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Alexander The Great Mysteries #2
The Godless Man
"It is 334 BC. Alexander has smashed the armies of the great king Darius III at the battle of the Granicus. Now Alexander is roaming the Western Persian Empire, picking off the cities one by one like a hungry predator, thus living up to his nickname of "the Wolf of Macedon"." "When Alexander arrives at one of his prizes, the great city of Ephesus, the success of his campaign is threatened by a series of violent murders brought about by a high-ranking Persian spy known only as "the Centaur"." So once again Alexander's friend and physician, the level-headed Telamon, must take it upon himself to unravel this swirling mass of bloodstrewn mysteries, this time working hand in hand with the king's eerie Master of Secrets, Aristander.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 10, 2002
14 people are currently reading
182 people want to read
About the author
Paul Doherty
236 books609 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
He has been published under several pseudonyms: P.C. Doherty, Celia L. Grace, Paul Harding, Ann Dukthas, Vanessa Alexander, Michael Clynes and Anna Apostolou but now writes only under his own name.
Paul Doherty was born in Middlesbrough (North-Eastern England) in 1946. He had the usual education before studying at Durham for three years for the Catholic priesthood but decided not to proceed. He went to Liverpool University where he gained a First Class Honours Degree in History and won a state scholarship to Exeter College, Oxford, whilst there he met his wife Carla Lynn Corbitt. He continued his studies but decided that the academic world was not for him and became a secondary school teacher.
Paul worked in Ascot, Nottingham and Crawley West Sussex before being appointed as Headmaster to Trinity Catholic School in September 1981. Trinity is a large comprehensive [1700 on roll] which teaches the full ability range, ages 11-18. The school has been described as one of the leading comprehensives in the U.K. In April, 2000 H. M. Inspectorate describe it as an 'Outstanding School', and it was given Beacon status as a Centre of Excellence whilst, in the Chief Inspector’s Report to the Secretary of State for January 2001, Trinity Catholic High School was singled out for praise and received a public accolade.
Paul’s other incarnation is as a novelist. He finished his doctorate on the reign of Edward II of England and, in 1987, began to publish a series of outstanding historical mysteries set in the Middle Age, Classical, Greek, Ancient Egypt and elsewhere. These have been published in the United States by St. Martin’s Press of New York, Edhasa in Spain, and Eichborn, Heyne, Knaur and others in Germany. They have also been published in Holland, Belgium, France, Italy, Romania, Estonia, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Bulgaria, Portugal and China, as well as Argentina and Mexico.
He has been published under several pseudonyms (see the bibliography): C. L. Grace, Paul Harding, Ann Dukthas and Anna Apostolou but now writes only under his own name. He recently launched a very successful series based around the life of Alexander the Great, published by Constable & Robinson in the U.K., and Carroll and Graf in the U.S.A., whilst his novels set in Ancient Egypt have won critical acclaim. Paul has also written several non-fiction titles; A Life of Isabella the She-wolf of France, Wife of Edward II of England, as well as study of the possible murder of Tutankhamun, the boy Pharaoh of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty, and a study on the true fate of Alexander the Great.
Paul and Carla live on the borders of London and Essex, not far from Epping Forest and six of their children have been through his own school. His wife Carla currently owns two horses and is training, for showing and dressage, a beautiful Arab filly named Polly.
Paul lectures for a number of organisations, particularly on historical mysteries, many of which later feature in his writings. A born speaker and trained lecturer Paul Doherty can hold and entertain audiences.
His one great ambition is to petition the Privy Council of England to open the Purbeck marble tomb of Edward II in Gloucester Cathedral. Paul believes the tomb does not house the body
He has been published under several pseudonyms: P.C. Doherty, Celia L. Grace, Paul Harding, Ann Dukthas, Vanessa Alexander, Michael Clynes and Anna Apostolou but now writes only under his own name.
Paul Doherty was born in Middlesbrough (North-Eastern England) in 1946. He had the usual education before studying at Durham for three years for the Catholic priesthood but decided not to proceed. He went to Liverpool University where he gained a First Class Honours Degree in History and won a state scholarship to Exeter College, Oxford, whilst there he met his wife Carla Lynn Corbitt. He continued his studies but decided that the academic world was not for him and became a secondary school teacher.
