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John the Eunuch #5
Five For Silver: A John, the Lord Chamberlain Mystery
Winner, Glyph Award for Best Book Series Nominee, Bruce Alexander History Mystery Award In 542, Peter, John the Lord Chamberlain's elderly servant, claims a heavenly visitor revealed a murder to him. It transpires that Peter's old army friend has indeed been stabbed, but then John discovers that Gregory was not what he appeared to be. John's quest for the truth leads him to churchmen and whores, lawyers and bear trainers. Suspects include a dealer in dubious antiquities, a resourceful bookseller, a court poet fixated on bereavement, and a holy fool who outrages the city by dancing with the dead and invading the empress' private bath....
277 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2004
11 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
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 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 11, 2017
The plague must be the main character of this installment. The look of it, the smell of it, the sheer horror of it. Yes. Having finished the book I can still remember the plague. But the plot..?
The plot was so pointless I kept forgetting it while turning from one page to another. It simply would not stick, however hard I tried. Instead I struggled to find a speck of interest in other things, like Anatolius' romantic endeavors, but it was no use. The story was as dull as dodo droppings.
One measly anorexic star to a book so meager and thin that it seemed endless. An oxymoron you say? Yeah. I sure was an oxy moron for not quitting halfway in. I could of have read something more exciting instead. Like the telephone directory.
(Six more installments to go, binge bought. Oh, deary, deary me! I'm beginning to dread this!)
The plot was so pointless I kept forgetting it while turning from one page to another. It simply would not stick, however hard I tried. Instead I struggled to find a speck of interest in other things, like Anatolius' romantic endeavors, but it was no use. The story was as dull as dodo droppings.
One measly anorexic star to a book so meager and thin that it seemed endless. An oxymoron you say? Yeah. I sure was an oxy moron for not quitting halfway in. I could of have read something more exciting instead. Like the telephone directory.
(Six more installments to go, binge bought. Oh, deary, deary me! I'm beginning to dread this!)
June 7, 2013
I am enjoying this series, and gradually catching up on them. Can't remember where I first saw them mentioned, but the setting is beautifully done, and I like the way in which John's background is gradually filling in
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews