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Title: Cup of Blood

Subtitle: A Crispin Guest Medieval Noir Prequel

Author: Jeri Westerson

Narrator: Tim Campbell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-14-14

Publisher: Old London Press

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 61 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

When a corpse turns up at his favorite tavern, Crispin Guest - disgraced knight turned detective - begins an inquiry, but the dead man turns out to be a Templar knight, an order thought to be extinct for 75 years, charged with protecting a certain religious relic which is now missing. Before he can begin to investigate, Crispin is abducted by shadowy men who are said to be minions of the French anti-pope. Further complicating matters are two women: one from court with an enticing proposition, and another from Crispin's past, dredging up long-forgotten emotions he would rather have left behind. And as if all that weren't enough, a cunning young cutpurse by the name of Jack Tucker has insinuated himself into Crispin's already difficult life. The deeper Crispin probes into the murder, the more it looks like the handiwork of an old friend turned adversary. With enemies from all sides, Crispin has his hands full in more than murder in this intriguing prequel to the acclaimed series.

Members Reviews:

Enjoyable beginning for the Crispin Guest series

Would you listen to Cup of Blood again? Why?

Yes - I enjoy the characters, the plot, and the writing.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Crispin Guest - he's a man who has been betrayed by people he thought were his friends. Guest, who was once a knight, has his title, money, and lands taken from him. Now he has to make a living as a "tracker" - someone who finds things or people for a price. Since the story is set under Richard II in England in the late 14th century, social classes are very distinct.

What about Tim Campbells performance did you like?

I love this man's voice. My cats love his voice, too. He does a great job with all the different voices from different classes, and his women's voices are good, too.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed often at the interaction between Crispin and Jack Tucker, the eleven year old boy who sort of becomes Crispin's assistant - Jack is kept busy running to the tavern for wine, cleaning up Crispin's messy room, etc.

Any additional comments?

This is the prequel to six books in the Crispin Guest series. Audible has these six books, and the author has recently announced that there are more to come.

Good Historical Fiction

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Good plot. I particularly enjoy historical fiction.This is a prequel to other stories to follow. Will definitely be checking them out as well.

What about Tim Campbells performance did you like?

Tim Campbell is an excellent narrator. Would not hesitate to listen to other audio books narrated by Mr. Campbell.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No particular moment. Crispin Guest, disgraced, stripped of his titles, yet still held on to his pride. Enemies abound around every corner, strong character.

Any additional comments?

I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.

Templars and the Grail

This book made me feel I was really in London in the time of Richard II. The mystery is tangled and intriguing, and the descriptions of the environment and people are just wonderful. The character of Crispin is particularly compelling.

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Title: Shadows in Bronze

Subtitle: Falco, Book 2

Author: Lindsey Davis

Narrator: Gordon Griffin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-12-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

I was the new boy, so they saddled me with the worst jobs. Rome, AD 71. Against his better judgement, Falco secretly disposes of a decayed corpse for the Emperor Vespasian, then heads for the beautiful Bay of Naples with his best friend Petronius. He conveniently forgets to mention to his companion that this will be no holiday. They have been sent to investigate the murderous members of a failed coup, now sunning themselves in luxurious villas and on fancy yachts.

The idyllic seaside location further complicates his seemingly doomed romance with Helena Justina. The deeper he probes, the more it seems Helena is inextricably connected to the elite plotters, in ways that the smitten Falco cannot bear to contemplate.

Members Reviews:

Enjoyable read

Enjoyed the story but prefer Christian Rodska as narrator - he sounded more realistic. Will definitely read more by this author.

good story, performed by pensioner!

What did you like best about Shadows in Bronze? What did you like least?

this follow up story from 'The Silver Pigs' is wonderful, but the narration is now taken over by a man who is obviously elderly and has a trick of tailing off his sentences which robs the narrative of any excitement.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Falco and Helena Justina. because it is about their relationship and the tragedy which befalls

them.

How could the performance have been better?

CHANGE THE NARRATOR FOR SOMEONE WHO SOUNDS YOUNG!

Do you think Shadows in Bronze needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

it's already got a whole library of follow ups.

Any additional comments?

just change the narrator. Gordon Griffin sounds like a nice guy, but his narration robs the story of any emotion.

Not Falco with this narrator.