Paul worked in Ascot, Nottingham and Crawley West Sussex before being appointed as Headmaster to Trinity Catholic School in September 1981. Trinity is a large comprehensive [1700 on roll] which teaches the full ability range, ages 11-18. The school has been described as one of the leading comprehensives in the U.K. In April, 2000 H. M. Inspectorate describe it as an 'Outstanding School', and it was given Beacon status as a Centre of Excellence whilst, in the Chief Inspector’s Report to the Secretary of State for January 2001, Trinity Catholic High School was singled out for praise and received a public accolade.
Paul’s other incarnation is as a novelist. He finished his doctorate on the reign of Edward II of England and, in 1987, began to publish a series of outstanding historical mysteries set in the Middle Age, Classical, Greek, Ancient Egypt and elsewhere. These have been published in the United States by St. Martin’s Press of New York, Edhasa in Spain, and Eichborn, Heyne, Knaur and others in Germany. They have also been published in Holland, Belgium, France, Italy, Romania, Estonia, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Bulgaria, Portugal and China, as well as Argentina and Mexico.
He has been published under several pseudonyms (see the bibliography): C. L. Grace, Paul Harding, Ann Dukthas and Anna Apostolou but now writes only under his own name. He recently launched a very successful series based around the life of Alexander the Great, published by Constable & Robinson in the U.K., and Carroll and Graf in the U.S.A., whilst his novels set in Ancient Egypt have won critical acclaim. Paul has also written several non-fiction titles; A Life of Isabella the She-wolf of France, Wife of Edward II of England, as well as study of the possible murder of Tutankhamun, the boy Pharaoh of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty, and a study on the true fate of Alexander the Great.
Paul and Carla live on the borders of London and Essex, not far from Epping Forest and six of their children have been through his own school. His wife Carla currently owns two horses and is training, for showing and dressage, a beautiful Arab filly named Polly.
Paul lectures for a number of organisations, particularly on historical mysteries, many of which later feature in his writings. A born speaker and trained lecturer Paul Doherty can hold and entertain audiences.
His one great ambition is to petition the Privy Council of England to open the Purbeck marble tomb of Edward II in Gloucester Cathedral. Paul believes the tomb does not house the body
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 21, 2024
A gem of a read.
Alexander the Great has never been a historical figure I wanted to learn more about but Mr Doherty has.made.me think twice. Telamon is the main character from whom we get to see Alexander and it's a fascinating view. Telamon himself is also an interesting character, a doctor who thanks to a childhood friendship ends up as Alexander's personal physician when he goes on his.campaign against the King of Kings Darius and Persia. Alexander is prone to sudden mood swings, panic attacks, delusions.of grandeur, hedonistic partiesbut above all.this he was a brilliant strategist and soldier. No one before or since has achieved why Alexander did. These books while they showcase his achievements also contain complex murder mysteries witch Telamon must solve or face the wrath of his king. As per the time these books do depict graphic and casual violence, but they also have a vein of humor I really enjoy.................................
Alexander the Great has never been a historical figure I wanted to learn more about but Mr Doherty has.made.me think twice. Telamon is the main character from whom we get to see Alexander and it's a fascinating view. Telamon himself is also an interesting character, a doctor who thanks to a childhood friendship ends up as Alexander's personal physician when he goes on his.campaign against the King of Kings Darius and Persia. Alexander is prone to sudden mood swings, panic attacks, delusions.of grandeur, hedonistic partiesbut above all.this he was a brilliant strategist and soldier. No one before or since has achieved why Alexander did. These books while they showcase his achievements also contain complex murder mysteries witch Telamon must solve or face the wrath of his king. As per the time these books do depict graphic and casual violence, but they also have a vein of humor I really enjoy.................................
February 3, 2025
Alexander the Great captures the town of Ephesus, previously ruled by the Persians and now the subject of political rivalry between Oligarchs and Democrats. A number of nobles take refuge in the Temple of Medusa and Alexander promises they will be safe, but in the night they all suffer a violent death in the locked sanctuary. More deaths follow and are attributed to the mysterious Centaur - Alexander’s physician Telemon investigates.
This was very slow to get started and there were quite a few historical info dumps about Alexander’s campaigns. However, the two parallel mysteries were neatly put together and there were some interesting secondary characters such as Basileia the retired courtesan and the members of Alexander’s entourage.
Overall I prefer the Amerotke series by the same author, set in Ancient Egypt, but this was entertaining enough.
This was very slow to get started and there were quite a few historical info dumps about Alexander’s campaigns. However, the two parallel mysteries were neatly put together and there were some interesting secondary characters such as Basileia the retired courtesan and the members of Alexander’s entourage.
Overall I prefer the Amerotke series by the same author, set in Ancient Egypt, but this was entertaining enough.
