Death on Delos

The Athenian Mysteries #7

by Gary Corby

​In the seventh in Gary Corby's Athenian Mystery series, Nico and Diotima must solve a murder case while also preparing to have a baby. Set on the sacred island of Delos in 5th century BC,  Death on Delos  is full of humor and historical intrigue. ​

Greece, 454 The sacred isle of Delos, the birthplace of the divine twins Apollo and Artemis, has been a most holy pilgrimage site for centuries. Delos is also home to the military fund kept by the Delian League, the alliance of city-states that defended Greece against the Persians, and that vast treasury is protected only by the priests and priestesses of the tiny isle and a scant armed guard.

Then one day the charismatic Athenian statesman Pericles arrives at the head of a small army to forcibly take the treasury back to the safety of Athens. With him are Nico, the only private agent in ancient Athens, and his heavily pregnant wife and partner in sleuthing, the priestess Diotima. She has been selected to give this year’s annual offering to holy Artemis.

In the face of righteous resistance from the priests, Pericles assigns Nico to bribe their leader. But before he can get very far with this dubiously unholy task, Nico ends up with a murder on his hands.

It is a crime against the gods to die or be born on the sacred island. Thanks to the violence over the treasury, the first blasphemy has already been committed. Can Nico solve the murder and get Diotima off the island before they accidentally commit the second?

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical, Historical Mystery, Greece, Fiction, Mystery Thriller

352 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2017

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

[Angie Boyter · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is probably not prudent for a woman who is ten (yes, ten) months pregnant to visit Delos, the island dedicated to the worship of Artemis and Apollo, , because it is illegal to give birth or die there. But expectant mother Diotima is a priestess of Artemis, and this year the gods, as evidenced in the casting of lots, had chosen her to take Athens’ offerings to the sacred isle. Nervous father-to-be and narrator Nicolaos accompanies her to protect her and to fret. Behind them comes the Athenian military leader Pericles with a fleet of ships to reclaim the treasury of the Athenian League, which is threatened by the Persians, over the objections of the locals of Delos. But before Diotima has a chance to breach the taboo against giving birth on Delos, the equally strong prohibition against death is breached when a murder takes place. Pericles asks Diotima to investigate the murder, since she is both an Athenian and a priestess of Artemis and is more likely to be trusted by both sides of the controversy.
When I like a series as much as I like this one, it is only natural to approach a new entry with my fingers crossed. Will it be as good as the others? In this case, the answer is a resounding “Yes”. Corby’s Athenian mystery series is notable for interesting plots, likable characters, gentle humor, and a wealth of information about ancient Greek history and culture. Everything I said about Corby’s last book, The Singer from Memphis, still applies. “This is a light, entertaining novel, but it is finely crafted, with great attention to detail. At the front of the book, there is an Actors list that includes a short quote from each character and even suggestions on how to pronounce the ancient names (However, the author sets the tone of the book by saying, “I hope you’ll say each name however sounds happiest to you, and have fun reading the story.” ). There is a Timeline that gives a short historical background for readers not steeped in ancient history. There is also a more extensive discussion of the history and culture at the back. It lets the reader know what was true and what was fiction, details that could have been spoilers if presented before the reader finished the book, and other little tidbits that were just plain interesting”, such as the reason it was not surprising for Diotima to be ten months pregnant.
The intermixture of real and fictional characters is nicely done. Nicolaos himself, who is fictional, is the older brother of a young man named Socrates, who is off doing his compulsory military service during the events of this novel. The historical Socrates’ real mother, Phaenarete, however, was a midwife and plays a role in the story.
Corby’s use of humor is always enjoyable, and it is especially prominent in this book, such as when the priest Geros objects to the Athenians removing the Delian League treasury, and Pericles exclaims, “Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest?” or when Nicolaos observes that the captain of the ship Paralos, which is dedicated to fulfilling religious rituals and commitments, that he was “depressed because he was required to attend orgies instead of risk his life on the seas.”
If you enjoy a good story that will make you smile and painlessly pick up fascinating information about ancient Greece, I highly recommend this series. You can enjoy this seventh book in the series without the backstory, but I predict you ARE going to want to read them all.
NOTE: I received a free pre-publication copy of this book for review, but I would have loved it even if I had paid for it!

