King of Kings ~ Warriors of Rome

Ballista and a few of his men, have managed to escape annihilation on the eastern boundary of the Roman Empire.  When Ballista arrives in Antioch he is surprised to find that Emperor Valerian is in the city.  Will he be able to speak to him to warn him of the Persian invasion happening on the eastern edge of his empire?  Fortunately he is able to do so, but in telling his story he makes enemies.

It isn't long before Ballista is appointed to lead a force against some of the advancing enemy.  But before he can leave, he is attacked twice.  Why would the attacker say something about a nobleman wanting him dead, and which nobleman?

How was Ballista to handle the insubordination of a patrician cavalry officer?  Will Glabrio's impetuousness bring disaster or glory?  Victory is achieved, but not the complete victory envisioned by Ballista.

For a year, Ballista is out of favour with Emperor Valerian.  Then, all of a sudden he is called upon to persecute the Christians in Ephesus.  Why?  There he is to condemn the Christians to death or forfeiture of property and exile.  It is not long before he is sickened by his role.  He stops the persecution and is recalled to Antioch.

Sometime later, he is sent as an ambassador to the enemy.  However, a truce was unacceptable to the enemy.  Will the Roman army survive or be annihilated?

Harry Sidebottom's historical novel is based on actual events, and is an excellent read for fans of historical fiction.

Murder in Retribution

DCI Acton and DC Doyle are at the scene of a murder when Acton receives a call to attend another crime scene.  It would appear that they might be dealing with a gang war.  It turns out that the first victim was Russian and the second victim Irish; the two groups involved in the turf war.  Because Acton is busy with other cases, he put DS Williams in charge of the cases.

Surprisingly, the pair find a witness with photographs of a leader of the Russian mafia carrying a gun.  Unfortunately it is at this time that Doyle suffers a miscarriage.

Within a short time, the Russian is in custody.  Doyle wonders if they have the right culprit, so she checks the crime scene again with Williams.  Later that evening, her priest visits her and Acton, wondering if Doyle is being poisoned.

Why would the Russian mafia leader be attacked in jail and why would he refuse to identify the man who attacked him?

Author Anne Cleeland has more death and mayhem in store for the reader in this murder mystery.  A good read.

A Dangerous Place

It is 1937 and Maisie Dobbs is in Gibraltar.  She is on her way home to England from India after experiencing tragedy in her life.  Maisie had been out for a walk one evening and discovered the body of a man.  Now she wants to know more about him and what led to his death.

Maisie decides to enlist the man that the Secret Service has watching her to help her in her investigation.  Then another man comes from London to see Maisie.  Maisie realises that she needs to get back into her investigative form as soon as possible.

Maisie also meets a professor, who wonders if she had ever met a colleague of his in Cambridge.  Although she had, she denies it.

It is a day later that German bombers attack Guernica, killing innocent civilians.  Maisie is overcome with grief.

As Maisie continues with her investigation, she becomes sure that she is being manipulated by the British Secret Service.  But what is their connection to the murder?  What would her mentor, Maurice and her former assistant, Billy have to say about the case?  Maisie decides to sneak into Spain to check on things; it means going into a war zone.  Will she find any answers there?

Author Jacqueline Winspear's latest novel follows a different trail this time.  There is less active investigation and more angst.  A good read.

Penance of the Damned

Abbott Segae has been murdered.  He was the religious advisor to King Colgu of Cashel.  Colgu has. When invited to visit the site of the murder, but it is in territory, which could be potentially dangerous to him.  So he decides to send his sister Fidelma to investigate.  On the way there Fidelma and her partner Eadulf are informed that it is Gorman, the head of Colgu's bodyguard who has been accused of the murder.

During initial discussions Fidelma is informed that Gorman is either to be turned over to the religious community for execution or left to be judged under the old laws of Ireland.  She comes to the realisation that Gorman has not really been tried, only evidence has been presented.  She calls for a proper trial to be held.

Fidelma's investigation only leads to more questions, and then Gorman escapes his confinement.  Does this prove his guilt?  Can he brought back before a decision has to be made about his guilt?  A decision which could lead to war!

When a young woman is found hanging it is thought that she committed suicide, but Eadulf points to her crushed skull that this is not the case. The rope that hung her belonged to a religious scribe who is missing.  He is found in the river dead from blows to the head.  Who killed them and why?  Is it connected to the death of the abbot?  If so, why?

As they gather more evidence, it appears to point to a conspiracy to overthrow Colgu's neighbour.  Is it possible for the little group to stop the conspiracy?

Author Peter Tremayne's historical murder mystery is full of action and intrigue.  A thoroughly enjoyable read and hard to put down.

Leaving Everything Most Loved

A young woman from India has been killed in London, and Scotland Yard has not had any success finding the killer.  The brother of the woman has come from India to ask Maisie Dobbs to take on the case.  Billy Beale feels there is something quite not right about the case.

Shortly after talking to a potential witness, Maisie is told by DI Caldwell of Scotland Yard that the witness has been killed in the same manner as the previous victim.  Maisie is also surprised when working on another case, that of a missing boy, she discovers that the family knew the first victim.  Alas, Maisie just can't seem to tie the threads together.

It's all one messy web, and although Maisie does finally figure things out, she has her own personal conundrums to solve.  The latter will be a send off for her on a new adventure.  Author Jacqueline Winspear has once again written a good mystery, although not one of her best.  A quick read.

The Zig Zag Girl

The top part and legs of a body were found in the left luggage at Brighton station.  DI Edgar Stephens would later receive the torso addressed to him as "Captain" Edgar Stephens - his rank in the recent war.  He turns to his old magician friend, Max Mephisto, for help because this reminds him of a magic act where a woman is sawed into three parts.

Max is shocked when he sees a picture of the dead woman.  She had been his assistant at one time!  From that information, Stephens is able to find her lodging and a note there that seems to have been printed out specifically for her.

The case takes a bizarre twist when a comedian is killed in his lodging room.  Stephens had been invited to visit him just before he was killed.  There is a connection between Stephens, Max and the new victim from back in the war.  Why was he killed?  Stephens is convinced that the deaths are related to their role with the Magic Men during the war.  He decides that the best option is to check on the remaining members.

Stephens then receives a picture of the Magic Men, with an X through the face of the recent victim, and a promise of "The Wolf Trap" trick.  Does this mean another victim?  What is The Wolf Trap?

Author Elly Griffiths' murder mystery has a few twists to the plot before its surprising conclusion.  A good, quick read.

Blood Will Out

DS Liz Falla has been called out to the home of a hermit.  It appears that he has hung himself.  After her boss, DI Ed Moretti returns from London, they get the post mortem report.  The pathologist wonders how a man with limited upper body strength could have created the huge knot which broke his neck.  Looking at the home of the hermit, Moretti and Falla come to the conclusion that whoever helped the man commit suicide was looking for something amongst his books.

They are joined by a fast tracked officer, DC Al Brown, who has been just posted to Guernsey.  While working on the case an attempt is made on the life of Liz's aunt's neighbour.  His neck had been slashed and the doctor who examined him found what appeared to be bite marks on his throat.  Moretti is sure that the two cases are tied together.

The question is, how can Moretti prove hi theory?  There is one person who knows who the killer is; Meg the Gypsy.  However, she is not prepared to tell anyone.

Author Jill Downie's murder mystery ends with another murder that shows who the real killer is.  A quick and good read.