September 27, 2015
La novela nos sitúa en la propia Éfeso. Un templo aislado, con varias víctimas asesinadas de distintas formas, suman un misterio casi irresoluble. El parecido entre Telamón y el juez Amerotke (de The Amerotke Omnibus) se agrava en esta novela, pero la presencia del personaje de Alejandro tiene mucho más peso que el representado por Hatshepsut en aquella serie.
January 29, 2019
I loved Doherty's early medieval London mysteries. Alexander the Great should have been a triumph, not least, because there is sunshine in the Mediterranean. Narrated by Telamon, a physician with teh trust of Alexander, the murder of a handful of asylum-seekers in Ephesus' Temple of Hercules is a first-rate set up for a locked room mystery. The fatal insertion of wasp nests into Alexander's palace, the precise opposite. Then there's the murder of the town's favorite courtesan plus the increasing pile of related murders, all supposedly committed by The Centaur that eventually devolved into a little too much traffic on the way home after work. I ended up longing for the dark fetid alleyways of London.
July 30, 2023
Again I have started with book two of a series however I think it could be a stand alone.
It is the story of Alexander the Great and his defeat of the city of Ephesus. In the city there is a story of hidden assassins and the Persian king and his councillor are using this story to create mayhem to try and show that Alexander cannot control the city. There are many deaths and Alexander tasks his childhood friend and personal physician, Telamon, to solve the deaths and find the assassin.
I have always enjoyed Paul Doherty books and this one is no different. Off to look for the others now.
It is the story of Alexander the Great and his defeat of the city of Ephesus. In the city there is a story of hidden assassins and the Persian king and his councillor are using this story to create mayhem to try and show that Alexander cannot control the city. There are many deaths and Alexander tasks his childhood friend and personal physician, Telamon, to solve the deaths and find the assassin.
I have always enjoyed Paul Doherty books and this one is no different. Off to look for the others now.
September 22, 2019
A well told tale of Alexander and a look at how he governed. Great characters and a good well thought-out plot that stayed true to historical facts.
a well told tale
a well told tale
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November 2, 2020Good fun
Interesting characters, a history lesson and a murder mystery. What more can you ask of a novel. I've read all three in this series and they're all gripping and we'll told. I was kept enthralled page after page until the last page. If you like a good historical thriller then this is it.
Interesting characters, a history lesson and a murder mystery. What more can you ask of a novel. I've read all three in this series and they're all gripping and we'll told. I was kept enthralled page after page until the last page. If you like a good historical thriller then this is it.
June 1, 2020
I expected more focus on the battle between the greeks and the persians like in the first book House of Death.
It is a decent mistery nonetheless.
It is a decent mistery nonetheless.
October 15, 2020
Great details and fascinating time and place with a nest of viper-like spies. Perhaps a touch too much confession/summary of how the crimes were committed at the end.
July 6, 2009
This was my first book by the author Paul Doherty. I have loved Greek legends, mythology and history for many years, so I guess I have always romanticized the life of Alexander and the myths and legends about his life and exploits that have grown with the passage of time. I think that is what drew me to this book. Although there were a few characters I enjoyed, Alexander was not one of them.
I don't know if I would read this book again, but I did find the murder mystery interesting and it had a good twist at the end.
I don't know if I would read this book again, but I did find the murder mystery interesting and it had a good twist at the end.
February 9, 2015
I have become a Paul Doherty fan.
Just have now read the first two books in the Alexander series and will start the third tonight. I found entertaining and well written. I like being sent to the dictionary once in a while and Doherty uses some wonderful words in his books.
Just have now read the first two books in the Alexander series and will start the third tonight. I found entertaining and well written. I like being sent to the dictionary once in a while and Doherty uses some wonderful words in his books.
January 28, 2016
My least favorite Paul Doherty's book.
I'm very interested in Alexander the Great and his previous book which introduced the readers with Alexander and his doctor was good, but this second book is quite boring and far too long.
I'm very interested in Alexander the Great and his previous book which introduced the readers with Alexander and his doctor was good, but this second book is quite boring and far too long.
December 12, 2007
Had no idea what to expect when I started reading this one....But it turned out to be well written. The characters were very real and the setting matched the time frame...
December 26, 2009
Unconvincing and boring. Doherty's attempt to demythologize Alexander has been done before, and done better.
March 13, 2012
Another enjoyable read from the series about Alexander the Great - Mr. Doherty really brings the character to life.
January 1, 2015
That was really quite good.
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May 1, 2017Edition: New edition
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews