter all manner of criminals and find the golden girdle of the Snake Goddess, which sets off a chain of events that could destroy the world. The star of this show is Sam’s friend Joana, an insouciant flapper with nerves of steel (mostly) and the ability to talk her way into and out of most trouble, while looking fabulous and cracking jokes. Her brother Bennett, Sam’s boyfriend, is a little stodgy and exasperated, and Sam herself is kind of a mess. There are earthquakes, mythological monsters, archaic rituals, smugglers with guns, and plenty of alcoholic beverages. Knowledge of the first book would definitely fill in some gaps. Characters present white.