"Fascinating historical mystery"
In 539 AD in Constantinople, the Emperor Justinian wants to
bring Italy back into the Empire. General Belarius
succeeds in recapturing Northern Africa and is on the verge
of retaking Italy so that the Empire becomes a power again
in the West. The Emperor has under his control, Godaric
and Sunilda, the two claimants to the Italian throne. At a theatre festival held at the seaside estate of
Zeno, a patriarch known for his eccentricities, the Empress
Theodora is in the audience, eager to see her favorite
mime, the dwarf Barnabas. The event ends abruptly with the
death of Godaric and the disappearance of Barnabas. The
lord Chamberlain, John the Eunuch, is assigned by Justinian
to find the killer so that he can be properly punished.
John, who is in disfavor with the Empress, comes very close
to losing his head when the sole heir to the Italian throne
disappears. THREE FOR A LETTER is a fascinating historical mystery
that allows the reader to imagine what Constantinople was
like at the height of her glory. The political power
plays, the court intrigues and the populous come alive in
Mary Read and Eric Mayer's latest John the Eunuch mystery.
It is obvious that the authors have done meticulous
research so that the era feels very realistic. John is an
amazing character that would made a fine twenty first-
century detective. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted November 3, 2001
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