[Lia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to give this a lower rating, this is definitely not "literary" fiction. Another reviewer called the historical setting "wall paper," I thought that was apt.

The novel reads like contemporary people using contemporary slangs with contemporary attitude, but walking around explaining the cultural or religious "features" in something like a museum display, like tour guides in disposable costumes. There's no "uncle Charles" here, everybody speaks with more or less the same attitude, language, manners. The author tells you women and slaves are oppressed or restricted or kept down, but they go on to be snarky and flippant and talk just as casually as everybody else. Everybody as in high priest, Pericles, foreigners. This is a fully telling-no-showing novel.

But still, if you can get over the flaws, I had a lot of fun reading this "fluff." I was stuck without internet for 14 hours, I racked my brain trying to remember where or what Hyperborea is! I knew death was prohibited on Delos, I didn't know birth wasn't allowed either, and I couldn't google to check. So as I read through the book, I kept trying to guess what this Hyperborean conspiracy is about, have they done it? Why are they sending gifts? What is their Nemesis? That is, I fully enjoyed the whodunit part enhanced with Greek history clues.

The author did some homework, at the end of the novel he tells you which ones are historical "facts" and what's invented. I should point out the timeline isn't working out -- this particular event supposedly happened just as Socrates was sentenced to death; Nico and Diotima's voyage to Delos was what kept Socrates in jail for some 30 days. But in this series, Socrates is still a young man barely out of military camp (about 20?)

I was actually looking for readings about Aspasia, naturally I looked up novels with Pericles in them. Unfortunately no Aspasia in this volume, but I'm having so much fun with the Graeco-Roman whodunit, I've already started (in fact, almost finished reading) Book one (with Pericles in the title, but still no Aspasia as far as I can tell.)

So, in terms of literary merits, it's honestly quite poor. And I'm sure there are more gripping thrillers or better written historical novels out there, but if I like it enough to binge on it, I can't justify giving it a bad rating.

[TammyJo Eckhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an ancient historian I love when I can enjoy historical fiction set in the periods and cultures I've studied and taught about. Such a book is rare because far too often the author of the book has a surface level understanding of the ancient people they are writing about. Gary Corby has some knowledge about Greek societies but it varies so widely in how well he used it that even now after finishing the book I am neither highly annoyed and disappointed or very pleased. It should be noted that this is the story with Nicolas and Diotima that I have read so I can only go by their portrayal in this book.

So aspects of the book I both loved and hated. The relationship between Nico and Diotima was both realistic and annoying at the same time. Given that the viewpoint character is Nico I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by his lack of empathy and understanding of some matters considering his priestess wife and her pregnancy. It is true that ancient Greeks were very patriarchal but the degree of that varied from city-state to city-state and relationship to relationship, it would not surprise me if a husband and wife didn't have a fairly egalitarian relationship in private. However I'm not sure that I buy the basic idea that she could be in a religious career while he is apparently a public servant of some type.

There are debatable historical issues that are better part of a book review for a professional journal than an online bookstore. Two repeatedly made me cringe. While the term "oikos" does mean house, family, and possession and temples might be considered the "houses of gods" to see the capitalized use of the term to refer to temples felt ridiculous and misleading to the average reader. Just say "administrative building," "temple," or "office" and you are both clear and not distracting. Similarly, saying "watered wine" over and over may reflect an objective reality but certainly does not fit with how Greeks referred to wine in their surviving documents. Greeks felt they drank wine properly, they didn't need to say that they added water to it. The glossary could be improved to explain such differences between modern and ancient terms without misleading readers during the story.

Perhaps it was because I found the wording choices and the character of Nico to be distracting that I was never able to fully invest in the mystery itself. Two mysteries actually, a murder and a robbery. If I didn't know the answer by reading to the end of the book, I might be tempted to go back and see if I can be less distracted but there is only so much this ancient historian can ignore when she's reading so there isn't much point in my trying again.

