Byzantium, capitol of the 6th century Roman Empire, simmers a rich stew of creeds, cultures, and citizens with a sprinkling of cutthroats and crimes. John the Eunuch, Emperor Justinian's Lord Chamberlain, orders a Christian court while himself observing the rites of Mithra. Thomas, a knight from ...
A host of totally new stories written by some of the most popular writers of historical mysteries brings to life the glorious and nefarious world that for nearly a thousand years—from the founding of the Republic in 510 B.C. to the deposing of the last emperor, Romulus, in 476 A.D.—was ancient Ro...
"In this captivating prequel set in sixth-century Constantinople, the fourth in Reed and Mayer's well-received historical series (One for Sorrow, Two for Joy, Three for a Letter, etc.), the future emperor Justinian asks a young slave named John the Eunuch to investigate the murder of philanthropi...
The year is 542. While plague stalks Constantinople, an angel sets John the Eunuch on the trail of a human killer.Peter, John's elderly servant, claims a heavenly visitor revealed a murder to him. It transpires Peter's old army friend has indeed been stabbed, but then John discovers that Gregory ...
Rating: 3* of five The Book Description: High jinx in the imperial court mixes with lowlife in Constantinople's mean streets..."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...
A storm was moving in from the Sea of Marmara and prudent men should long since have headed home. Irritated, John, Lord Chamberlain to Emperor Justinian, tossed aside the skewer with the charred remnants of his simple meal of grilled fish and scanned the small colonnaded forum again. ...
John observed as Felix peered into his office from the doorway to the atrium. “Come in. Sit down. Never mind the blood!” Felix noticed that the long cut running across the knuckles of his right hand still bled. “You’re going to have quite a scar the...
The physician’s slurred speech made it plain he had stormed the territory and commandeered the wine some time before and was ready to continue campaigning, given the opportunity. Already chagrined over the Cappadocian’s brazen claim on his services, John was not pleased to...
He didn’t bother to see if anyone had taken down the hanged man. Surely the corpse would have been noticed and removed hours before. Instead he took a ramp behind the starting gates and descended into the maze of stables and storage rooms under the racetrack. The sound of his boots hitting the co...
As he approached along the graveled path, she looked up from her labor and began to giggle. “Anatolius, where are you going dressed like that?” “I borrowed this fine clothing from Francio. Don’t you like it?” “Since you ask, I don’t think those bird...
The sound echoed in the hallway, but Peter did not respond. Even in his own home, the Lord Chamberlain was being thwarted. It was as if he had succumbed to the plague and unknowingly entered a dreary afterlife where the pagan dead knocked forever at doors that refused to o...
Although he had spoken with the mosaic maker about the repairs he desired, he had not made final arrangements and it seemed to John that investigations would be better served by giving Cornelia something pleasant to contemplate, rather than brooding on the possible dangers posed to him by looking...