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John the Eunuch #2
Two for Joy
Reed and Mayer combine the scholarship of Steven Saylor with the humor of Lindsey Davis. Starred review in Booklist 12/00.It is now two years after One For Sorrow and John the Eunuch, Lord Chamberlain to the Emperor Justinian, is faced with a new and byzantine problem: why are Constantinople's holy stylites bursting into flames as they stand atop their pillars? His investigations are hampered by a pagan philosophy tutor from his youth and a heretical Christian prophet whose ultimatums threaten to topple the Empire.
Then murder strikes close to home and John has only days to find a solution before he, his friends, his Emperor, and the city itself are destroyed. The sumptuous halls of the Great Palace and the riot-torn streets are filled with the same danger and deception. A colorful cast of characters that includes a runaway wife, servants and soldiers, madams and mendicants, a venomous court page and a wealthy landowner or two -- not to mention John's bete noire, the Empress Theodora -- adds texture to this rich, exotic tale of sixth century life and mysterious death.
Then murder strikes close to home and John has only days to find a solution before he, his friends, his Emperor, and the city itself are destroyed. The sumptuous halls of the Great Palace and the riot-torn streets are filled with the same danger and deception. A colorful cast of characters that includes a runaway wife, servants and soldiers, madams and mendicants, a venomous court page and a wealthy landowner or two -- not to mention John's bete noire, the Empress Theodora -- adds texture to this rich, exotic tale of sixth century life and mysterious death.
345 pages, Hardcover
First published October 10, 2000
19 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
Mary Reed
36 books24 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Mary Reed and Eric Mayer began writing together in 1992. They have contributed to a number of anthologies such as Royal Whodunnits, MammothBook of Historical Whodunnits and Mammoth Book of Shakespearean Detectives, as well as to Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. They have also published several short stories set in and around the 6th century Constantinople court of Emperor Justinian I as well as four (to date) novels about their protagonist John the Eunuch, Lord Chamberlain to the emperor. The series was listed as one of four Best Little-Known Series in Booklist Magazine in 2003, and a Greek edition of the first novel, One For Sorrow, appeared in late 2002. They live in Pennsylvania.
Mary Reed and Eric Mayer began writing together in 1992. They have contributed to a number of anthologies such as Royal Whodunnits, MammothBook of Historical Whodunnits and Mammoth Book of Shakespearean Detectives, as well as to Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. They have also published several short stories set in and around the 6th century Constantinople court of Emperor Justinian I as well as four (to date) novels about their protagonist John the Eunuch, Lord Chamberlain to the emperor. The series was listed as one of four Best Little-Known Series in Booklist Magazine in 2003, and a Greek edition of the first novel, One For Sorrow, appeared in late 2002. They live in Pennsylvania.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 18, 2012
Rating: 3.75* of five
The Book Description: Reed and Mayer combine the scholarship of Steven Saylor with the humor of Lindsey Davis. Starred review in Booklist December 2000.It is now two years after One For Sorrow, and John the Eunuch, Lord Chamberlain to the Emperor Justinian, is faced with a new and byzantine problem: why are Constantinople's holy stylites bursting into flames as they stand atop their pillars? His investigations are hampered by a pagan philosophy tutor from his youth and a heretical Christian prophet whose ultimatums threaten to topple the Empire.
Then murder strikes close to home and John has only days to find a solution before he, his friends, his Emperor, and the city itself are destroyed. The sumptuous halls of the Great Palace and the riot-torn streets are filled with the same danger and deception. A colorful cast of characters that includes a runaway wife, servants and soldiers, madams and mendicants, a venomous court page and a wealthy landowner or two -- not to mention John's bete noire, the Empress Theodora -- adds texture to this rich, exotic tale of sixth century life and mysterious death.
My Review: A whole half star above the first book! Added because the series has a footing now, and the conflict leading to the murder is not as far-fetched, and the identity of the murderer and motives of same are a lot more surprising to me than in the first book.
Clearly there is no way I can claim to know that the authors have evoked exactly the atmosphere of sixth-century Constantinople, but they have managed to create an intense and lively picture of it in my mind, and that will serve me admirably.
The eunuch chamberlain, John, has some wonderfully imagined character traits. I like that he's not a Christian, but his servant is, and therefore the servant is allowed to be open in his faith where his Mithraist master must skulk and hide. I like that John the Eunuch is repulsed by other eunuchs, feeling the responses of the man he was before his maiming even yet. I like that John is a wise counselor to many, a good friend to a few, and a serious political animal of the (forgive, please) byzantine court of Justinian and Theodora.
All of those traits play into John's solution to this complex and interrelated series of deaths, bringing them all back to the machinations of...and here's the reason for under four stars...previously unseen agency. The cause of the crimes is believable, the source of the actions taken is simply not a factor well enough developed for my mystery-reader's sense of fair play. Often in a murder or series of murders, the brains and the hands are located within separate bodies, and I feel it's only fair to make that possible for the attentive reader to deduce.
