I read this book as part of a blog tour hosted by Goddess Fish Promotions. Although I received, this book free as part of the read/review it does not influence my opinion in writing a positive review. To form your own opinion about this book please support the author and acquire you own legal copy.



This book has two main characters, Charlotte and Atakan. Charlotte is in college trying to get her doctorate in archeology. Atakan has already finished and has his doctorate but is an agent in the Turkish government.

Have you ever had a book that you so wanted to read but could never find the time? Well, for me this was one of those books. What normally would only take me 2 – 4 days to read took me over 2 weeks. I was either being ask to come in early to work, ask to stay late at work, or any and everything happening in my home life.



Okay I know enough about me and more about this amazing book. Well if you are looking for something interesting to read over the extended holiday weekend then I highly suggest you click on over to Amazon and download this great book. Why? It is because this book has everything in it. There is a little mystery, crime, romance, and some great drama. This book may be set in modern day but it has some great history wrote in it.

This book starts out with Charlotte on a boat or ship. This boat is rammed by another boat. Charlotte is onboard sleeping when this happens. She then is told by 2 associates that she should leave the boat with this female. While the male stays onboard and will meet them shortly on shore. Okay that is all I am telling about the beginning of this book.

Charlotte is in the process of writing her thesis. I could not imagine writing a thesis. I am in awe of anyone who has completed this challenge in the past.

Reading this book did not just carry me back a couple of centuries it will carry the reader back to the time of Homer, the Trojan War and Troy. If you like archeological, history, with some crime then this is a must read for you.



Thanks for a great read Chris ( )

Archaeology is an endlessly fascinating subject, and the treasures found are often in dispute with countries who claim the artifacts against the backdrop of the teams that find them. This is a book that focuses on an aquatic archaeologist, Charlotte, who believes she has located a ship that was sunk in the battle of Troy, detailed in the Iliad. The Turkish archaeologist also assigned to this dig is less certain, and has many reasons to mistrust Charlotte, after she was unfortunate enough to witness the death of a state agent placed to ensure the safety of any artifacts recovered.

With a tremendous amount of research into place and procedure, the author has managed to seamlessly blend the multitude of facts into this mystery / suspense / romance in a manner that makes for a page turning read. The characters are developed with panache and substance: both the personal quirks and professional pride combine in a unique way to create a palpable picture.

Dialogue is well developed and feels as if it could happen, while the twists and turns in both the archaeology and the murder mystery have many possible solutions that are scuttled until the picture is complete at the end of the book. A truly unique and well-crafted mystery, with a little romance tossed in to spice up the interactions of the characters.

I received an eBook copy from the author for purpose of honest review on the FMB Tour. I was not compensated for this review, and all conclusions are my own responsibility.
( )

Reviewed by: Marissa
Book provided by: Author
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book

While the book started out a bit confusing, once I got past the first few pages I delved into this Mediterranean mystery whole-heartedly. Charlotte, a marine archeologist, begins her time in Turkey at the site of a sunken gulet (I had to look that one up – it’s a two-masted schooner of Turkish design, built in Bodrum and used mainly on the coastal waters of the Eastern Mediterranean) and with the death of a colleague.

Charlotte is a straight-forward type woman. Her mind is solely on her thesis and her career, on finding the link to Troy. She’s doesn’t take one look at Atakan and start thinking about sex like so many other heroines out there. I admired that about her. I also liked the fact that when faced with arrest, she is not a cool cookie – she paces and sweats just like the rest of us would. Every once in a while, she even gets her snark on. In other words, Charlotte is real. She is one of us, Dear Reader, more or less.

Atakan, a representative for the Turkish Ministry of Culture, is as much a mystery as the rest of the story. I thought he exuded an authentic maleness about him, keeping the details of his case to himself and only hinting at his life in general. Even his feelings are held somewhat close to the vest. A part of me wonders if this is a characterization of the typical Turk male, stoic in all things yet passionate about the one thing that matters most – in Atakan’s case, the art and history of Turkey.

The one thing I would have liked to see was more embellishment in the descriptive text. While the author described an open grill and the smells wafting from it in detail, there was no real depiction of the undersea world they were exploring. That is one area I would have loved to see more of, to feel as if I were there diving with them.

Lastly, and this has nothing to do with the writing or the story, the formatting in the PDF version is just horrible. I wouldn’t normally say anything about formatting but in this case it is so bad that it makes the book hard to read. Some pages are formatted singly; others are formatted two-to-a-page. I found myself having to turn my reader and zooming in on one page then out on the next. I’m sure the Kindle and ePub versions must be formatted better, but beware if you pick up the PDF. ( )

I love books that keep me guessing. I think that is why I enjoyed reading Chris Karlsen's Golden Chariot.

Charlotte is excited. She could be on the verge of proving not only that Troy existed but that Hector and Paris existed. Her entire doctorate rides on that,but she has no idea what all is involved on this assignment. Her life could be lost as she finds herself a pawn in a much bigger game that welcomes death as a player.

To be honest, the plot reminds me a Clive Cussler story which is a good thing. I really enjoy his books. I never knew what was going to happen next. That is another very good thing.

Ms. Karlsen has very interesting characters that draw you in. At times their transition in their actions seemed abrupt, but it did not detract from the story. The plot was well laid out. I figured some things out ahead of time, but it didn't ruin the read.

There is some language in this book. It's not bad, but enough that I should warn you. I don't see it as needless. It wasn't just thrown in there to make it more fashionable. It was used to explore the personalities of the characters.

This is a book you need to check out if you like this genre. It has mystery, suspense, romance, and adventure. What I love about the romance part is that it wasn't the entire story. Ms. Karlsen didn't focus on just that. She wove it in expertly.

Check this book out.

Note: This book was provided as part of a book tour with no expectation of a positive review. ( )