Couldn't cope with the change of narrator from the impeccable Christian Rodska. Dull and lacking character after his cheeky verve in Silver Pigs. Returned to Audible.

Will have to continue my binge reread on paper till I get to where Rodska takes over again.

Bring back Christian Rodska

Would you listen to Shadows in Bronze again? Why?

I enjoyed the story - the quirks of Falco's character voice and the vividly real people and places he encounters.

I missed Christian Rodska so much, though. He was the perfect voice of Falco in the first volume.

What did you like best about this story?

Characterization; sense of time and place.

What three words best describe Gordon Griffins performance?

Dull. Old. Errors.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes, but it would be a spoiler to say who gets hurt.

I did like Falco's care of the less fortunate - his seemingly endless family, and especially the sacred goat.

Any additional comments?

If Lindsey has any input on the choice of narrator, please, I beg her to insist on Christian Rodska.

The narrator is not a patch on the original.

A lot of the dry humour is lost in this book from stilted narration. The main personality of the main character seems lost on Gordon Griffin. It is still a good story, and the characters are very well written. Might read, rather than listen to the next instalment.

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Title: Murder at Marble House

Author: Alyssa Maxwell

Narrator: Eva Kaminsky

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-18-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 38 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

With the dawn of the 20th century on the horizon, the fortunes of the venerable Vanderbilt family still shine brightly in the glittering high society of Newport, Rhode Island. But when a potential scandal strikes, the Vanderbilts turn to cousin and society page reporter Emma Cross to solve a murder and a disappearance...

Responding to a frantic call on her newfangled telephone from her 18-year-old cousin, Consuelo Vanderbilt, Emma Cross arrives at the Marble House mansion and learns the cause of her distress - Consuelo's mother, Alva, is forcing her into marriage with the Duke of Marlborough. Her mother has even called in a fortune teller to assure Consuelo of a happy future. But the future is short-lived for the fortune teller, who is found dead by her crystal ball, strangled with a silk scarf. Standing above her is one of the Vanderbilts' maids, who is promptly taken into police custody. After the frenzy has died down, Consuelo is nowhere to be found. At Alva's request, Emma must employ her sleuthing skills to determine if the vanishing Vanderbilt has eloped with the beau of her choice - or if her disappearance may be directly connected to the murder...

Members Reviews:

Emma is my new best friend

If you are looking for a great who-done-it told by a true word artist please pick up Murder at Marble House. Not only will you be swept into yesteryear but you will be kept guessing until the last minuet. The books just keep getting better.

Murder among the Vanderbilts

In Murder at Marble House, Emma Cross, society columnist for the newspaper and a cousin to the elite Vanderbilt family in the 1890s, is taking a much needed rest after proving her brother innocent of murder in Murder at the Breakers. Initially too tired to respond to an important phone call from her cousin, Consuelo Vanderbilt, Emma gives in when she hears the angst in Consuelos voice. Her aunt, Alva, meets her at the door and demands that Emma exert her fullest influence on Consuelo to make her agree to go along happily with the familys plans to make her marry the Duke of Marlborough, since Americans have been long enamored of British titles. Although a firm believer in a womans right to decide lifes significant actions, such as whom to marry, Emma points out the positive side of Lord Marlborough, and the pair go down the stairs together smiling. Alva introduces them to a visitor, the 70-year-old Hope Stanford, who has served as a significant leader of the women suffrage movement and is also tied to the temperance movement. She even brags about taking an axe to the barrooms, a la Carrie Nation.

But Alva has a further surprise in store for Consuelo. She has invited the influential fortune teller Madame Devereaux to perform her craft. However, upon touching Consuelos hand, Madame Devereaux pulls back, very upset, repeating over and over that the man Consuelo intends to marry is bad. As one might imagine, this does not go over well with Alva, who hisses at Madame Devereaux that she had better have good things to say about the duke or she will be sorry. Emma will recall those words a few minutes later when they find Madame Devereaux strangled and Alvas ladies maid standing over her with the scarf in her hands. Clara says she followed a noise to find the body and was trying to free the woman, but Alva insists upon the police staying the servant.

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Title: A New York Christmas

Author: Anne Perry

Narrator: Saskia Maarleveld

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-06-14

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 67 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Anne Perry's new Christmas novel is an irresistible tale of love, betrayal, greed, murder, and selfless devotion. For the first time, Perry's annual yuletide offering is set in New York City - a sparkling young metropolis bursting with life, promise, and subtle menace.

