Blind Eye (High Priestess Iliona Greek Mysteries) [Paperback]

Marilyn Todd (Author)

Book Description

Series: High Priestess Iliona Greek Mysteries | Publication Date: June 1, 2008

A new series set in Ancient Greece - 466 BC - Blackmailed into spying for Spartas hated secret police, High Priestess Ilionas investigations keep turning up the same stories of a one-eyed giant that lives in the hills above Sicily: the legendary Cyclops. But soon Iliona comes to realize that the threat to her country doesnt come from the so-called Cyclops, or even their arch-enemy, Athens; it comes from deep within Sparta itself . . .

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Taking a break from her Roman historical mystery series (Scorpion Rising, etc.), British author Todd shifts to Sparta in 466 B.C. for this undistinguished whodunit. Lysander, commander of the Spartan secret police known as Krypteia, has coerced Iliona, high priestess of the river deity Eurotas, into gathering intelligence for him. Soon several disappearances, coupled with vague eyewitness reports, awaken fears that the legendary one-eyed giant Cyclops has returned to the area to prey on its inhabitants. The bodies pile up as Iliona searches for the culprit and develops an ambiguous relationship with Lysander. Todd's prose and dialogue are practiced and smooth, but she overuses the gimmick of ending many chapters with a brief passage from the gloating killer's perspective. Modern slang (Monsters are always so gross) makes the suspension of disbelief a challenge for all but Todd's most die-hard fans. (Dec.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Marilyn Todd was born in Harrow, but now lives in West Sussex with her husband and two cats. Dark Horse is the eighth Roman mystery to feature the beautiful but formidable Claudia Seferius.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Severn House Publishers (June 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1847510329
• ISBN-13: 978-1847510327
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,487,309 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars `The young stallion tottered to his feet and stretched the long night from his legs.', January 11, 2010

By 

J. Cameron-Smith "Expect the Unexpected" (ACT, Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blind Eye (High Priestess Iliona Greek Mysteries) (Paperback)

Sparta 466 BCE: Lysander, the commander of the Spartan secret police known as the Krypteia, coerces Iliona, high priestess of the river deity Eurotas into gathering intelligence for him. Sent to Sicily to investigate, Iliona keeps coming across a story of a one-eyed giant living in the hills above Sicily and preying on inhabitants. Iliona quickly comes to realise that the threat to Sparta does not come from the so-called Cyclops, or from Sparta's arch-enemy Athens. The traitor is part of the team sent to Sicily with her: but who is it, and why?

I like fiction set in and around Sparta, and I picked up this novel for that reason. I have mixed feelings about the novel: it was a quick page-turning read but not completely satisfying. I am interested enough to read the next novel in the series: I want to see how the character of Iliona develops.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A New Series, February 11, 2008

By 

J. Chippindale (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blind Eye (High Priestess Iliona Greek Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Marilyn Todd was born in Harrow, Middlesex, but now lives in West Sussex with her husband, one dog and two cats. For the last ten years she has run her own secretarial business from home. It seems a long time since Marilyn Todd's previous book Scorpion Rising was published but is in fact just over a year. That book of course featured the character Claudia. this is a completely new venture for the author.

Although the author's books on the Roman widow, Claudia did not seem to have the same impact on the reading public as say Lindsey Davis or Steven Saylor. I was always eager for the publication of a new one as I enjoy the writing style and wit of the author. This new series seems to be carrying on to the same high standard. I am not sure whether the author had gone as far as she thought she could with the character Claudia, or whether she felt she needed a new character and a new country to freshen things up.

This series is set in Ancient Greece and the synopsis provided by Amazon will give the reader all they need to know about the content of this particular book. Suffice to say that it held my attention from beginning to end and I found it very enjoyable.

2.0 out of 5 stars SO,so, January 30, 2010

By 

Dawn Trimmer "British mystery fan" (greater Dallas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Blind Eye (High Priestess Iliona Greek Mysteries) (Paperback)

I am in the process of reading this novel and ,so far, it is just not keeping me interested. I have been curious about this Britsh novelist, so I thought I would try this new series of hers. It must be her style of writing that I find unappealing. There are so many other British mystery writers I love who have a much better style of writing. Needless to say, I will not be reading any further novels, not even the Claudia series. I may even stop reading this one.