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This entertaining book by the Australian author Gary Corby is the 7th volume in the exciting Athenian mystery series.
The historical details concerning this Classical Greek period are very well researched and explained by the author in his Author's Note and Glossary, which you can find at the end of the book.
At the beginning of the book you'll find an important list of Actors featuring in this tale, and not to forget a nice map of the Sacred Isle of Delos.
Storytelling is of a very good quality and brought to us with a lot of humour by the author, the storyline is well worked out, and all the characters come splendidly to life within this exciting murder story.
This story is set in the year 454 BC, and it will take our main characters, the fictional Nicolaos, and his wife, the real historical Priestess Diotima, to the Sacred Isle of Delos.
Delos is the home to the military fund of the Delian League, an alliance of city-states that defended and still defends Greece from the Persians, and that treasury is wanted by the real historical charismatic Athenian statesman Pericles, and its he who assigns Nico to try to bribe the leader of the resistance, Geros, so that Pericles finally can take that money back to Athens and safety.
All at once there's the murder of this same man Geros, and Nico must try hard, under the lead of his heavy pregnant wife Diotima, who's appointed as lead investigator by Anaxinos, the head-priest of Delos, to solve this murder, and what will follow is a mystery with quite a few twists and turns, and certainly with unexpected developments, that will finally end with a very surprising verdict for Diotima and Nico to bring to all at the Island of Delos.
Highly recommended, for this is an Ancient Greek mystery series at its best, and that's why I call this book: "A Very Enjoyable Historical Greek Mystery"!

[Mary Heron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly the last in the series.

Going by the publication date on this the seventh book in the series this may also be the last. If so we have left Nick nd.Customs in a good place. Again we have another complex mystery with Perecles again commissioning Nicholas to discover who has murdered a senior priest of Apollo on the island of Delios. an island where nobody is allowed to be born of to die in its land. Perecles has come to Demios to remove the Delian treasury a war fund.made up of donations from all the Greek nations. Perecles worries that the Persians may strike at the island stealing the treasure which everybody knows is stored there, as such he sees it as a necessary evil to take control of.the.money.............. Too bad not everyone agrees with him and he finds himself in for a bit of a fight. Nicholas ....yes there accompanying his heavily pregnant wife who has been chosen to perform a sacred rite in her role as Priestess of Athena. He's hoping the strife over the money does not.delay things bookcase wants to get Diatoma home before the birth of their.first child........alas there before there's a murder on the island............

[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. And with "Death on Delos" the Athenian Mystery series seems to have come to an end. Corby was cranking out these novels about every year or so. But this was published in 2017, and there's been nothing since. I keep checking his web site to see if he mentions another one. (He hasn't.) I guess I shouldn't be surprised because Nico tells Diotima in this novel that he's giving up being an investigator because it's too dangerous now that they are going to be parents. So I may have to bid goodbye to a series I thoroughly enjoyed. If so, this seventh novel was a worthy farewell.

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

This time Nicolaos is on the island of Delos, where its illegal to die (how that's enforced or punished no one seems to be able to explain) or give birth. Complicating matters is that his wife Diotoma, priestess of Artemis, has been selected to do a ritual on the island while days away from giving birth.

A murder occurs, all sorts of corruption and theft is uncovered, and various subplots are established. The island is detailed well and various historical themes and events are explored but this time Diotoma is chosen to be the investigator (although Nicolaos ends up doing most of it anyway).

I'm kind of torn on this one. Its not written very well in terms of historical immersion. It feels like a WB show about ancient Greece, with only the most blatant modern references and slang pulled out, but otherwise incredibly modern language and often attitudes. The mystery is not particularly puzzling, and Diotoma only ends up looking smart because frankly everyone else is rather dull and plodding.

The historical notes in the back were actually much more compelling than the story its self, filling in plenty of fascinating details about the Delian League, the history of the island and so on. One of the major subplots was pretty extraneous but large and took up a chunk of the book, and overall this series has left me mildly disappointed overall because it just doesn't have a good historical feel about it despite the authors clear hard work to establish that.