The year is 1904. Twenty-three-year-old Jemima Pitt, the daughter of Thomas Pitt, head of Britain's Special Branch, is crossing the Atlantic. She is traveling with an acquaintance, Delphinia Cardew, who is to marry the aristocratic Brent Albright in a high-society New York wedding - a grand affair that will join together two fabulously wealthy families, titans of the international financial world. But Jemima senses a mysterious shadow darkening the occasion. Missing from the festivities is Delphinia's mother, Maria, who is marked by disgrace. Nearly sixteen years ago, Maria abandoned young Delphinia and disappeared - and now the Albrights refuse to mention her name. But when Harley, the groom's charismatic brother, asks Jemima to help him search for Maria and forestall the scandal that would surely follow if the prodigal parent turned up at the wedding, she agrees to assist him.

From Hell's Kitchen to Fifth Avenue, the Lower East Side to Central Park, Jemima trudges through strange, snowy streets, asking questions but getting few answers - and never suspecting that she is walking into mortal danger, from which not even a handsome young police officer named Patrick Flannery may be able to protect her. Once more, Anne Perry delivers a suspenseful, deeply moving novel that captures the essence of the holiday spirit.

Critic Reviews:

"Perry's Victorian-era holiday mysteries... are for many an annual treat." (

The Wall Street Journal)

...vastly entertaining." (

The Star-Ledger)

"...as delicious as mince pie and plum pudding." (

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Members Reviews:

A pretty typical Anne Perry Christmas story

Would you consider the audio edition of A New York Christmas to be better than the print version?

No, I found the narrator's approach a little too wide-eyed and "gee whiz" for my tastes.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters, and the echoes of the initial book in the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series, where the parents of this story's central character first become acquainted.

What aspect of Saskia Maarlevelds performance would you have changed?

See above.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Oh, please! What is with these questions? They are not ones I want to read answers to when I'm deciding whether I want to read a book.

Any additional comments?

The mystery is not mysterious -- the only suspense is about how long it will take for the police and Jemima to recognize who the killer *obviously* is. But spending time with the characters was most satisfying.

A bit choppy and short, not Christmas at all!

I was hoping for a historical Christmas romance but got a choppy mystery instead. The narrator was quite good for both male and female voices and all the dialects.

A great diversion!

What made the experience of listening to A New York Christmas the most enjoyable?

The continuing characters.

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Title: The Forsaken Inn

Author: Anna Katharine Green

Narrator: Gabrielle de Cuir

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-05-14

Publisher: Skyboat Media, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

An old and dilapidated inn in upstate New York provides the setting for this gothic mystery involving two couples in the 1700s.

Edwin Urquhart, loved by two sisters, chooses to marry the elder. Arriving at the Forsaken Inn for their honeymoon, they occupy an apartment containing a secret chamber. That night, the young bride is murdered and buried in this secret room. Did her new husband commit the crime - or is something much more sinister afoot?

Members Reviews:

Classic- Highly recommended

Classic memior style mystery. Well written. I found it a bit predictable, but I'll bet at the time it was written that it was shocking! It is still worth a read since it was so very well written.

What a tale!

Gave it 5 stars because I believe it to be one of the most interesting stories that I have ever read.

very interesting 19th century novel

I loved the twists and turns of the story...and enjoyed how the author used different adjectives and nouns popular during the 1800's to 1900's. Also, I enjoyed the old colloquial expressions not used by today's modern writers, and the author had me heading for the dictionary on my e-reader to research their origins. It felt like Anna Green may have been one of the first authors to write the women's sleuth novels so popular today.

Excellent read

Written about a mystery in 17th century ---lots of surprises.

Louisa May Alcott would have loved it

I gave this a good try. I like Victorian literature as a rule, but this one was too much for me. High melodrama is not my cup of tea. I'm sure that if Louisa May Alcott ever got her hands on this book, she loved it.

