The Ionia Sanction

The Athenian Mysteries #2

by Gary Corby

And to solve the crime, Nico must uncover a secret that could not only destroy Athens, but will force him to choose between love, ambition, and his own life.

The case takes Nico, in the company of a beautiful slave girl, to the land of Ionia within the Persian Empire. The Persians will execute him on the spot if they think he's a spy. Beyond that, there are only a few minor He's being chased by brigands who are only waiting for the right price before they kill him; somehow he has to placate his girlfriend, who is very angry about that slave girl; he must meet Themistocles, the military genius who saved Greece during the Persian Wars, and then defected to the hated enemy.

Athens, 460 B.C. Life's tough for Nicolaos, the only investigating agent in ancient Athens. His girlfriend's left him and his boss wants to fire him. But when an Athenian official is murdered, the brilliant statesman Pericles has no choice but to put Nico on the job.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Fiction, Historical, Greece, Crime

335 pages, Paperback

First published November 8, 2011

About the author

I'm the author of the Athenian Mysteries.

Nicolaos, the ambitious son of a minor sculptor, walks the mean streets of Classical Athens as an agent for the promising young politician Pericles.

Murder and mayhem don't faze Nico; what's really on his mind is how to get closer (much closer) to Diotima, the intelligent and annoyingly virgin priestess of Artemis, and how to shake off his irritating 12 year old brother Socrates.

Reviews

[Bettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Description: The case takes Nico, in the company of a beautiful slave girl, to the land of Ionia within the Persian Empire. The Persians will execute him on the spot if they think he's a spy. Beyond that, there are only a few minor problems:

He's being chased by brigands who are only waiting for the right price before they kill him.

Somehow he has to placate his girlfriend, who is very angry about that slave girl.

He must meet Themistocles, the military genius who saved Greece during the Persian Wars, and then defected to the hated enemy.

And to solve the crime, Nico must uncover a secret that could not only destroy Athens, but will force him to choose between love, and ambition, and his own life.

For Helen,
Catriona,
and Megan

Opening: I ran my finger along one foot of the corpse, then the other, making the body swing with a lazy, uncaring rhythm. I stared at his feet, my nose so close I went cross-eyed as the toes swung my way.



It is always mind-boggling to stand within the ruins of Ephesus knowing that once upon a time this was a city smack-bang on the coast. Now it is land-locked, the same as Portus in Italy.

Anyway, getting back on track, Nico travels to Ephesus which is mostly independent from the ubiquitous Persian overlords, to return a slave and 'sort of' look for Diotima who we met in the first book. I would have preferred not to have found the pole-dancing Brion, yet finding out why ceramics are being imported to Athens, where the modern equivalent is sending coals to Newcastle, was a fun ride.

LATER: after reading through the end notes I can tell you these events took place 460BC, my maths in the contrast section below were out by ten years because I based it on Socrates' birth ~469BC and matched his actions in this book to teenager/young man behaviour.

Ephesus

Ruins of Magnesia



Socrates

Trivia from wiki: Socrates says that in his youth he was taught "the philosophy of love" by Diotima, who was a seer or priestess. Socrates also claims that Diotima successfully postponed the Plague of Athens.

Themistocles asks Artaxerxes for sanctuary.

Maeander river which gives rise to the word meander. As Benny Hill used to say: 'learning all zee time'! heh





Juggling two hist-fics from ancient Hellene at the same time was rather fun and they yearn to be contrasted.

The King and the Slave: Croesus at the age of 70 and slave first to Cyrus and then to the son, Cambyses, so this must be ~525BC. The setting is Lydia, which is western modern day Turkey and the philosopher mentioned is Solon. Croesus is attributed with inventing the first coins.

Straight hist-fic based on Herodotus' writings, engagingly conveyed and nicely narrated in the audio form. Recommended.

The Ionia Sanction: Socrates is a young man so this must be ~450BC. The other philosopher mentioned is Anaxagoras. The setting is Ephesus in Ionia and the Persian King is Artaxerxes.

