Historical Crime Novels
First in a series of historical mystery novels set in Ancient Athens introducing 18-year-old Lysanias and hisaging but up-for-it slave Sindron.
In 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 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 discovering the culprit and much more.
In progress.
Fear of invasion from Sparta or Persia hangs over Athens as the new government of radical democrats seek to consolidate their power against the resentful aristocrats now led by Kallias, the city’s richest citizen. Lysanias, completing his military training on border patrol, stumbles upon a night-time intruder who escapes, wounding Lysanias’ colleague Niarkhos. Thinking the wound not serious, Lysanias is horrified when told next morning that his friend has died and his body been sent back to the city for burial. He decides to check this out as soon as he can.
On leave to fight off the challenge to his inheritance of his uncle’s estate in the law courts from his cousin Hierokles, Lysanias and his slave Sindron, who successfully investigated the murder of that uncle, are asked by Perikles, leader of the radicals, to go undercover to investigate the accidents and deaths that have been disrupting completion of the Long Walls, which will provide secure defence against invasion. They also threaten the re-building of the harbour town of Peiraeios by the innovative and eccentric town planner Hippodamos. They rapidly find themselves embroiled in a complex network of suspects and spies with different possible motives and some of them willing to stop at nothing to achieve their objectives.