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Title: Star of the East

Subtitle: A Lady Emily Christmas Story

Author: Tasha Alexander

Narrator: Bianca Amato

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-28-14

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 138 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

From New York Times best-selling author Tasha Alexander comes Star of the East, a Lady Emily holiday story that will enchant listeners and keep them guessing until the very last tick... Emily and Colin Hargreaves make it a rule to spend as little time as possible with her parents in Kent, but are unable to refuse Lady Catherine Bromleys invitation to join them for a pre-Christmas party that includes the family of Ala Kapur Singh, a powerful Punjabi maharaja who has come to England after receiving the Order of the Star of India. Lady Bromley, quite taken with the exotic beauty and spectacular jewels of the maharani and her daughter, Sunita, throws herself with abandon into her own version of Indian culture, planning a feast she is certain will be more spectacular than any seen on the sub-continent. When a priceless diamond maang tika and a simple gold bangle disappear from Sunitas room, a diplomatic incident seems imminent, particularly after the maang tika turns up in Emilys possession. Emily may have what appears to be the more valuable of the two pieces, but the maang tika cannot be worn without the bangle, upon which is engraved the words necessary to ward off a curse placed on the set 500 years ago by a princess forced to forsake the man she loved. Sunita must wear the maang tika at her wedding but cannot do so without the bangle. Can Emily convince the maharaja that she is not a thief? And, more important, can she and Colin find the bangle?

Members Reviews:

It Did What Audible Wanted It To

This short novella, picked up "for cheap" during the member appreciation sale, got me hooked. Never heard of this author or character (Lady Emily) before, but really enjoyed this brief taste, and am now set to try one of the full-length books in the series. Not a particularly compelling mystery (it involves a theft, there's no murder), but the strained interplay among family members gathered perforce for Christmas in the country is all too resonant.

I think it's reminiscent of the early entries in Elizabeth Peters's Amelia Peabody series, which I intend as high praise. Bianca Amato is one of the top-drawer female readers, not quite matching Barbara Rosenblat's narration of the Peabody books (which is fantastic), but coming awfully close.

Hope Audible is able to offer the first few books in this series soon!

Cute little holiday novella

This is a very PG-rated whodunit that is devoid of murderous fiends and dead bodies. The Nancy Drew-esque mystery begins when a cursed ring disappears at a holiday gathering. The case is rather curious since the small pool of suspects have no motive for pilfering the priceless piece of jewelry. Its up to Lady Emily to interrogate her fellow houseguests and ferret out the thief before Christmas morning. This is a nice little taste of the Lady Gray series, which is quite delightful. This book is best paired with a most pleasant glass of hot cocoawhipped cream and all!

Affordable audiobook for Lady Emily fans

I've been reading the Lady Emily series for years, but am new to Audible.

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Title: The Rest Is Silence

Subtitle: A Billy Boyle World War II Mystery, Book 9

Author: James R. Benn

Narrator: Peter Berkrot

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-02-14

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 53 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

When an unidentified corpse washes ashore at Slapton Sandson England's southern coast, US army captain Billy Boyle and his partner, Lieutenant Piotr "Kaz" Kazimierz, are assigned to investigate. The Devonshirebeach is the home to Operation Tiger, the top-secret rehearsal for theapproaching D-day invasion of Normandy, and the area is restricted; no one seems to know where the corpse could have come from. Luckily, Billy and Kazhave a comfortable place to lay their heads at the end of the day: Kaz's old school chum David lives close by and has agreed to host the two men during their investigation. Glad for a distraction from his duties, Billy settles into life at the family's manor, Ashcroft, and makes it his mission to get to know its intriguing cast of characters.

Just when Billy and Kaz begin to wrap up their case, they find themselves with not one soggy corpse on their hands but hundreds following a terrible tragedy during the D-day rehearsal. To complicate things, life at Ashcroft has been getting tense: secret agendas, buried histories, and family grudges abound. Then one of the men meets a sudden demise. Was it a heartattack - or something more sinister?

Members Reviews:

A good installment in the series

I have listened to all of the Billie Boyle mysteries. If you are a fan, this installment will not disappoint the listener. The characters are developed well and you really don't figure it out until the end. Billie gets some help from another sleuth which was interesting. Pretty well done and narrated.

Narrators should master accents

I love reading these books. This is the first one I've listened to. I find it painful to hear a narrator try to read in accents he hasn't mastered--South Boston, and British--especially when the main characters are from South Boston and England. It's so distracting (to me, anyway) that it gets in the way of the narrative. Serious pet peeve, that will prevent me from listening to this narrator in the future.

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Title: The Peculiar Case of Lord Finsbury's Diamonds & The Curious Case of Lady Latimer's Shoes, Two Novels From the Casebook of Barnaby Adair

Author: Stephanie Laurens

Narrator: Jim McCabe

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-17-14

Publisher: Savdek Management Pty Limited

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 72 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The Peculiar Case of Lord Finsbury's Diamonds: A Casebook of Barnaby Adair #1.5

Penelope Adair, wife and partner of sleuth Barnaby Adair, is so hugely pregnant she can barely waddle, much less assist, when Barnaby is summoned by Inspector Stokes of Scotland Yard to help investigate the violent murder of a gentleman at a house party. Penelope insists that she and Griselda, Stokes's wife, receive reports to stay duly informed of their husbands' discoveries.

But what Barnaby and Stokes uncover leads only to more questions. The victim had been thrown out of the house party days before, so why had he returned? And how did he come to have the famous Finsbury diamonds in his pocket?

The threat of scandal looms for all those attending the house party - and the stakes are highest for the gallant gentleman who has spent the last decade in Africa striving to resurrect his family fortune so he can seek Lord Finsbury's daughter's hand. Working parallel to Barnaby and Stokes, can our would-be lovers find a clear path to expose the murderer, disperse the stain of scandal, and claim the love and shared life they now crave?

A pre-Victorian mystery with strong elements of romance. A short novel of 39,000 words.

The Curious Case of Lady Latimer's Shoes: A Casebook of Barnaby Adair #2.5

Decidedly eccentric and fashionable Penelope Adair is attending the premier event of London's Season with her husband-sleuth Barnaby Adair, when a lady's body is discovered in the gardens, struck down with a finial from the terrace balustrade. Her family and the shocked hosts turn to Barnaby and Penelope for help.

Barnaby calls Inspector Stokes while Penelope learns all she can about the victim's family; and uncovers a feud between them and the Latimers over a pair of mysterious and fabulous slippers, known as Lady Latimer's shoes. The deeper Penelope and her friends, Griselda and Violet delve, the more convinced they are that the murder is connected, a direction vindicated when unexpected witnesses report seeing a lady fleeing the scene - wearing Lady Latimer's shoes.

The situation is compounded by a Romeo-and-Juliet romance, and escalating social pressure - until the pieces fall into place, and our intrepid investigators must race to prevent an even worse tragedy.

A pre-Victorian mystery with strong elements of romance. A novel of 76,000 words.

Members Reviews:

Such a great book - narration sucks

Listening to him is like listening to a man with no emotions. Monotone voice...it really ruins a wonderful book

A really exciting read.......

It's refreshing and to the point without too much to take us away from the plot. I was happy for that because I love the casebook mysteries of Barnaby Adair. Hoping that Stephanie brings out a series of such stories for our listening pleasure.

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Title: Midnight in Europe

Author: Alan Furst

Narrator: Daniel Gerroll

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-04-14

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 393 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Paris, 1938: As the shadow of war darkens Europe, democratic forces on the Continent struggle against fascism and communism, while in Spain the war has already begun. Alan Furst, whom Vince Flynn has called "the most talented espionage novelist of our generation", now gives us a taut, suspenseful, romantic, and richly rendered novel of spies and secret operatives in Paris and New York, in Warsaw and Odessa, on the eve of World War II.

Cristián Ferrar, a brilliant and handsome Spanish émigré, is a lawyer in the Paris office of a prestigious international law firm. Ferrar is approached by the embassy of the Spanish Republic and asked to help a clandestine agency trying desperately to supply weapons to the Republics beleaguered army - an effort that puts his life at risk in the battle against fascism.

Joining Ferrar in this mission is a group of unlikely men and women: idealists and gangsters, arms traders and aristocrats and spies. From shady Paris nightclubs to white-shoe New York law firms, from brothels in Istanbul to the dockyards of Poland, Ferrar and his allies battle the secret agents of Hitler and Franco. And what allies they are: Theres Max de Lyon, a former arms merchant now hunted by the Gestapo; the Marquesa Maria Cristina, a beautiful aristocrat with a taste for danger; and the Macedonian Stavros, who grew up "fighting Bulgarian bandits. After that, being a gangster was easy." Then there is Eileen Moore, the American woman Ferrar could never forget.