An historical-fiction mystery, written in an amusing upbeat manner yet falls well short of slapstick, thank heavens. Recommended

4* The Pericles Commission (The Athenian Mysteries, #1)
4* The Ionia Sanction (The Athenian Mysteries, #2)

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I read book 1 of the series back in 2019 and was sure I would quickly finish all 7 books of the series in short order. Oops!!! 6 years later I return for Book 2 and realize why I loved this series. Set in Ancient Athens this book is filled with historical characters, loads of history of Greece, Athens, and Persia and has a highly intriguing plot. An agent of Ephesus is killed in Athens and Pericles and oue protagonist, Nicolaos. Examine the body and realize it is murder. Nico is the only "investigator" in Athens and so he is employed to find out who killed this individual, and what was on a letter thar allegedly contained treasonous information about Athens. There is a host of characters who flesh out the story and you begin to believe that this isn't a novel, but rather is history - and most of it is history. The details and rhe way the author uses historical characters to become integral parts of the plot is masterful. I know this gook was written back in 2011, but it is still a book that wears well, and if you enjoy ancient history you will love this book. A huge leap forward from Book 1, and the authors note at the end gives us the actual history upon which this is based. Great work Gary Corby!!

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if it was the audiobook narration or just the book itself, but I didn't think that this second book in the series was as good as the first one.

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book in 2012, and its the 2nd volume of the "Athenian" series, with the fictional Nicolaos as our main protagonist and agent for Pericles of Athens.

Nico is sent by Pericles in a mission to Ionia, to stop a plot to invade and destroy Athens, but when he arrives there in a place called, Ephesus, he will find the Proxenos to Athens murdered.

While investigating the man's murder he will encounter various setbacks and calamity, and after buying a slave girl called, Asia, he finds out that she turns out to be daughter of the once famous hero but now greatest traitor to Athens, Themistocles, but now acting as the powerful diplomat in Ephesus.

By returning the girl, Asia, he encounters Diotima, who has gone before him to Ephesus to become a Priestess, and together they will finally try to solve this treasonous murder.

What will follow is another accurately historical mystery, in which Nico and Diotima will get to bottom of this case and finally to reveal the culprit of this horrendous murder, committed as a threat to Athenian democracy.

Very much recommended, for this is an excellent addition to this series, and that's why I like to call this volume: "Another Superb Greek Mystery"!

[Ruhani · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was funny, seemed a bit YA at times and not really my type. It was an audio book and I sort of lost concentration towards the end.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read #1 in the series "The Pericles Commission", #2 "The Ionia Sanction" peaked my interest in the continuing saga of the twenty-ish Nicolaos. His sculptor father Sophroniscus has granted him a two-year opportunity for establishing his investigator career. Nico realizes his overconfidence with regard to catching murderers and walks a thin line with Athens' head-of-government Pericles.

A kidnapped girl and a murdered consulate at first seem unrelated, but all roads lead across the Aegean Sea to Hellenic Ionia. In 460 BCE, Persia rules over it. Nico unties many mysterious knots of plot while adopting some Persian customs and being horrified at other ones. Will Nico get his secret messages about the investigation and Athens' vulnerability back to Pericles? Will he become a traitor to Greece or will he first be murdered? This historical mystery combines the right balance of truth and fiction.

Trivia Quiz about this book http://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work/...

[Book Time with Elvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series and I enjoyed it as much as the first. The writing style is very easy and for me falls within the so called cosy mystery genre, however what I love most about these books is how the author spins a good yarn that keeps you reading while at the same time packing the book with fascinating information on the histories and cultures of antiquity. I also love to read the author's note at the end when he explains even further the background behind the story and how it fits in with the real history. I am sure if Mr Colby would write a nonfiction book on Ancient Greece it would be a joy to read. Roll on book 3.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cheerful entry in this mystery series. Nico and Diotima investigate the household of the Athenian hero/exiled traitor Themistocles in the city of Magnesia, where he rules as a satrap of the Persian Great King. Corby has a sharp eye for what made ancient Greek civilization great and peculiar, coupled with a witty style. This time out the mystery is actually puzzling as well, so The Ionia Sanction delivers the goods.

[MAP · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another solid entry in the series. I would actually say the mystery itself holds together better than the first book.

[Dorothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorion, the proxenos (agent) for Ephesus (a Hellenic city in the Persian Empire) in fifth-century Athens, is dead. Very dead. His body is hanging from the ceiling of his office in his Athens home, where he is found by Pericles. Pericles had received a note from Thorion which seemed to say that he had committed treason against Athens. But it soon becomes apparent that all is not as it seems at the death scene.

Pericles calls in the investigator Nicolaos, whom he had used once before, to look into the death. Nico quickly discovers that Thorion did not die hanging from the ceiling. He was already dead when he was put there. Who killed him? Why? Did it have something to do with Thorion's supposed treason? He was the agent for Ephesus. Did the cause of the murder emanate from there?

Pericles is nothing if not decisive and he decides on the spot to send Nico to Ephesus to interview the proxenos of Athens there and to investigate to see if he can get to the bottom of what has happened.

Before leaving for Ephesus, Nico uncovers the probable murderer of Thorion, a man called Araxes, and has a marathon fight and race with him, but Araxes manages to escape both Nico and Athens. Nico follows a lead to the slave market where he sees a beautiful teenage girl about to be sold to a brothel - the girl who had accompanied Araxes to Athens. He buys the girl and soon learns that she is the daughter of Themistocles, the hero who had once saved Athens from the Persians only later to be ostracized and condemned for treason. He had fled to the Persians and had ultimately become the Great King's satrap in Magnesia, which is near Ephesus. Ephesus, also it turns out, is the place that the love of Nico's life had fled to after Nico's father refused permission for their marriage because she was the daughter of a hetaera, the mistress of the man whose murder Nico had investigated in The Pericles Commission. So, on to Ephesus!

Gary Corby has shown a knack for recreating a believable fifth-century Athens and the ancient world of that time. His interweaving of the actual personages of the period, well-known to us from history, people like Pericles and Themistocles, with his own creations like Nico is seamless and is a fascinating way of revealing the history of those times. Ancient Greece has long been an interest of mine and this series is one of the best things to come along for this reader in quite some time. One of my favorite parts of the book is the extensive historical notes at the end of the book where one can see many parallels between those times and our own. Good stuff!

[Randee Baty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trouble is afoot in Athens and Nico, the aspiring 21 year old investigator, is called upon to get to the bottom of it!

Our hero is Nico, who wants to be an investigator but is being pressured by his very traditional father to go into the family sculpting business. Socrates is his younger brother and, as may be imagined, is quite precocious.

Thorion is the proxenos of Ephesus in Athens and when it is discovered that he was murdered, Pericles, the leading political figure of Athens, puts Nico on the job of finding the culprit. When Nico finds incriminating papers in the proxenos' office which lead him to believe that the murderer came from Ephesus, he starts on a long trail that will end in Magnesia with palace intrigue, a beautiful young slave girl, a feisty priestess of Artemis, surprising revelations and treachery galore. I found the story quite engrossing.

I have not read The Pericles Commission which is the first in this series but I don't believe that changed my enjoyment of the book at all. This is a fun read that includes tons of historical detail and historical figures. The mystery is good, the characters are believable and I will be reading the rest of the books in this series.

Here's my caveat and the reason I would have preferred to give it it 3 1/2 stars rather than 4. There was a scene where the characters came upon a tortured man and it was just way too graphic for my taste. If it had come earlier in the story, I might not have continued to read. There was also a sex scene that was too graphic for me. Both scenes felt out of step with the rest of the book. Without them, it's a really fun and entertaining book so readers can decide whether that kind of thing bothers them or not.

I received this book from the author through booklikes and I appreciated the opportunity to read and review it.

[Cyn McDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one did not keep my interest as well as the first one did. Still, a good, well-researched historical fiction/mystery.

TW: Some pretty graphic torture/execution and SM sex, although both further the plot so not entirely gratuitous. Still, avoid it if this will give you nightmares.

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun historical mystery.

For a further review: http://susannag.booklikes.com/post/70... .

[Lia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looking at the clash between democratic Athens and tyrannical Persia from way over here is really helping me think about the geopolitical situation of our time. I really enjoyed that, the novel gives interesting (and invented) character traits to a list of historical footnotes, which is motivating me to go back to tackle the more academic titles. This is my 3rd book in the series, but I'm already sorry that I'll run out soon.

