Customer Reviews

Three for a Letter

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4 star:		(1)
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2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

John is again on the high wire without a net. He is still Justinian's trusted Lord Chamberlain and still Empress Theodora waits for an opportunity to eliminate him: ". . . the Lord Chamberlain and his head should part company as soon as possible."

The story is set in 539 when Justinan's brilliant general Belisarius is besieging the Ostrogoth capital of Ravenna. Two young potential heirs to the Ostrogoth throne are guests on Zeno's estate outside of Constantinople and one turns up dead. Theodora directs John to solve the crime and he knows he must do so or feel the wrath of "imperial whim".

As John puzzles out the mystery, Mary Reed and Eric Mayer treat us to descriptions of estate life in the country and to theatrical production with a Greek mechanic who creates "automations". The unusual time and settings continue to make this historical mystery series a treat to read.

I agree with Ms. Mehl, whose excellent review of this book matches those of the other professional reviewers, from Publishers Weekly and Booklist, noted elsewhere on this page -- reviewers who, presumably, aim to offer informed, helpful opinions. The novel is fascinating, with a wealth of detail and plot twists and an ending that is rather startling.

This book has it all....depth, character development, writing style, creativity. It is another great offering from its creative and incredible authors.

The character of John is intriguing and the research behind this super series is flawless.

I love this series and can hardly wait for the next one!

Don't miss this!

This book lacks it all....depth, character development, writing style, creativity, and did not hold my interest past page one. The author(s) have a done a poor job (again). A definite non-read!

A dreary, depressing tale with no redeeming aspects. The characters are poorly drawn with the most unrealistic child figure since Macbeth's son (Shakespeare). A sad, sad story poorly written. The other two are so much better.

I am not a reviewer but I know something good when I read it. The book to me was slow to start, but ended up solid. The charaters are will rounded and quite enjoyable. I will read more of this series.

When a young heir to the Ostrogoth throne is found murdered, the Emperoro Justinian demands that his Lord Chamberlain, John the Eunuch, find the killer and protect the heir's twin. Difficult enough tasks in the best of time, but with the Empress Theodora calling for John's head and the continuing intrigues of the Byzantine court as background, John's task is made even harder and more dangerous. Still, John has no choice but to follow Justinian's orders and he begins by trying to track down two men, who turned up missing immediately after the murder.

Authors Mary Reed and Eric Mayer succeed in the challenging triple task of building an interesting character, providing believable historical material (why else would we read a historical mystery), and making the mystery itself exciting. THREE FOR A LETTER combines one of the most interesting periods of history--the period immediately after the fall of the Western Roman Empire and before the emergence of Islam in the East--with truly three dimensional characters, especially John himself. Reed and Mayer's light touch will bring up some smiles to round out a terrific novel.

Any fan of historical mysteries, especially mysteries set in the more distant past, will welcome the JOHN THE EUNUCH stories. THREE FOR A LETTER is the third in the series but these novels may be read in any order.

I can't believe that these two authors wrote the first two books in this series. They were great! This third book just plods slowly along with an uninteresting plotline, vapid characters and a pretty boring conclusion. The main character, John the Eunuch, has lost his you-know-whats...the authors seem to have lost their ability to write a good mystery!

A play presented to the Royal Court of the revered Emperor Justinian is nothing if not dramatic. The mime, Barnabus, a dwarf, and a favorite of the Empress Theodora, plays the part of Jonah to the hilt. The performance is highlighted by the presence of a huge, mechanical whale, designed to swallow the small man whole, thus portraying the story of the fall of Nineveh. However, when the jaws of the large metal beast open, the mangled body of a young boy, Gadaric, one of a set of twins descended from the last Ostrogothic king, lies motionless in the leviathan's mouth. And Barnabus has disappeared.

John, Lord Chamberlain to the Emperor, questions the maker of the mechanical whale, Hero. The inventor assures him that the boy's death was not an accident. John sets out to find out who wanted Gadaric dead - and why.

In this third book of the John the Eunuch series, the saga of the man whose life was changed forever when he was captured and disfigured by slave traders, continues within the richness of a time and place where most readers have never ventured. It is 539 AD, and the story is set in Constantinople, a place full of magic, mysticism and mayhem. John is a unique blend of loyalty, conscience, and depth. Readers will find him to be someone they want to know more about. He is an appealing character from the past, who transitions well into the present.

As always, Mary Reed and Eric Mayer have presented us with a wonderful gift in THREE FOR A LETTER. Readers who love history will be enchanted, while readers who enjoy mystery will be enthralled.

I can't say enough about John the Eunuch, and about the authors who have given us this breathtaking series.

I highly recommend THREE FOR A LETTER, right along with its predecessors, ONE FOR SORROW, and TWO FOR JOY.