In Midnight in Europe, Alan Furst paints a spellbinding portrait of a continent marching into a nightmare - and the heroes and heroines who fought back against the darkness.

Members Reviews:

Furst + Carroll = WIN!

What did you love best about Midnight in Europe?

I love the noir espionage of this--and all of Fursts' fine books. Once again, Furst weaves distinct characters into a behind-the-scenes spy story. Beautiful writing. I can't wait for the next one!

What did you like best about this story?

I love that Furst writes literary espionage, along the lines of John LeCarre. He brilliantly evokes a lively Paris that hides dark doings, anxious citizens, and an complicated, likeable hero that we root for.

Which scene was your favorite?

The very last, which I won't give away. : )

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It has inspired me to go back and listen to all the previous Alan Furst books. The are so intricate and well-written and carefully paced, I've found I always find something new, even though I might have read any Furst novel previously. I'm looking forward to hearing more of the very brilliant Daneil Carroll.

Any additional comments?

Just want to toss out some kudos to narrator Daniel Carroll. He PERFECTLY captures the feeling of an Alan Furst novel. More, more, more!

Here we go again....

I love Alain Furst , a truly good writer with an incredible insight into the years preceding the second world war and the capability to beautifully describe characters and atmospheres... But , this time again, the plot is weak with no momentum and clear direction.

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Title: The Marathon Conspiracy

Subtitle: The Athenian Mysteries, Book 4

Author: Gary Corby

Narrator: Erik Davies

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-16-14

Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Nicolaos and his partner in investigation, Diotima, have taken time out of their assignments to come home to get married. But if Nico was hoping they'd be able to get hitched without a hitch, he was overly optimistic. When they arrive in Athens, there's a problem waiting for them. The Sanctuary of Artemis is the ancient world's most famous school for girls. When one of the children is killed, apparently by a bear, and another girl disappears, Diotima's childhood teacher asks her former pupil to help them. Meanwhile a skull discovered in a cave not far from the sanctuary has proven to be the remains of the last tyrant to rule Athens. What are his remains doing outside the city walls?

Members Reviews:

Bears, Oh my!

The Marathon Conspiracy is a murder mystery set in Athens at the time of Pericles. Nicolaos, the main character is a sleuth who is hired by the politician Pericles to solve the mystery surrounding the death of the tyrant Hippias, which appears to have taken place shortly after the Battle of Marathon thirty years previously. The body is discovered by two young girls who are students at school run by priestesses of Artemis for upper class Athenian Girls near the town of Brauron. The girls attending the school are called âLittle Bearsâ because bears are supposed to have been servants of Artemis. One of the girls dies a gruesome death, supposedly at the claws of a bear, although there had been no bears in Southern Attica for decades, and the other young girl disappears.

Nicolaos, at age 21 has already completed his hoplite service and is engaged to be married to Diotima, a priestess of Artemis. Diotima is a graduate of the school at Brauron, and she is adept with the bow and arrow. Nicholaos and Diotima work as a team. Diotima is the daughter of Euterpe, a high class courtesan, and her husband Pythax, Chief of the city guard of Athens. Diotimaâs natural father is deceased. Nicolaos is the son of Sophroniscus, a sculptor, and Phaenarete. He is also the older brother of Socrates, an irritating adolescent whose teacher is about to expel him from his school because he is constantly asking questions.

Corbyâs book is full of humor despite the somewhat horrific events. He delves deeply into Athenian history and culture and will inspire the reader to do further investigation. Hippias was a reviled tyrant and there were two separate conspiracies against him, the first of which which was brutally suppressed and the second successful. Hippias escaped to the Persians and persuaded them to attack Athens and restore him to power, but the Persians were defeated at the Battle of Marathon despite out-numbering the Greeks nearly ten to one. After that, Hippias disappeared until his body is discovered in a cave near Brauron. When the body is discovered, thirty years after his death, all the middle-aged Athenians running for office flock to Nicolaosâ house eager to confess to the âcrime.â Such a confession, if confirmed, would make an Athenian politicianâs career.

The Marathon Conspiracy is a delightful book which I enjoyed from beginning to end.

Quite liked the resolution and character arcs.

The fourth entry into Nico's crime solving career in Ancient Athens.