I'm growing very fond of the educational aspects of the series, I've said in earlier reviews that the characters act more like modern people plonked into a museum of ancient facts. That was negative for me at first, but in this particular title, the way Nico struggles to reconcile his projection of what he's going to do (riding horses, be all heroic) vs the reality of his ineptitude, his unfamiliarity with Persia and with horse back riding, is finally paying off. It makes me readily notice what would seem strange to a modern reader.

This is mostly written like sit-com scenes with Nico humiliating himself. I actually stopped reading to check the publication date, I thought maybe this is a really old series written back when sitcom humor wasn't seen as cliche (or I've simply grown out of it and find them childish these days), turns out it's relatively recent, and even if the humor (and romance) is a little cliche I'm still enjoying this.

However, I really have to take a star off over the graphic BDSM sex/government torture scenes. I might reconsider and add it back later. I've read a bit about ancient gender roles and sexual roles and practices, I thought the BDSM scene was awfully anachronistic, but I really wanted the endnotes to prove me wrong, I wanted Corby to show me the way the scene is set up is justifiable, but turns out it's not a known practice, and he made it up (to make the characters seem especially transgressive by ancient standard, because apparently everything else was permitted). I get his reasoning, but the scene is so modern, so 50-shades cliche, I just can't stop rolling my eyes.

As for the torture scenes - I'm uncomfortable with how flippant, humorous they are! We know ancient rulers really did impale and crucify people, I'm comfortable with novels using those scenes. I'm somehow not as comfortable with making that a funny suspenseful gimmick.

Which is awkward - I was also complaining about the way slaves and women are written as confident and snarky with no realistic sign of being oppressed, they're just as mouthy and clever and funny as everybody else - and now I'm saying stop joking about torture (I was also upset about Nico's casual non-consensual sexual advances, but then I remembered consent wasn't really a thing and therefore historically accurate). I should probably make up my mind.

P.S.: The BDSM scene ruined my plan to pass this onto my little cousins (7th grade).

[Christina Hirko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, it's a fun read--only slightly less so than the first book. The characters are again fun and, no matter which side of the spectrum--antagonist to our hero or companion--they were entertaining. There's smaller details that stood out to me while reading, though once again the ending notes softened the blow of some decisions with the historical backing (That said, how necessary was Nessie and her husband's weird sex scene? I'm aware historically sex could be kinky, but theirs felt less kinky and more modern with the leather fetish gear...that's my two cents). I to some degree appreciated how non-dramatically romantic the characters are--Nico gets hard towards multiply women, Diotima admits she likes Nico but isn't die-hard in love with him, while other books might have tried to distinguish the main couple as some end-all love; theirs feels realistic, especially for the time, and I appreciate that. That said, when the book then tried to focus on their relationship drama, I found it a bit insincere--we've already established their partnership isn't a great love story, so throwing in love triangles or life threatening plots that tear them apart didn't hit as hard as it probably wanted. As for the mystery itself--it took awhile to build up properly, once we rushed our hero to the actual stage of events and got our supporting cast surrounding him, and at some point I was invested--but I think around the time of conclusion, when Araxas was pouring out the details and then we immediately transitioned to Thei-(nope, not gonna try to spell it without the text in front of me) then pouring out his details, and we just jumped from conversation to conversation with the dump of revelations it felt kinda anti-climactic, given the action we'd had up til now, and especially when the hero then reveals his plot for the conclusion, and we then watch it play through (yes, he changes it slightly, but the result is the same and so the suspense is nonexistent); I just felt underwhelmed by the ending, especially with how this novel upped the stakes from the first one so dire.

