California Author Anna Wilmans, Pens Fictional Book
The Mask Hunter
,
A Provocative, Historical Mystery Novel That Lays Bare An Oft Shady Antiquities Trade
When asked what her new book
THE MASK HUNTER
is about, Anna replies, "The Mask Hunter follows a hypothetical death mask of Alexander the Great from his discovery in Egypt through its journey in the antiquities underworld and eventually back to its owner. The mask is a fictional vehicle illustrating the illegal antiquities trade. Parthi Guthrie (the Protagonist) herself journeys from young naïve girl to fearless heroin."
tells the story of the malfeasance of the antiquities trade through the lens of a fictional funerary mask of Alexander the Great...the novel is an archaeological mystery, the centerpiece of which is that fictional golden death mask. Initially discovered in Egypt, it is smuggled through the underground channels and into the hands of the curator of Los Angeles' Warner Museum. Very soon, both the curator and The Mask drop from sight. Years later, former archaeologist Parthi Guthrie is brought into the search for The Mask by her former husband and shady underground antiquities dealer Barry Epstein. The quest for The Mask takes them throughout the world, including the Vatican. During the hunt, people are killed, and Parthi barely escapes with her life. Although The Mask Hunter and all the characters are pure fiction, the underlying story of the process of smuggling antiquities from their places of origin into major museum and private collections is completely factual and the information on Alexander the Great is historically accurate.