[Edwin Wollert · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's strange how I got into mysteries, not liking them much at all when a kid or young adult. Yet here is Aussie novelist Gary Corby, with his 7th foray into the life of ancient Athens, and indeed much of the rest of "Greece" (not unified until much later, of course), featuring detective Nicolaos, his wife, the priestess Diotima (a probably-real character who is known only to really appear in the work of Plato, but Plato's also the one who got the whole Atlantis fable going), and his snarky younger brother, Socrates. Yes, it's that Socrates, the later teacher of Plato and martyr for freedom of speech and religion. I won't give anything away here, only to note that Corby, like Lindsey Davis does for classical Rome, offers entertainingly yet accurately detailed descriptions of old places and events, with a mix of characters both historical and fantastic, that makes for delightful reading regardless of what might be going on in the background (oh, yeah... these are all mysteries!) Corby's books are easily tracked down in both the North American and European English-language markets, and if I may, as a former college philosophy teacher, encountering Socrates in a more personal way is always entertaining (we know very little about him anyway, mostly, again, through Plato and also commentators like Xenophon). The books don't even need to read in order, but, as with any good mystery series, that can make things a bit more fun.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nico and Diotima arrive on Delos, the sacred birthplace of Apollo and Artemis, where no one is allowed to die or be born. Diotima has been chosen by the goddess to present this year's offering to Artemis, despite the fact that she is very far along in pregnancy. At the same time, Pericles arrives with the fleet to demand that the treasury of the Delian league be transferred to Athens for safety. Naturally the local priests resist, especially Geros, so when Nico discovers his dead body, recently murdered, there is an enormous outcry. The head priest appoints not Nico, but Diotima to investigate. It is a convoluted problem &mdash naturally, none of the Delians will be happy if one of them is found guilty, but the same is true about the Athenians. Can Diotima and Nico, with the help of Pericles, Philipos (a hanger-on of Pericles'), Semnos (captain of the ship that transported Nico and Diotima to Delos), and some of the villagers, discover the truth? And will it somehow be acceptable to all parties? And will they succeed in leaving the island before Diotima gives birth? Yet another fascinating book in the series set in ancient Greece. Interesting, enjoyable characters, unusual situations, and a sly sense of humor combine to entertain the reader. Highly recommended.

[BBoulier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in 454 BC, Gary Corby’s “Death on Delos” (2017) is the seventh book in the series involving a young man, Nicolaos (Nico), who serves as a criminal investigator for Pericles. In this book, Nico accompanies his wife Diotina (a priestess of Artemis) to the sacred island of Delos, as she was selected to give the annual offering to Artemis there. (Side note: Artemis and Apollo were born on Delos.) Pericles arrives with a small army to carry the treasury of the Delian League back to Athens in order to prevent a possible raid by Persia on the treasury. The priests on Delos object to the transfer. When one of them is murdered, Diotina and Nico are selected to investigate the crime. Time is of the essence as Diotina is soon to give birth and no one is allowed to be born or to die on Delos. The plot of this mystery is excellent, and the discussions of the history of Delos, the Delian League, and Greek accounting are interesting. As always in this series, there are also some very witty sections. Highly recommended. You probably should read the earlier books in the series before reading this one. Sadly, it looks like this may be the last book in the series as there has been a very long gap since this one was published.

[Mike Shoop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this latest book in the series (possibly the last?). The Athenian sleuth Nicolaos and his very pregnant priestess wife Diotima head to the island of Delos along with Pericles and fifty ships, to forcibly bring back to Athens the treasury of the Delian League. Delos, the birthplace of Artemis and Apollo, is inhabited mainly by priests, peasants, and goats. Pericles wants the treasury, the priests object to his taking it, and one of them is suddenly murdered. The investigation turns up fraud, some shady dealings, hidden identities, outright hostility, and a secret attack by the Persians. Corby's trademark humor is again present and appreciated, his ancient Greek history is interesting, and his two main characters still entertain with their wit and banter between themselves and other characters. Corby ties things up, but leaves the door open for more books if he so chooses. I enjoyed this series.