Still and all, I felt the nature of the story and the degree of narrative development between books one and two made this an enticement to move on to book three and hope for even more.
The Book Description: Reed and Mayer combine the scholarship of Steven Saylor with the humor of Lindsey Davis. Starred review in Booklist December 2000.It is now two years after One For Sorrow, and John the Eunuch, Lord Chamberlain to the Emperor Justinian, is faced with a new and byzantine problem: why are Constantinople's holy stylites bursting into flames as they stand atop their pillars? His investigations are hampered by a pagan philosophy tutor from his youth and a heretical Christian prophet whose ultimatums threaten to topple the Empire.
Then murder strikes close to home and John has only days to find a solution before he, his friends, his Emperor, and the city itself are destroyed. The sumptuous halls of the Great Palace and the riot-torn streets are filled with the same danger and deception. A colorful cast of characters that includes a runaway wife, servants and soldiers, madams and mendicants, a venomous court page and a wealthy landowner or two -- not to mention John's bete noire, the Empress Theodora -- adds texture to this rich, exotic tale of sixth century life and mysterious death.
My Review: A whole half star above the first book! Added because the series has a footing now, and the conflict leading to the murder is not as far-fetched, and the identity of the murderer and motives of same are a lot more surprising to me than in the first book.
Clearly there is no way I can claim to know that the authors have evoked exactly the atmosphere of sixth-century Constantinople, but they have managed to create an intense and lively picture of it in my mind, and that will serve me admirably.
The eunuch chamberlain, John, has some wonderfully imagined character traits. I like that he's not a Christian, but his servant is, and therefore the servant is allowed to be open in his faith where his Mithraist master must skulk and hide. I like that John the Eunuch is repulsed by other eunuchs, feeling the responses of the man he was before his maiming even yet. I like that John is a wise counselor to many, a good friend to a few, and a serious political animal of the (forgive, please) byzantine court of Justinian and Theodora.
All of those traits play into John's solution to this complex and interrelated series of deaths, bringing them all back to the machinations of...and here's the reason for under four stars...previously unseen agency. The cause of the crimes is believable, the source of the actions taken is simply not a factor well enough developed for my mystery-reader's sense of fair play. Often in a murder or series of murders, the brains and the hands are located within separate bodies, and I feel it's only fair to make that possible for the attentive reader to deduce.
Still and all, I felt the nature of the story and the degree of narrative development between books one and two made this an enticement to move on to book three and hope for even more.
August 30, 2017
Combining the scholarship of Stephen Saylor with the humour of Lindsey Davis? Nah... That's an exaggeration. These books are not up to par with the ancient world (re)building of the Roma Sub Rosa series - though they have their moments. And John the Eunuch sure ain't no Marcus Didius Falco - even though there's more fun here then in the first installment and that's a very good thing of course.
Still... All in all I like I just fine. The second time around you feel you know the characters a little bit better. The burning alive of three stylites are grisly but intriguing and the social unrest and rioting in the streets sure adds to the eerie atmosphere.
3,75 stars or there abouts. Quite entertaining.
Still... All in all I like I just fine. The second time around you feel you know the characters a little bit better. The burning alive of three stylites are grisly but intriguing and the social unrest and rioting in the streets sure adds to the eerie atmosphere.
3,75 stars or there abouts. Quite entertaining.
January 22, 2018
I read the first one and it was ok. So I tried this one and again found it lacking in many ways. Characters, storyline, etc. So I am going to stop here.
December 25, 2018
The historical setting is plausible, but the story fails to grip.
September 9, 2025
C6th. Muchael, leader of pilgrims insists on an audience with Justinian 1. On refusal holyman spontaneously combust. John investigates but more will die.
An entertaining historical mystery
An entertaining historical mystery
February 1, 2009
This series on John the Eunuch is light enjoyable reading. Set in Constantinople in the 6th century, there are some interesting insights into life in this time period. John's character over the series is developed relatively well, and we see other characters thru John's eyes. Not a compelling, can't put it down read, but I enjoyed it enough to request several of the series books thru the state wide library book share.
April 17, 2016
The second book improved over first - writing was more refined and action flowed more smoothly. The main character has enough depth to encourage reader to follow his "adventures" in Constantinople as he serves Justinian. There are elements beyond belief as in the first book of the series, but I don't quibble when entertained/amused or baffled to a degree.
August 13, 2009
After the first, One for Sorrow, I was expecting good things for this series. Instead, this one plodded where the other galloped. I really like the era in which these take place so I was hoping this would propel me to the third in the series with ease. We'll see.
March 27, 2016
I had trouble reading this book and wondered if I would finish it. For the first third, it dragged, unmercifully, so badly that I read 2 other books while trying to wade through it. But, it, finally, got going and turned out OK.
April 2, 2010
Not a time period or type of story I seek out and I still enjoyed this mystery a lot. Three for a Letter next.
November 9, 2014
The details of life in Byzantium during the reign of Justinian are fascinating! This is a particularly good historical mystery.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews