Professor Kate Fansler reluctantly agrees to take on a seminar at the Theban, the private girls’ school she had attended some 20 years earlier, although she has very little faith in her ability to “relate” to adolescent girls in 1970 New York City. When the mother of one of her seminar students is found dead at the school, the day after the brother of that same student was found unconscious there, naturally Kate’s curiosity is piqued - but she may have to dig deeper into familial relationships than she is comfortable doing…. I must admit that I had to look up Sophocles’ play “Antigone” before starting this book; I can retell Celtic myths for days, even some Greek, but Greek tragedies never figured too much in my schooling; that said, one doesn’t really need to know the play to get this novel as enough of it is brought into the story for context. The Vietnam War is a recurring theme in this novel, along with caustic mentions of the then-current Vice President (Agnew) who is never mentioned by name; to many modern readers these will seem as interjections of history unless, like me, they are old enough to remember those entities first-hand. I am enjoying this series, although sometimes flabbergasted by how much social attitudes and societal norms have changed since the books were written; I only wish I was as erudite as the author supposes her readers to be! Recommended. ( )

This is actually a good mystery for young adults. A quick look at "Antigone" will enhance the plot. I also found this 4th book in the Fansler series to be the the best so far, but Cross still struggles with plausible endings. This one had a spectacularly ridiculous denouement. At least that prevented guessing the end! ( )

Now married to Reed, her long-time special friend, Kate Fansler is looking forward to her semester on leave when she answers an urgent appeal from her old high school, the Theban, which needs her to teach a senior seminar on “the Antigone,” as they refer to it. Soon, she is pulled into a very Theban drama as one of the young girls hides her draft-dodging brother in the building at night—where he is apprehended by the caretaker’s dogs. She is loyal to him over the objections of their grandfather, representing Creon, who would use his influence to get the boy a nice safe position stateside but who nevertheless thinks he should answer the call. It’s when the girl’s mother is found dead in the school—was she frightened to death by the dogs?—that things really get interesting for Kate and Reed.

Some Kate Fansler novels can be too powerfully academic for a modern general reader (even a modern reader with a master’s degree), but this isn’t one of them. Familiarity with Antigone is helpful but not essential. Ideas and values have a powerful role to play as Kate questions whether it’s really better to find out the answer and old Mr. Jablon pits himself against the younger generation. ( )

2941 The Theban Mysteries, by Amanda Cross (read 29 Dec 1996) The Delta Epsilon Sigma journal referred to the author as an author of 'academic' detective novels, and so I decided to read one of them. I was put off by the hedonistic life style of the detective and did not believe the writing of high caliber. What makes the book unusual is the serious attention given aspects of Antigone (which I read Nov. 12, 1952). I am not saying I won't read at least one more book by Amanda Cross. [And I did--one.] ( )

Scholar takes on girl's school senior class covering Antigone, the Greek play, and she and her husband (?) take on a mystery at the school.

Set in the 60's: interesting dialogues on students', parents', and teachers' concerns over the war and how they relate to the play's topics on ethics and (differing notions of) duty. ( )