[Argum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diotima is pregnant and shes been selected by the goddess to present Athens gift to the temple at Delos. And by pregnant I mean ready to deliver any time now, so perfect time to go to an island where birth and dying are forbidden. Oh and just to be more exciting Pericles is there to move the treasury of the Delian League to Athens as a protective measure albeit unilateral. The High Priest is not convinced, but the second ranking priest puts up a huge fuss and there is nearly a riot. Nico is sent to bribe the man, but when he goes back to pay him off the old priest is murdered. Everyone suspects Nico and Diotima is hired by the High Priest to investigate. Things get very complicated very fast. Great way to get some history and an interesting twist makes a historical mystery have an intriguing answer.

[Phair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book #7 in the series got into all the complications surrounding safeguarding the Delian League's treasury from an imminent Persian invasion made even more difficult by taking place on the sacred island where Diotima is to officiate in important rites at the temple of Artemis. A murder, of course, but also some interesting stuff about the sacred precinct and the cults of Apollo and Artemis, Greek financial systems, new high tech (locks and keys!) and the mythical Hyboreans. Important developments in the lives of Nico and Diotima. As usual, great author notes, glossary and pronunciation guide for names. The map was less successful. While not among my favorite entries in the Athenian Mysteries this one continues to provide decent helpings of information, humor and adventure. Keep them coming, please!

[Viva · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an ancient Greek history and my first Nico/Diotima book. What I liked most about the book was the setting and the history. I didn't know much about Delos before and I read up a little on it after. I thought the characters were somewhat flat and the level of writing was low. This book was fairly entertaining but not engrossing. The mystery part was slow and unexciting. Towards the end I didn't really care whodunit because there was not much of a build up or suspense. In fact, I felt the author's notes and glossary were more interesting than the book. I think the author should have tightened up the plot, cut out all the fat and made the characters more 3D.

I got this book free as an ARC.

[Christina Hirko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really sad this is the last book--so far--and can only hold out hope the series returns! It's my favorite series in a long time, even if I find nitpicks or small complaints. My only complaint is prlly the ending with this book--it's quite sudden and rushed and it really feels like the afterword, which might be honestly my favorite parts--I would read a series purely of Corby brushing through ancient Greek history with caddy comments--holds the actual conclusion... I enjoyed the characters and the mysteries, though again the conclusion was slightly underwhelming if for no other reason than even our heroes were like "yeah, the murder mystery isn't that important right now."

[Harsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s good, light reading. A spin on Greek historical characters and crime fiction. It kept me interested and hooked even though it was predictable. My first book in the series, with a few chuckles along the way, I like how the story is weaved into historical events.
Loved the ending note to the readers, the effort put into keeping the facts aligned with the story’s timeline. Picked up the book because I thought it was Greek Mythology, stayed for the history. Can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
(Makes me want to re-read Percy Jackson again, soonish.)

[Anna Bergmark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The murder mystery itself isn't all that engaging (it's quite stagnant really) and the Hyperborean bit utterly pointless, but all in all this is great fun all the same.

There's humour galore, the main characters are very likable and the description of Delos itself, the holy island where both dying and giving birth is banned, is top notch. Even though the narrative voice is contemporary and all the participants are portrayed as "modern" men and women, you do get a good picture of how special this place must have been in the day, feeling the wing beats of time and all of that, so...

If you're into ancient history you'll find the story immensely interesting and if not, it will still entertain you in a cozy lightweight fashion.

[Mae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cosy Mystery with a Historical Setting. It was nice, and...cosy, the Greek islands, very much B.C. did not come across so sun drenched, and some modern day terms I couldn't imagine used B.C. were included but I really liked it anyway. Also, wife/priestess and husband/political envoy type sleuth team, are a nice touch and in #7, in the series, she's in an advanced state of pregnancy, yet another nice touch!