[Israel Drazin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this series a lot. I like the stories, the way the plots develop, the humor in them, the relationship between the male and female heroes, the rather awkward relationship between the hero Nicolaos and his boss Pericles, Nico’s mistakes and successes, and the huge amount of very interesting information that the author Gary Corby gives us about ancient Greece, around 140 before the common era. We read about historical figures such as the famed philosopher Socrates when he was a youngster; Nicolaos a fictional character, who is married to a real historical figure, the teacher of Socrates, Diotima; the leader of ancient Athens Pericles; the general who saved Athens Themistocles, whom the Athenians foolishly banished from their country and who went east and joined the enemy of Athens Persia, eleven real historical figures in all.
The Ionia Sanction is the second book in the series. It is the fourth of Corby's books that I read, I read the latest one first and liked it, so I got the other five from the library. I was not able to read them in order. I mention this so that you will know that it is not necessary to read them in order, but it is better to do so. In this volume, Nicolaos and Diotima want to get married but Nico’s father refuses permission. Meanwhile the leader of Ionia wants Nico to marry his daughter and gets permission for it from Nico’s father. This is one of the subplots.
The main plot is that the Athenian leader Pericles has information that seems to harm Athens and send Nico east to Ionia which is controlled by the Persian to find out what Persia is planning to do to Athens. If the Persians discover Nico’s true role, they will impale him, and while he is held on a stick, it takes several agonizing days to die. Nico needs to deal with many interesting people, including Themistocles, who was probably the greatest statesman of his time, and a brutal man who is very knowledgeable who looks after the affairs of the Persian king.

[David Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

As part of keeping my spirits up during the COVID-19 pandemic, I've decided to reread two series of novels set in Greece. Why? Because my wife and I are holding out hope that our September/October trip to Greece still will happen...fingers crossed!

I finished all the books in "The Seven Deadly Sins" series featuring Hermes Diaktoros (Hermes Messenger) - which are set in modern Greece. So, it was time to begin "The Athenian Mysteries" series, featuring Nicholaos, son of Sophroniscus the sculptor and older brother of an extremely inquisitive young boy named Socrates. Along with Diotema - a priestess of Artemis and daughter of the hetaera Euterpe (a high-class call girl) - Nicholaos is arguably the world's first private investigator. After all, the first novel in the series is set in ancient Athens just days after the first democracy is established there (461 B.C.).

Like all good history writers, Corby blends known facts from the past with delightful fiction. Not only do the books in this series entertain, they also provide the reader with a great sense of what it was like to live nearly 2,500 years ago at the birthplace of western civilization. Anyone who loves classical Greece will love these books. And anyone who doesn't know much about classical Greece can learn a lot about it in this historically accurate - and fun - series.

"Apoláfste, filoi mou!" ("Enjoy, my friends!")

P.S. Most of the action in this second novel takes place in Ephesus and Magnesia (modern Turkey). We are supposed to visit Ephesus during the fall trip. I've heard the ruins there are spectacular, so I'm excited to see them.

[Kost As · Rating 3 out of 5]

Δεύτερο βιβλίου του Gary Corby της σειράς The Athenian Mysteries! Το πρώτο με είχε κερδίσει από την πρώτη στιγμή και ήταν θέμα χρόνου να έπιανα στα χέρια μου και το "Ionia Sanction". Εδώ ο σταρ μας, αφού κάνει άνω κάτω την Αρχαία Αθήνα, ταξιδεύει στη Μικρά Ασία και συνεχίζει εκεί τις περιπέτειές του. Μυθικά πρόσωπα εμπλέκονται με αληθινά ιστορικά πρόσωπα, ενώ ο συγγραφέας μάς ξεναγεί σε μία από τις πιο ξακουστές πόλεις της Μικράς Ασίας της αρχίας εποχής προσφέροντάς μας άπλετα πολλές πληροφορίες για τα έθιμα και τον τρόπο ζωής των κατοίκων τότε.

Σε ποιους θα αρέσει: Φυσικά στους λάτρεις της Αρχαίας Ελλάδας, αλλά και των ιστοριών μυστηρίου ανεξαρτήτως εποχή��.

Σε ποιους δε θα αρέσει: Σε εκείνους που περιμένουν να διαβάσουν μια απολύτα ρεαλιστική ιστορία με βαθύτερα νοήματα και ενδεχομένως αμφίσημες έννοιες.

