The Godless Man: A Mystery of Alexander the Great [Hardcover]

Paul Doherty (Author)

Book Description

Series: Mystery of Alexander the Great (Carroll & Graf) | Publication Date: July 10, 2002

It is now 334 B.C., and Alexander has smashed the Persian armies at the Battle of the Granicus and is roaming the western Persian Empire like a hungry predator, living up to his nickname of “the Wolf of Macedon.” Arriving in one of his prizes, the great city of Ephesus, the success of his campaign is threatened by a series of violent murders brought about by a high-ranking Persian spy known only as “the Centaur.” Worse, one of Alexander’s old tutors, Leonidas, is found floating face down in a stagnant pond at the House of Medusa—and this doesn’t look like an accident, since the House of Medusa is linked with a guild of assassins who formerly flourished in Ephesus. So once again Alexander’s friend and physician, Telamon, must set about unraveling this swirling mass of blood-strewn mysteries, this time working hand in hand with the king’s eerie Master of Secrets, Aristander. As always, one of the biggest obstacles is the volatile and unpredictable nature of Alexander himself, a consummate actor whose lust for power and glory matches the carnage and intrigue that dog his footsteps like the Furies themselves.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After his mighty victory at the Granicus in 334 B.C., Alexander the Great sweeps deeper into Persia in this multilayered and entertaining mystery, but when his army captures the city of Ephesus, the march of conquest seems doomed to halt in the face of intrigue and multiple murders. A shadowy assassin known only as the Centaur lurks behind the brutal crimes, and the young warlord commands his personal physician, Telamon, to uncover the identity of the killer and investigate some deep puzzles. In this second appearance after 2001's The House of Death, the good doctor, aided by Cassandra, his Celtic Maid Watson, must solve a mass murder committed within the securely locked doors of the Temple of Hercules. With a bravura flourish typical of his recent novels, Doherty includes a second locked-room murder as well as the killing of a politically connected courtesan and the death of the old soldier Leonidas, found floating in an ornamental pool in the gloomy mansion known as the House of Medusa. All the crimes are deftly presented and resolved, though Telamon and Cassandra have yet to leap from the page as living characters, and the mincing royal magician, Aristander, remains a painful presence. Details of the political moment in that age of myth and the battleground action compensate for these lapses. Doherty, a proven master of this form, has fertile territory lying ahead for this series.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

After the Battle of the Granicus, in which Alexander defeated the Persian armies, several murders in Ephesus threaten to delay Alexander's "clean up" of his enemies. His friend and doctor, Telamon, takes charge of the investigation, with help from the Master of Secrets. Intense, satisfying historical fiction from the author of The Mask of Ra and The House of Death.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf; First Edition edition (July 10, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786709952
• ISBN-13: 978-0786709953
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,764,296 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beware of a Greek bearing a title!, October 9, 2002

By 

Billy J. Hobbs "Bill Hobbs" (Tyler, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Godless Man: A Mystery of Alexander the Great (Hardcover)

Paul Doherty (or P.C. Doherty, or Paul Harding, or Michael Clynes, or Anna Apostolou, etc., take your pick) usually writes of medieval England. His Brother Athelstan series, his Sir Roger Shallot series, his Canterbury Tales series, and his Hugh Corbett series are all riveting accounts of Merry Olde told with great interest and authority on the time and place. Doherty, certainly a learned man in his own "write," is well documented. His Egyptian series and now his Alexander the Great works probably only show how erudite he is!

"The Godless Man," the second of the Alexander the Great tomes, seems to lack not only the enthusiasm but the documentation Doherty usually provides to become really thorough. Granted, this is a work of fiction and authors do not have to be historically accurate or even convincing, for, after all, it's the storyline that primarily counts, not incidental elements.

Taking on Alexander the Great is a more daunting task that concentrating on one of Chaucer's pilgrims! Of course, "The Godless Man" is not really about Alexander; instead, it is the story of Telamon, who is The Great's physician. Assisted ably by Cassandra, Telemon must solve the puzzle of a mass murder in the Temple of Hercules in the newly occupied city of Ephesus. And such a quandry, as the denizens of that capital city are not too keen to help the occupying force, concerned with their own immediate problems. They've seen occupying armies come and go and they suspect that the Macedonians won't hang around either!

But Alexander is insistent that these murders (and subsequent ones to keep the plot suspenseful) be solved, for it reflects directly upon him and his abilities to occupy a conquered city.
Telamon, a childhood friend of Alex's, rises to the occasion and some 300 pages later succeeds.

Doherty seems intent, himself, upon a conquering of sorts--to conquer the world of historical fiction. And may he succeed, as he's a delightful writer to read. However, veering away from England seems to lose something in its translations. This book is worth the read, but arguably he should concentrate on his own native shores, or else go beyond what he has presented and work for a more mesmerizing plot. He seems to spend too much time trying to justify what he's doing in time frame in the first place. The subtitle of the book is "A Mystery of Alexander the Great" and is a bit misleading. Probably few historical figures are more interesting than Alexander and Doherty gives little insight (other than to proclaim emphatically that he and Hephaestion were NOT lovers!)into one of the greatest generals of all time. Fans of Doherty (and I am one) won't flee the gates, however. Doherty deserves his praise!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very intriguing mystery!, September 4, 2002

By 

S. K. Shirley "Cleo" (Williamsville, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Godless Man: A Mystery of Alexander the Great (Hardcover)

This is an excellent book. But, if you're looking for a story specifically about Alexander the Great...this isn't it. The story revolves mostly around his physician and his ability to use his extraordinary sense of observation to put clues together and collect information for the King. At first, when starting the book, I was a little disappointed that Alexander wasn't the focal point of the story. He almost becomes an after-thought in the scheme of things. But, the further you get into the story, the more you become ensconced in the mystery and can't wait to turn the page and get more clues. Dispite the fact that the title is a tad misleading, it's still an excellent read. I enjoyed it a lot.

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Winner for the Author, November 16, 2006

By 

J. Chippindale (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Godless Man: A Mystery of Alexander the Great (Hardcover)

Paul Doherty is the consummate professional when it comes to writing historical novels. I for one do not know how he can be so prolific with his offering of books and yet make sure that each of them is well researched. Whether they be 13th, 14th, or fifteenth century they are always true to the period. He also writes about Ancient Egypt and now he has taken to writing about Alexander the Great. Paul Doherty has the rare talent of making you feel as though you are there, be it medieval England, or battling with Alexander. The sounds and smells of the period seem to waft from the pages of his books.

334 BC, Alexander the Great has achieved another of his triumphs that many said could never be achieved. He has smashed the might of the Persians at the Battle of the Granicus. Alexander is finding out what many later army commanders in history would realise. Meeting and beating an army face to face is a matter of bravery and using the right tactics and Alexander was a master tactician. But sometimes winning a battle against several thousand men was easier than catching and killing two or three men who did not want to be caught.

Alexander has made his way to Ephesus, but his success could be ruined by a spate of murders brought about by a Persian, known as the Centaur. Worse is yet to come when Leonidas, one of Alexander's old tutors is found drowned in a stagnant pond at the House of Medusa. Telamon, Alexander's old firend and physician sets about trying to unravel the mystery that surrounds the spate of deaths. But Alexander is not always the easiest man to work for or with and his volatile and unpredictable nature may hinder rather than help the physician.