Death Comes by Amphora
A Mystery Novel of Ancient Athens Paperback
by Roger Hudson
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
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Pub Date Sep 15 2007 | Archive Date Dec 05 2017
Description
DescriptionDescriptionIn Ancient Athens in 461BC, aristocratic General Kimon has driven back the might of the Persian Empire and forged a new empire for Athens, making his city the commercial centre of the Eastern Mediterranean.
Now he is struggling for his political existence against the radical democratic reforms of the demagogue Ephialtes and his ambitious supporter Perikles. Into this political turmoil steps Lysanias, just 18, just reached manhood, and an innocent amidst the deceit and corruption of the big city.
Recalled from an Athenian colony by a mysterious message from his wealthy uncle Klereides, he discovers that his uncle has died in suspicious circumstances, that he is the heir, and that his obligations now include marrying his uncle’s teenage widow. Convinced that his uncle was murdered and driven by the ancient duty of vengeance, Lysanias sets out to discover the truth, aided by his elderly slave Sindron.
Their investigations take them deep into the murky interlocking worlds of Athenian politics, business, finance, religion and even art, where it seems Klereides had many enemies and where even his friends cannot be trusted.
With his own loyalties torn between the rival political factions, aristocrats and workers, due to his early training as an artisan, Lysanias himself faces violent death before he and Sindron discover the culprit and Ephialtes’ assassin.
Advance Praise
Roger Hudson has written a truly original and amazing book. The research involved must have been massive. Not only does he plot an excellent mystery with intriguing characters; he re-creates the fascinating world of Ancient Athens for the reader's entertainment. His whodunit is sophisticated, and his treatment of the coming of age of Lysanias, complete with his sexual education, is inspired. This is a great book and a wonderful read that can't help but teach as well as entertain.
Shelley Glodowski, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review (USA) *****
With a combination of scholarly research and highly creative imagination British author Roger Hudson has fashioned a believable and highly readable story in Death Comes By Amphora, a murder mystery that could as easily have happened in modern America as in Greece’s Golden Age of Athens….
…Sometimes told from the point of view of different characters, but always consistently true to the plot, atmosphere and setting, Death Comes By Amphora is a first-rate history/mystery
M. Wayne Cunningham in Mysterious Reviews ****
www.rogerhudson.me.uk
Hudson’s settings are vivid, his main characters compelling and likable and his conspiracies well-tangled. Solid historical research, character lists, and maps should please history buffs. The first in a promising new series. Recommended
Kris Swank, Sybil & Sleuth ezine (Texas, USA) ****
… an excellent book, with a very high standard of writing and a content which is both entertaining and instructive. The reader has to work at it to get the maximum value, as the machinations of Athenian politicians were easily as tortuous as our modern day, but this is a novel well worth reading.
Bernard Knight (author the Crowner John series of historical mysteries) in Tangled Web UK magazine
. The ease with which he weaves a gripping tale against the backdrop of bona fide Athenian politics is nothing short of amazing and considering that many works of this nature either sink or swim this one is a definite winner. The characters are astonishing in their depth and the internal struggles that both Lysanias and his personal slave undergo add greatly to the gist of the story
Sylvia Cochran in Roundtable Reviews
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9780993122903 |
| PRICE | $1.29 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
Keith C, Educator
I have a bit of history with this novel: about ten years ago I came across it in Heffers Book Shop in Cambridge and read the first chapter, while considering whether to buy it. I didn't buy it, as the opening chapter seemed rather hackneyed to me. Given a second opportunity, I tried again and this time as I read the book, I found it more interesting and plausible than before.
It is set at a time of major change in the Athens of the Fifth Century as radical reformers set the democracy in a new and revolutionary direction. This culminates in the murder of the reformer Ephialtes and the rise of his deputy Perikles to power and influence.
All of this is the pervading context for the surface plot which involves the murder of a wealthy Athenian businessman who appears to have been playing one political faction off against another. His nephew and heir, a rather callow but determined youth called Lysanias, investigates, with the help of his elderly slave tutor. Their relationship is tetchy and awkward and this is one of the strengths of the book. Another is the author's genuine knowledge and understanding of Athenian history and society of the period. The position of Athenian women, for example, is explored through Lysanias' aged grandmother, and the young widow of his uncle.
As for the story, there are lots of suspects to choose from, and if the ending is rather melodramatic, it does not spoil a thoroughly entertaining novel.
Librarian 431790
I liked this book. It is well written, well researched and helps to travel with your mind in a complex time as Athens just before Pericles was. The character are realistic, it means they sound "ancient Greek" :) and the plot is fascinating.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial
B. L, Reviewer
An excellent book about detectives... in ancient Greek!
Young Lysanias and his personal slave Sindron must find who mudered Lysanias' uncle Klereides. A political turmoil, including a revolution in democratic Athens, an extra-marital affair and bussiness affairs covers the reasons why was Klereides killed and his young nephew and heir must navigate this perilous waters.
Wonderfully written, placed into a real historical time with exhaustive investigation about the place and uses of the age from the author, I just can say I'm waiting for another book of Lysanias and Sindron adventures.
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