A wealthy shipping magnate is found murdered in his Egyptian palace; several members of his own family have the means, the motive, and the opportunity to have committed the crime. Against the historical backdrop of Alexandrian Egypt in the first century A.D., Centurion Gaius Hesperian - a reflective and compassionate member of Emperor Nero's palace guard-is dispatched to Alexandria with the seemingly impossible task of solving the crime and apprehending the murderer. Rich detail and a complex cast of characters drive this fast-paced mystery story and romance to its climax. This is another fine read by award-winning novelist Ray Faraday Nelson, author of Timequest, The Prometheus Man, and the short story that inspired the sci-fi movie They Live. Topical illustrations.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
First-century Alexandria is the backdrop for this spirited but often implausible historical murder mystery, the first in a projected series featuring the sleuthing centurion Gaius Hesperian. A palace guard of Nero's who has a detective's intuition, Hesperian is called in to investigate the slaying of Odysseus Memnon, a grain merchant and shipping magnate. Memnon himself had suspected that one of his relatives would attempt to kill him after he announced his intention to give every last drachma to the "obscure Jewish heresy called Christianity." Hesperian is an unusual investigator for his day, solving crimes through questioning, not torture. Through adroit interrogation of the family, the slaves of Memnon's estate and local merchants, he uncovers not only the killer but an illicit affair and a murder motive much more complex than greed. Along the way Nelson ( TimeQuest ) pastes curious period details onto his already impressionistic setting.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
There are no customer reviews yet.
|
|||
|
Video reviews
|
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
