I generally think of this series of in terms of excellent storytelling, a Golden Age feel to the writing, and a you-are-there vividly accurate depiction of a very different place and time. In other words, civilized entertainment providing a great escape from today and its problems. Civilized only up to a point of course; these are murder mysteries. And while John himself is a civilized person, that’s not so true of the milieu or people around him. Which means there’s plenty of danger and action in there too, as much in the current book as any.

What I don’t necessarily think of is grab-you-by-the-throat-and-don’t-let-go openings. Not until I read Eight for Eternity, that is. No, I’m not going to spoil things with the details, but no matter what your usual reading, if you aren’t thoroughly engaged by the end of that opening scene, you probably need to be checked for a pulse.

The Nika (Victory) riots of 532 were part of real life history. John finds himself caught in the middle of both the violent riots and the equally dangerous court politics around them. Urged on by John’s superior, who is jealous of his own position, and the glittering malice of his Empress, Emperor Justinian makes John responsible for finding the ringleaders of the revolt, for discovering the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of two of them, and for keeping secure the family the rioters would set in Justinian’s place. All of which is made nearly impossible by the riot-filled streets. Failure, however. is not a survivable option.

This is a fascinating depiction of a time in Byzantine history I knew little about, wrapped around some satisfying puzzles. Interesting characters, a colorful setting and non-stop action offered up in lucid, eminently readable prose: there are good reasons this is one of my favorite historical mystery series. I also found the glossary at the end very useful (yes, I know, but they aren’t always).  I do have one small quibble, to do with the publisher rather than the authors, and I'm posting it mainly to save other readers confusion. I wish the cover blurbs made it clear this is to some degree a prequel. Some of what was inside had me scratching my head until I actually looked up the setting for prior books and compared the dates.

Highly recommended.