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC from Soho Press at BEA. This is a very engaging series with appealing characters and an interesting setting, taking place in Ancient Greece. I was reminded of Lyndsay Davis' Marcus Didius Falco series, which I loved. In this one, Diotima, the priestess married to Nico the investigator, is really the one in power in this couple. The mystery kept me guessing and had enough twists and turns to power the plot along. I'll be reading the previous books in the series.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another funny, well-plotted mystery with two attractive characters, Niko and Diotima. Corby is able to weave accurate information about Greek culture, Delos, historical events, religious customs and beliefs to create an intriguing suspenseful narrative. I did not guess the perpetrator of the crime, but thought the punishment appropriate. To say more would give spoilers. But if you are looking for a light-hearted amusing mystery, try this one

[Ernest Spoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, a nice piece of intellectual chewing gum to cleanse the palate after the heavy feast of ¨Wagnerism.¨

I´ve enjoyed reading these well researched tales of Nicolaos and Diotima. And my saying so in the past tense is no accident, because I fear this seventh book in The Athenian Mysteries may also be the last. And that´s too bad because I really enjoy hanging out with Nico and Diotima, whom I think just might be the smarter of the two. I shall miss them.

[Cathy Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series even though I've never been a fan of ancient Greece. (Merely an admirer from afar.) Gary Corby has the knack of combining history, humor, and untimely death in a way that's so entertaining readers may never realize that they're learning something. When a man like Corby reads that no one was allowed to die or give birth on Delos, there's only one thing he can do: tell a story in which both may-- or may not-- happen.

Since the plot of Death on Delos involves banks and boatloads of money, all sorts of skullduggery take place. All that cash is just too tempting. Nicolaos and Diotima are an excellent investigative team, but even they need a bit of time to unravel everything. However, with Diotima's due date looming ever closer, time is the one commodity they don't have.

Like all the other books in the series, Death on Delos tells a fast-moving story involving the Nick and Nora Charles of ancient Athens. I love the humor, I love the mystery, and I love the history. I also enjoy the cast of characters, the glossary, and the Author's Note that are always included in each book. You can read the book without them, but you'll be missing out on some of the delightful humor. And... if you're like me and want to know just how much of the story is actually true, that Author's Note comes in very handy.

If you haven't picked up one of Gary Corby's Athenian mysteries because you think reading about ancient Greece is too boring and stuffy for words, think again. You will be very pleasantly surprised to find out how fresh and lively those old Athenians were! You may even wind up eagerly awaiting the next book in the series-- like me!

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read on a bus from China to Laos. Another interesting adventure in death, mayhem, and corruption, however, what I found most interesting was the political backstory. The treasury of the Delian League being transferred from the island of Delos to Athens. A story with many permutations. I enjoyed the humour of the story, birth, death, and the o-so corrupt priest. A fun read. Recommended.

[Dee Halzack · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my favorite genres: murder mystery set in a historical time, solved using tools available at the time (which would mostly be deduction and hunches). This was set in ancient Greece and had a few real historical characters to add to the atmosphere.

Easy to read, interesting twists (including one a modern mystery would never have had). Good escape.

[Sylvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed all the background information about the importance of the island of Delos in Greek history. The mystery that Diotima and Nicalaos become involved in is interesting and unravels as we learn about the birth of the twins Artemis and Apollo on the island and wait for the birth of Diotima's baby which musn't happen while they were on the island.

[Scotty · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly mediocre entry in this series of historical mysteries. Actually by far my favorite part of the book was the author’s note at the end where he writes about all of the historical reality that the book is based on. The whodunnit in this one is fairly straightforward. It’s not bad but not nearly as good as some earlier entries in the series (like Sacred Games).

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable entry in the series. The title says it all, as Nick and Diotima go with Pericles to the Island of Delos to bring the Delian League Treasury back to Athens in order to protect it from the Persians and their allies. Except things get complicated in an interesting, ancient way as religious rules and practical military reasoning bring conflict.

[Susan Bartl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The historical notes at the end of these books worth reading just as much as the novels. If you enjoy historical mysteries I definitely recommend this series. Nico squirms his way out of being the major suspect in the murder of a priest on the island of Delos.

[Pinko Palest · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series of books was fun to read, and most of the time worked well, especially in bringing 5th c BC Athens to life. The final one is maybe the best of the seven, but in common with the others, it suffers from having a rather unconvincing climactic ending

[Steve Rhinelander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this is the seventh book in the series, it is the first one I have read because it happened to catch my eye when I was in the library. I loved it, and I cannot wait to find the earlier books in the series.