RTW: Book of the Month for May, 2013
I haven’t done a Road Trip Wednesday for a few weeks, and since it’s Book of the Month time, I thought this would be a good week to participate. The question being asked by the YA Highway people is simply this:
What’s the best book you read in May?
My answer is…
SACRED GAMES by Gary Corby. This is the third novel in Gary’s Hellenic Mysteries, or Athenian Mysteries… I’m not sure exactly what he calls the series. Either way, it sounds like some ancient religious cult. In fact, they are murder-mystery stories set in ancient Greece. The lead character is Nicolaos, son of a sculptor, who, over the course of the last two novels, has gained a bit of a reputation among some prominent men for his ability to solve murders. This time, Nico and his partner, Diotima, are at the 80th Olympics in 460 BC. While there, his best friend, an Athenian athlete, is accused of murdering his Spartan rival. Nico is called on to solve the murder. But what begins as a quest to clear his friend’s name so he can compete turns into a race to prevent war between Athens and Sparta. And it seems whichever way Nico’s investigation goes, the outcome could be disastrous for everyone.
I enjoy mysteries and detective stories, and I’m interested in history–in fact, I have an A-level (kind of like an N.E.W.T.) in Ancient History–so Gary’s stories hold a particular fascination for me. He blends classic murder-mystery with solid history, and good doses of humor. There’s depth to the characters, and he’s not afraid to throw in real historical figures (e.g., Pericles, Pindar, and Socrates). Gary is himself an enthusiast for the period, and his passion shows in the way he writes with respect and attention to detail. In this story, there are fascinating insights into the various Olympic sports, how the competitors prepared, and some thrilling descriptions of fights and chariot races.
If you read my “What’s Up Wednesday” last week, you’ll know that one of the things I really appreciated about this novel was the way Gary raised the stakes, putting the pressure on Nico to solve the mystery. At first it’s just about clearing his friend, but other interests come into play as the story progresses. This really helps make the novel a page-turner as it becomes increasingly important that Nico uncover the truth quickly, and in such a way that everyone’s happy and war is averted.
I highly recommend this book, and the others in the series (THE PERICLES COMMISSION, and THE IONIA SANCTION). There is sexual content, though not really any sex scenes. I would give it a PG-15 for that.
Looking back over previous Book of the Month winners, it seems I have now picked all three of Gary’s books as “Book of the Month” (THE PERICLES COMMISSION was my pick for April, 2012, and THE IONIA SANCTION was my selection for July, 2012). I guess that makes me a fan!
What was your favorite read in May? Let’s talk in the comments, and/or join the Road Trip (see the YA Highway blog for details).
Interesting! Murder-mystery and history sound a great combination. I haven’t come across these books before, but always enjoy hearing about titles outside the usual big names.
And Gary blends the two so very well. They’re worth checking out. 🙂
I really enjoyed studying Greek and Roman cultures when I was in high school. I hadn’t heard of this series until you mentioned it. It sounds like a really unique combination of genres!
Oooo… you should definitely pick up a copy of THE PERICLES COMMISSION and give it a try, Rae. 🙂
Hmm, the book sounds interesting. I hadn’t heard of this series, but I’ve always been partial to Greek and Roman stories, which is why I read Rick Roirdan’s series.
It’s worth checking out. Unlike Riordan’s books, this series is actually set in ancient Greece, so you are immersed in the culture of the period. But it’s written with wit from the POV of the MC, so it’s a lot of fun.
Raising the stakes can be so hard to do, but when you see it done well you just want to study it. I think THE HUNGER GAMES series was great at doing this. I think it’s pretty cool that someone decided to write mysteries set in ancient Greece. That would be challenging but also tons of fun, immersing yourself in the history and culture of a group of people then running wild with some kind of mystery. Awesome. 🙂
Having studied the period somewhat, I too was intrigued with the idea of a novel set in ancient Greece. I don’t know too many people that have chosen that part of history for their fiction–especially for a murder-mystery series. Gary does a great job.
I’ve never heard of him before, but now I really want to get my hands on them! I love ancient Greece and mysteries, and this sounds like an interesting combination.
Sounds like you’d enjoy this series, Rachael. 🙂
I like it when an author can blend fiction in with historical figures and places. When it’s done well it is really cool. Mysteries in ancient Greece sound like a lot of fun to read.
And Gary blends them really well. He tries to keep the real historical people “in character” (as much as we can tell). And he doesn’t introduce them for the sake of it, but has them show up where you might expect to see them. For example, the poet Pindar is at the Olympics, and given that he wrote odes to Olympic victors, this wouldn’t be surprising.
I’m not really a murder mystery person, but the historical aspect is enough to interest me. I’ve also been on an ancient history kick lately (read: the past year) so I’ll add these to the TBR!
Definitely, Stephanie! This is a fun way to “study” ancient history. 🙂
Wow! This looks like a different kind of novel, that’s for sure! Particularly since it’s set in ancient times, will have to give it a shot!
It’s certainly something different. As I said, I don’t know of many novels set in this era of history–especially not detective novels! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, Samantha. 🙂
I’ve never been particularly interested in murder mysteries, whether in books, films or TV. They don’t appeal to me. However, this book sounds interesting, if only for the ancient history aspect, and having real historical characters in the book too.
You may want to check it out, Anna. While murder-mystery isn’t your thing, Gary does such a good job of blending historical detail with fiction in a way that’s entertaining. You might enjoy it! 🙂
Glad you enjoyed this book, Colin! I was lucky enough to win an ARC of the IONIA SANCTION a while back and really liked his writing. The pace was just right for a historical mystery, and I didn’t mind the anachronisms at all. I’m usually a stickler about that stuff. The modern language really works for him somehow.
Language is always a tricky issue with historical novels like this, but I think Gary found a nice balance between keeping the context period, but making the speech patterns comprehensible to a modern, English-speaking audience.