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John the Eunuch #9
Nine for the Devil
The year is 548 and Empress Theodora is dead of disease. Or so everyone in Constantinople, capital of the Roman Empire, believes. Everyone except Emperor Justinian, who orders John, his Lord Chamberlain, tofind her murderer or suffer the consequences.
There is no sign of foul play, but many of the aristocrats at the imperial court had good reason to want Theodora dead. Suspects include General Artabanes, forced to occupy a house with an unloved wife; Justinian’s cousin Germanus, who has seen his career blocked; and Antonina and her husband General Belisarius, enraged by Theodora’s attempt to marry their daughter to her grandson by compelling the young couple to live together. Could the exiled and much hated former tax collector
John the Cappadocian have played a role? Might Gaius, palace physician, have tampered with Theodora’s medication? Pope Vigilius, detained in the capital due to a religious controversy, is not above suspicion. Even John’s friends, the lawyer Anatolius and Felix, captain of the place guards, are acting strangely.
As if seeking a murderer who seems to be a gment of the emperor’s grief-deranged imagination isn’t dif cult enough, John must also grapple with domestic upheavals. His daughter, living on an estate outside the city, is about to give birth, and his aging servant Peter is dying. Will John be able to serve justice, his loved ones, and the emperor?
There is no sign of foul play, but many of the aristocrats at the imperial court had good reason to want Theodora dead. Suspects include General Artabanes, forced to occupy a house with an unloved wife; Justinian’s cousin Germanus, who has seen his career blocked; and Antonina and her husband General Belisarius, enraged by Theodora’s attempt to marry their daughter to her grandson by compelling the young couple to live together. Could the exiled and much hated former tax collector
John the Cappadocian have played a role? Might Gaius, palace physician, have tampered with Theodora’s medication? Pope Vigilius, detained in the capital due to a religious controversy, is not above suspicion. Even John’s friends, the lawyer Anatolius and Felix, captain of the place guards, are acting strangely.
As if seeking a murderer who seems to be a gment of the emperor’s grief-deranged imagination isn’t dif cult enough, John must also grapple with domestic upheavals. His daughter, living on an estate outside the city, is about to give birth, and his aging servant Peter is dying. Will John be able to serve justice, his loved ones, and the emperor?
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First published March 1, 2012
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About the author
Mary Reed
36 books24 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Mary Reed and Eric Mayer began writing together in 1992. They have contributed to a number of anthologies such as Royal Whodunnits, MammothBook of Historical Whodunnits and Mammoth Book of Shakespearean Detectives, as well as to Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. They have also published several short stories set in and around the 6th century Constantinople court of Emperor Justinian I as well as four (to date) novels about their protagonist John the Eunuch, Lord Chamberlain to the emperor. The series was listed as one of four Best Little-Known Series in Booklist Magazine in 2003, and a Greek edition of the first novel, One For Sorrow, appeared in late 2002. They live in Pennsylvania.
Mary Reed and Eric Mayer began writing together in 1992. They have contributed to a number of anthologies such as Royal Whodunnits, MammothBook of Historical Whodunnits and Mammoth Book of Shakespearean Detectives, as well as to Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. They have also published several short stories set in and around the 6th century Constantinople court of Emperor Justinian I as well as four (to date) novels about their protagonist John the Eunuch, Lord Chamberlain to the emperor. The series was listed as one of four Best Little-Known Series in Booklist Magazine in 2003, and a Greek edition of the first novel, One For Sorrow, appeared in late 2002. They live in Pennsylvania.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 10, 2013
Historical fiction/mystery set in the 6th century in Emperor Justinian's Constantinople. Empress Theodora has just died, and John, Justinian's Lord Chamberlain, is tasked with finding out who murdered her. The catch is, neither he nor anyone else except Justinian believes she was murdered. She appears to have died of natural causes. But no one else's opinion matters when it comes to the Emperor.
The husband/wife writing team of Eric Mayer and Mary Reed take great pains to get most of their historical facts correct in this well constructed mystery with great characters and vivid settings. You think you don't like historical mysteries like this? Think again; that's what I thought too, but I'm nine books into the series and I have thoroughly enjoyed every last one of these offerings. I truly feel like I can "see" the city and the residences and the splendor of the Imperial residence and the churches juxtaposed with sometimes seedier and more squalid settings around the city. I believe in these characters, both those taken from history like the Emperor and his "other" Lord Chamberlain (Narses) and generals like Germanus and Belisarius and all the others, and the fictional characters like the Captain of the Excubitors Felix, the physician Gaius, the lawyer Anatolius and of course John, the eunuch who was captured, castrated and enslaved by the Persians as a young man and who has risen through the palace ranks to become Lord Chamberlain.