3 αστεράκια, διότι, ναι μεν η πλοκή ήταν λιγότερο απλοϊκή σε σχέση με το πρώτο βιβλίο, παρόλα αυτά την βρήκα αρκετά μπερδεμένη (άνευ λόγου κατά κύριο λόγο), ενώ στο τέλος ένιωσα ότι ο συγγραφέας άφησε κενά. Φερ' ειπείν, δε θα ήταν προτιμότερο να είχε τελειώσει η ιστορία από εκεί από όπου ξεκίνησε, δηλαδή από την Αθήνα; Ο Νικόλαος είχε σκοπό να επιστρέψει στην Αθήνα, αλλά το βιβλίο τελείωσε πριν ξεκινήσει να επιστρέφει! Μήπως θα κάνει τη σύνδεση στο επόμενο βιβλίο ο Γκάρυ; Θα το διαπιστώσουμε στο επόμενο βιβλίο!!

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun mystery set in ancient Greece, featuring a young investigator and his girlfriend.

I loved the setting - this was a new setting for me, and the author fit in so many historical facts. Learning about ancient Greece was definitely my favorite part of the book.

The mystery was so-so. There's a death, and a stolen girl sold as a slave, and a disappearance, and several other odd facts that they have to piece together. All while avoiding an assassin and convincing a traitor that Nico is not there to spy on him (Nico most definitely is there to spy on him). I liked that there was a lot more to the book than just the mystery.

The book's content was an odd mixture of YA feel with adult content. The main character is younger adult (age 21) but behaves like a teenager and makes stupid choices. On the other hand, it was full of adult content: discussion of prostitution, rape, sex, slavery, suicide, murder, torture, torture mixed with sex. Yes, I know this was reality in ancient Greece but there was a lot more page space devoted to it than necessary.

In the end: Loved the historical content, enjoyed the mystery, did not enjoy foolish teenage antics or R-rated content.

[Mike Shoop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this even more than the first one, maybe Corby is hitting his stride better here. In this entry, investigator agent Nicolaos is sent by Pericles to Ephesus, to discover who was behind the dreadful murder of Thorion, the Athenian proxenos for Ephesus. The exiled military genius Themistocles, who turned traitor and went over to the Persians, is likely involved, and with Athens on the verge of war once more, Pericles is desperate to find out for sure. Once again, Nico's pulled into a vortex of plots, murders, secrets, political maneuverings, murderous brigands, and into Themistocles' totally dysfunctional family. Luckily for him, the young priestess Diotima and a young slave girl are on hand to help. Based on actual events, Corby spins an entertaining story of intrigue and mystery, with good historical detail (sometimes too much so, in several gruesome instances), well paced writing, and humorous dialogue (even though it can be jarringly modern-sounding); I got some good laughs out of this book. Looking forward to reading the third book!

[Mary Heron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicolas gets to travel in this instalment.

Persia was long been the enemy of Athens (along with the other Greek city states) it is not so long since the last invasion which happened when Nicholas was a baby. A merchant who also passes on information is found murdered, his counterpart works in a similar role across the sea in part of Persia th the a heavily Greek influence. Nicholas is despatched by Perecles to find out why the man was murdered and shy he left a note confessing to treason. Nicholas still only a young man of about twenty has never before left Athens but here he is being sent into what is essentially enemy territory with no back up of support. A recipe for disaster as Nicholas finds out quickly exactly innocent and unworldly he still is.................................... A complex mystery with well thought out characters, even the "bad guys" are shown as well rounded people with nobody fully good or fully evil, just people trying to survive in dangerous times.............

[Anika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done, Mr Corby!

I read ‘The Pericles Commission’ about 3 years ago and made a mental note to continue with the series.
So now it was about time to do so and I don’t regret reading ‘The Ionia Sanction’ a single bit. I found the author’s second book to be even better and highly entertaining.

Corby’s second novel has everything you want in a whodunnit.

- Cool characters, some ‘old friends’ known from ‘The Pericles Commission’ but also enough new both fictional and also historical people.

- The plot is no too foreseeable and there are twists and turns that keep up the pace of the novel at all times.

-The cherry on the cake (for me, someone who graduated in Ancient History) was the setting and the author’s ability to make the world as it (probably) used to be about 2.500 years ago as alive as any contemporary fiction. I learned quite a bit about customs and everyday life on the go thanks to the author’s comprehensive research - so fun!

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third book I've read in the series and my least favorite so far. It was a decent read and a good page turner, but kind of failed in the mystery department. Even the characters lose interest in figuring things out at one point and take a few week break. The story comes back around in a rush to a thrilling ending, but its a bit convoluted in how everything fell into place so quickly. I know it's the point, but I felt like the first book did it better.

