| Cleopatra’s
secret spy, known as the Eye, has been murdered. To investigate,
she calls upon one of her childhood friends, the trader’s
daughter, Tetisheri. Now Sheri is the Eye, and must navigate
the murky waters of Alexandrian politics to discover whodunit
without becoming a casualty herself.
I
have always wanted to read this author’s books, and,
being a historical mystery fan, I decided to start here with
the first in a possible new series. Ms Stabenow usually writes
about present day Alaska, but this book shows that she is
also adept at recreating the past. Alexandria, in 47 BC, springs
to instant life, and I was instantly rooting for courageous
Sheri and wanting to know more about her. Her back-story comes
a piece at a time, as does our understanding of life under
Rome in Alexandria.
The
city is a melting pot of different cultures, but the Romans
are in ascendant, and this affects every aspect of life. There
is a lot more going on than just one murder, and what starts
as a trickle is soon a mighty torrent involving a mysterious
group of five soldiers, a sea voyage with pirates, kidnap,
and a whole lot more. There is a spot of romance, but it is
very much a part of the story rather than anything more major,
and the whole is told with the right, light touch that makes
this a pleasure to read rather than a penance.
Grim
things happen, but this is not a grim tale; life can be bad,
but there is much to enjoy too. My only minor gripe it is
that most characters are either goodies or baddies with not
much in the middle, and we all know that is where the most
interesting people are to be found. Iron this out, and this
will be one of my favorite historical mystery series currently
around. If this is a sample of this author’s talent,
I will be eager for more in this series and in search of her
back list. Very highly recommended. |