I'm not sure, but this feels like it might be the end of this series. Is it? I hope not. But if you haven't read any of these, and you like mysteries, you have a treat waiting for you. Don't let the historical aspect, or the fact that they are set in the 6th century, hold you back.
The husband/wife writing team of Eric Mayer and Mary Reed take great pains to get most of their historical facts correct in this well constructed mystery with great characters and vivid settings. You think you don't like historical mysteries like this? Think again; that's what I thought too, but I'm nine books into the series and I have thoroughly enjoyed every last one of these offerings. I truly feel like I can "see" the city and the residences and the splendor of the Imperial residence and the churches juxtaposed with sometimes seedier and more squalid settings around the city. I believe in these characters, both those taken from history like the Emperor and his "other" Lord Chamberlain (Narses) and generals like Germanus and Belisarius and all the others, and the fictional characters like the Captain of the Excubitors Felix, the physician Gaius, the lawyer Anatolius and of course John, the eunuch who was captured, castrated and enslaved by the Persians as a young man and who has risen through the palace ranks to become Lord Chamberlain.
I'm not sure, but this feels like it might be the end of this series. Is it? I hope not. But if you haven't read any of these, and you like mysteries, you have a treat waiting for you. Don't let the historical aspect, or the fact that they are set in the 6th century, hold you back.
July 28, 2012
I really got a feel for the Constantinople of the 500s. This is a very good series, and I'm sure the authors have really done their historical research. This was really a page-turner! John was an interesting character and good detective. Justinian was definitely an amoral personality [I guess the authors based his character on Procopius, who isn't always absolutely reliable in what he writes] I shall have to find the previous 8 books in the series. I want to find out what has happened to John up to this time. With the ending of this book, I wonder if the series will henceforth go off into another direction...
September 5, 2011
This book was AWESOME!! OK, the authors I can guarantee took some artistic liberties with the historical component to the book; however it didn't detract at all from this well written book, which sucked me in from page one. There was phenomenal character development and the book oozed that it was intelligently written. This is def. a series I will go back and start from the first book and stalk for continued new releases!!!
September 26, 2017
A bit on the slow side, focusing not only on the plot but often enough on private matters, mostly concerning aging, change and the inevitability of loss.
For the first time in this series I never lost track of John's main sleuthing objective though; finding Theodora's murderer. Always something. Even if it seemed unlikely that she'd been murdered at all. Which dampened the excitement factor.
3 rather weak stars. And they weren't that upbeat either.
For the first time in this series I never lost track of John's main sleuthing objective though; finding Theodora's murderer. Always something. Even if it seemed unlikely that she'd been murdered at all. Which dampened the excitement factor.
3 rather weak stars. And they weren't that upbeat either.
September 18, 2012
I found my new favorite historical fiction series! Reed and Mayer have created a fantastic character in John, Lord Chamberlain to the Byzantine Emperor Justinian. Apart from the so-real-it's-like-you're-really-there ambience of 1st century Constantinople, the dialogue and depiction of John interacting with a host of famous and infamous personages is accurate and enthralling. A big big recommendation for anyone looking for a juicy series about a largely ignored time period.
March 26, 2013
What a fabulous, complicated (as historicals should be) read! The main character is so fascinating in himself, you read to find out more about him. The situation he's thrust into is mysterious and intriguing. The other characters are well-drawn and unique. I recommend noting down who the characters are and their relationship to others. If you do that, you will easily follow this story along and totally enjoy the ride.
July 15, 2014
Really enjoyed the Byzantine setting of this novel. It makes me want to learn more about Theodora and Justinian. The only sad thing for me was the pagans in the story. It seemed that two were going to convert to Christianity, but we never actually learned that they did. Good story however, although there were times when I felt it dragged slightly from overly describing things or perhaps just having John recap his thoughts so many times.
October 21, 2012
I've really enjoyed this series. The authors have done a great job with the historical context, as well as the story lines. I am hoping that if this is the last in the series, as it appears it may be, there will be more to come from some other city.
July 14, 2012
A superb ninth entry in this series.
July 3, 2012
I did not listen to the audio book, I read a copy. This was an interesting historical mystery set in Constantinople. I found the characters interesting and the mystery was pretty good.
October 22, 2013
Too anticlimactic for me.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews