When I make up a Classics Club list, I always take the opportunity to add a few old favorites for a re-read. This time, I picked Mary Stewart’s The Moon-Spinners.
Nicola Ferris has gotten a head start on her holiday by accepting a lift to her destination, the village of Agios Georgios on the island of Crete. Since she is arriving a day early, she decides to take a walk up into the White Mountains instead of going into the village. She is enjoying her day when she feels someone spying on her and then she is attacked.
She finds herself in the company of a wounded English tourist, Mark Langley, and his guide Lambis. Mark came across an argument resulting in murder and was wounded by the murderer, who took away Mark’s teenage brother, Colin. Mark does not know who the people were and whether it would be safe to go to the authorities or whether that would jeopardize his brother.
Nicola helps them by taking care of Mark for one night while Lambis fetches supplies from his caique. However, once she reaches her hotel, she realizes that she has chanced into the middle of the wrongdoers—Stratos, the owner of the hotel; Sophia, his sister; and Tony, the English hotel manager. The murderer seems to be Sophia’s Turkish husband, Josef.
As Nicola and her older cousin Frances innocently pursue their holiday, Nicola keeps finding clues about the murder and begins to hope she can find Colin.
You can’t beat Stewart for descriptions of exotic locales, suspenseful plots, and a bit of romance. She’s a great storyteller and a fine writer.
What? Me Read? 
I love Mary Stewart’s books and this one has beautiful descriptions of Crete. I think I only have two of her suspense novels left to read (My Brother Michael and Wildfire at Midnight).
Those are both good. I have been rereading her books for ages.
Sounds like a good summer read.
Yes, perfect.
I’ve read all of her books, but it might be time for a few re-reads, something I rarely do.
There are some authors that I have to periodically re-read, and she is one.
I’ve not read Mary Stewart before, but I’m taking one of her books along on my trip to Scotland — Stormy Petrel.
That’s one of her later one, so it isn’t quite as good, but I hope you’ll like it.