It was a bit jarring reading this book from Nico's perspective sometimes. Corby made a lot of effort to ground him in his time in both thoughts and deeds. Nico's views on slavery, women and democracy don't line up well by todays standards and for moments I thought he would buck his society's "known" behaviors to be more relatable to a modern reader. Every time it didn't happen I had to pause and remind myself that I shouldn't expect him to do that.

[Indeneri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A low 3 stars, closer to 2 stars.

This one had much the same humour and charm of the first book, with Nico and Diotima stuck in Persia, hostage to the opulent hospitality of Themistocles, who was much spoken about in the previous installment The Pericles Commission.

Two things put me off:
1. The lurid and rather graphic description of being impaled, repeated throughout the book. I thought that was unnecessary gore and wasn't really prepared for it. This book got me thinking that maybe books should come with warnings, like movies. After reading the first one, I wasn't really expecting that. It didnt't seem to serve a purpose except to associate the grim cruelty of it with Persia, just to have a stick to beat Persia with.

2. I didn't really understand the thought process of the exiled Athenians. Instead of taking advantage of their position to get ahead in life, they're just sitting around moping.

Maybe I'm a bit squeamish, but I'm going to wait a bit before I pick up the third one, Sacred Games.

[Robert Theodorson · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you read The Ionia Sanction, there's a 99.9% chance you read The Pericles Commission.

I'd say Ionia is a little bit better than Pericles, there's definitely more humor and the book does make you laugh out loud quite a few times for a crime/mystery book.

Some of the torture and sex scenes are a bit difficult to read, the later being a bit cringey at points but it didn't damage the story too much overall.

We finally get to see our hero Nico turn from a naïve errand boy to a genius detective with a mean streak and a willingness to do what he has to. The character development was excellent, so for that reason I might check out the 3rd book.

[BBoulier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in 460 BC, Gary Corby’s “The Ionia Sanction” (2011) is the second book in the series involving a young man, Nicolaos, who serves as a criminal investigator for Pericles. In this book, Nico pursues the murder of an Athenian official to Ionia, a land that is part of the Persian empire. He is also delegated the task of finding out the current plans of Themistocles, an Athenian general who had defected to Persia some years earlier. The plot of the book is excellent, and the discussion of Athenian politics and of Greek and Persian life and customs make the book worth reading. This book is better than the first one in the series. Highly recommended.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Thorion, Proxenos for Ephesus, is found hanged, it is at first assumed he committed suicide, but then Pericles and Nico find evidence that points towards murder. Nico is assigned to find the murderer and also a missing message that could contain the motive. When his first attempt ends in disaster, Nico leaves on a fast ship for Ephesus, with little idea what he will find there. This is a fascinating glimpse into ancient history in a very easy-to-read and entertaining format. Interesting characters and intricate plots combine into an excellent story. Highly recommended.

[Gergely · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book with a believable portrayal of post-Salamis Athens, with a very interesting insight into the workings of the Achaemenid Empire.
Plot and pacing are ok, characterizations are believable. Themistocles, Pericles and Barzanes shine particularly, and the main protagonist Nicolaos also pulls off an impressive but plausible gambit at the end.
Very good from a book that's based on maybe a paragraph's worth of text from classic historiography (if I understood the afterword correctly).
Definitely recommendable reading.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Overall I enjoyed this book, but I could have done without the repeated, detailed descriptions of a gruesome execution method. It jumped from a light, scrappy, fun mystery to that kind of thing pretty quickly. I did like how the "extras" characters - guards at the gate, a harbormaster the protagonist needed info from, etc - felt fully developed. No easily fighting off twelve guys with plot armor here. I was a little unsure about Socrates being a character, but him being an annoying younger brother was honestly pretty funny.

[Sandra Merlo · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is the second in the series I've read and loved this one even more than the first. If you are a fan of Lindsey Davis' Falco series you probably enjoy this, too. The characters are interesting and well described, and I've learned a lot about the culture and laws/punishments. A very entertaining book with enough twists and turns to keep me guessing.