Alexander the Great cannot be fooled... Paul Doherty writes an unputdownable Greek mystery of adventure and intrigue in A Murder in Thebes. Perfect for fans of Gary Corby and Margaret Doody. Never try to fool Alexander the Great... or betray him. The Thebans tried, and he burned their great city to the ground. But he left the temple of Oedipus untouched, hoping to obtain the legendary crown inside. Politically, the sacred crown may give him divine status. Privately, it will boost his ego... even more. Practically, it can kill him. Unless, of course, he discovers the ancient secret of crossing the pits of fire and poisonous snakes surrounding it. But as Alexander calls in his clever Hebrew friends Miriam and Simeon to help, he faces another baffling puzzle. An old soldier, alone inside a locked room and guarded by a ferocious dog, has been murdered. But how? The clues point to a traitor among Alexander's men. Now, amid the agonies of war and the ashes of Thebes, Alexander needs answers, and fast, before his own life becomes just another Greek tragedy.... What readers are saying about Paul Doherty: 'Held me enthralled' 'Paul Doherty writes THE best historical mysteries' 'Five stars'

When a spy kills two of Alexander the Great's officers, he demands justice be served and so asks his two Israelite friends, Miriam and Simeon Bartimaeus, to launch an investigation in order to track down the killer.

Beware of Greeks bearing knives... In the summer of 336 B.C., Philip of Macedon has summoned all of Greece to join him in celebration in the old capital of Aegae. As he enters the arena filled with his loyal subjects, he is brutally stabbed by the cruel dagger of Pausanias, a young captain of his guard. Soon the palace corridors are awash in fear and chaos: Philip's ex-wife, the witch Olympias and mother of his son Alexander, plots the violent death of his young successor; Alexander, unconvinced that Pausanias is actually his father's executioner, scours the city for a killer amidst rumors of his own illegitimacy; and everyone, including Alexander himself, falls under the dark cloud of suspicion. As Alexander struggles to fill his father's role as ruler of Greece, he calls on the help of his young Hebrew friends Miriam and Simeon to uncover not just Philip's assassin, but the mystery of his own origins. From the dark chambers of Olympia's lair to the sun-baked streets of ancient Greece, Anna Apostolou unfolds a magnificent tale of antiquity and intrigue in rich historical detail.

“This exceptional debut melds ancient Egyptian religious belief and practice with court intrigue to produce a riveting mystery.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review The body of a much-hated scribe has been found in the sacred place of embalming, and the resulting outrage could threaten the reign of Tutankhamun. So the boy king tasks his investigator, Lord Meren, to look into the crime. The quest will take Meren into the worlds of nobles, slaves, and schemers in the royal court—all while he fights to keep the teenaged pharaoh safe from those who would take advantage of this crisis . . . “It’s always a pleasure to negotiate the treacherous corridors of power with Lord Meren.” —The New York Times Book Review “Robinson’s research, both criminological and archaeological, serves her well.” —San Jose Mercury News “A marvelous series.” —Historical Novel Society

The riveting, definitive account of the ancient Greek city of Thebes, by the acclaimed author of The Spartans—now in paperback Among the extensive writing available about the history of ancient Greece, there is precious little about the city-state of Thebes. At one point the most powerful city in ancient Greece, Thebes has been long overshadowed by its better-known rivals, Athens and Sparta. In Thebes: The Forgotten City of Ancient Greece, acclaimed classicist and historian Paul Cartledge brings the city vividly to life and argues that it is central to our understanding of the ancient Greeks’ achievements—whether politically or culturally—and thus to the wider politico-cultural traditions of western Europe, the Americas, and indeed the world. From its role as an ancient political power, to its destruction at the hands of Alexander the Great as punishment for a failed revolt, to its eventual restoration by Alexander’s successor, Cartledge deftly chronicles the rise and fall of the ancient city. He recounts the history with deep clarity and mastery for the subject and makes clear both the di?erences and the interconnections between the Thebes of myth and the Thebes of history. Written in clear prose and illustrated with images in two color inserts, Thebes is a gripping read for students of ancient history and those looking to experience the real city behind the myths of Cadmus, Hercules, and Oedipus.

Adventures, calamities, and conquests abound in stirring tales about Pandora's box, King Midas and his golden touch, the dreaded Cyclops, Narcissus and Echo, and many other familiar figures.

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