Moonspinners has as its heroine Nicola Ferris, who has the enviable job of working on the island of Crete as a secretary at the British Embassy. On ones of her days off, she runs into a couple of hiking companions who have accidentally found a bloody scene of carnage. And just like that, in the blink of an eye, the idyllic life that Nicola loves is suddenly threatened with the possibility of coming to a unexpected, cruel, and horrifying end.

Nicola winds up tramping through the wilderness with Mark and trying to nurse him back to health. After she has done the job as best she could, Lambis insists she leave because it is too dangerous for a woman to be there, and Mark agrees. Since they have been trying to get rid of her ever since she got there, she should not be surprised - yet she was surprised, and hurt.

Back in civilization, many mysteries once again start to unfold that Nicola cannot understand and no one will explain to her for fear that she will get hurt. There is a supposed murder, an actual murder, accusations of treachery, and rampant distrust that the characters try to overcome.

The principal characters could be better developed and the plot drags a bit in places. Since this novel was first released in 1962, there are no love scenes, so those readers who have to have some titillation in their romance novels will probably be disappointed. The male characters sometimes say things that are definitely chauvinistic, but what can one expect considering the time frame in which the book was written?

If you want to time-travel back to the early sixties, where women were talked down to and sent away anytime things got rough, this book is for you. If you prefer books that empower women, steer clear of The Moonspinners.