- Hardcover: 335 pages
- Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press (Oct 10 2000)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 189020837X
- ISBN-13: 978-1890208370
- Product Dimensions: 22.4 x 14.7 x 2.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 567 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #2,060,107 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
This sequel to One for Sorrow continues the sixth-century adventures of John the Eunuch in the bustling, intrigue-filled city of Constantinople. The authors successfully create a setting in which Christianity, now the dominant religion under Emperor Justinian, is not only challenged by other beliefs but contested from within by competing factions. John, a former student and slave risen to the lofty but precarious position of Lord Chamberlain, is at storm center. First, Justinian charges him with investigating the fiery deaths of several "stylites"Dholy men who live alone atop pillars. Three of the stylites appear to have burst into consuming flames. John is sent along with his friend, Senator Flavius Aurelius, to meet with Michael, a prophet proclaiming a "quaternity" rather than a trinity of Christian godhood. Michael, who's attracting a growing following, claims to have foretold the stylites' deaths. It's punnish but apt to describe the plot as byzantine. Competition between rival chariot teams threatens to erupt into riots. Michael and his movement could prove a danger to the empire. The whims of Theodora, Justinian's powerful and ruthless wife, threaten more disruptions. The murder of a friend, imprisonment of another and the machinations of Justinian, Theodora and Michael combine to test John's ingenuity and resolve to the utmost. Fascinating historical details help compensate for an overly complex and sprawling story line, but the relative ignorance within the general mystery readership about this historical period could limit sales. (Dec. 7)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Fans of Roman-era mysteries (like Lindsey Davis' extremely popular Marcus Didius Falco series) are in for a real treat. This one, the sequel to One for Sorrow (1999), is set in and around Constantinople, in the Byzantine Empire, during the reign of Emperor Justinian. When three men are burned to death during a rainstorm--talk about your suspicious circumstances--John, the Emperor's Lord Chamberlain, is sent to the Shrine of Saint Michael, where a disturbing group of pilgrims, led by a man who also calls himself Michael, has set up camp. This new-age prophet is predicting that terrible (but unspecified) things will happen if he is not granted an immediate audience with Justinian. Is Michael a crackpot, or does he possess genuine divine powers? Or is he, perhaps, merely a murderer? This is a very intelligent novel; its examination of the nature of belief and faith (and deception) is as insightful and well reasoned as some book-length nonfiction treatments of the same subjects. Add to that a rich and fascinating setting, a solid mystery, and a few surprises, and you have a novel that will capture the interest of anyone who picks it up. If the perfect historical mystery is one that uses the past to let us see the present from a new angle, then this is darned close to being the perfect historical mystery. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Flames on the Bosphoros,
By
This review is from: Two For Joy (Paperback)
This time John must divine the cause of stylites suddenly bursting into flames. Is it a godly punishment for blasphemy or the work of sinister plotters? John, Lord Chamberlain in sixth-century Byzantium, must solve the mystery, save his friend Anatolius from execution, keep the city from being destroyed by a panic stricken populace and keep his own head from being detached from his body.Mary Reed and Eric Mayer bring Justinian and his empress Theodora to life though John's eyes: "Caught unawares, she was simply a short attractive woman, her complexion carefully lightened by chalk, her deep set eyes accentuated by artful application of kohl, as if she depended upon enticement to work her will, rather than command." Theodora sees herself as the power behind the throne and John must step carefully as he serves Justinian and protects the empire. As in the previous volume, the authors take us to the shores of the Bosphoros and present life in the ancient city. Philo, once John's instructor at the Athens academy, incidentally introduces a board game called shatranj: ". .. something to do with trapping your opponent's king." This sort of historical color, along with the mystery, make this series an entertaining read.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing!,
By Mari Ulmer (Ranchos de Taos, NM United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Two for Joy (Hardcover)
This book is an outstanding mystery with plot turns as intricate as Byzantium's court intrigue and with such seamless detail the reader cannot tell what is fiction and what history. I call it amazing because the reader is not only swept into the larger currents of life as the old gods fell to the new but also such minute detail, one is living it with the characters. The pacing is excellent for an exciting read and the sense of place beautifully crafted. I seldom read historical mysteries; I'm delighted I made an exception here. Mari Ulmer, Taos, NM
2.0 out of 5 stars
What's the buzz...,
By Octoberflybaby "body-n-soul" (Massachusetts USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Two for Joy (Hardcover)
I'm sorry I don't share the enthusiasm of previous reviewers about this book. I borrowed it at the library because I liked the cover (by the way, I looked in vain in the book for a reference to the jacket illustration) and I was intrigued to read a plot about Justinian's and Theodora's court. I found the book hard to read because it's not well written (and has many typos), it's difficult to get attached to any single one of its many characters, and the style of the descriptions really failed to put me in the picture. Three religions are "described" in the book: Orthodox Christianity, Heretic Christianity, and Mithraism, but you'll be hard pressed to know what each stands for after reading THIS book... I finished reading it only because I was hoping it would get better in the end--no such luck!
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