Holy Smoke

In Jerusalem, 29 AD, when Jesus was a young preacher, a badly burned body is discovered in the holy temple. At first, superstitious believers suggest that the body is that of a nonbeliever struck down by God for his arrogance. Robin Field's intelligent narration animates an assortment of Greeks, Egyptians, Jews, and Romans (including Pontius Pilate), as well as a host of merchants, holy men, and healers. Gamaliel, the Raban of Sanhedrin, proves to be an engaging, lively character, and as the tangled plot unwinds, Field makes Gamaliel's canny observations both credible and satisfying. Frederick Ramsay's third Jerusalem mystery offers a fascinating glimpse into the religious and secular life of the period, and Field turns in a solid performance of this biblical-era puzzle. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

December 10, 2012
Ramsay’s entertaining second Jerusalem mystery set in the first century C.E. (after 2012’s The Eighth Veil) finds Rabban Gamliel, the chief rabbi of Israel, drawn once again into a murder case against his will. When a burnt corpse surfaces at the Holy of Holies in the temple, some of the devout believe that the victim was consumed by divine fire for daring to enter the sacred site. But Gamliel is unconvinced, as is the Greek leader, Loukas, especially since the burn marks don’t cover the entire body. With high priest Caiaphas incensed by the growing popularity of a certain messianic figure, there’s enough political turmoil in the city to make detecting almost impossible. While the prose, plotting, and characterization may fall short of the best in the historical subgenre, Ramsay earns high marks for the series’ premise. Readers should be prepared for the occasional anachronism, such as Loukas’s exposition of a Schrodinger’s Cat–like phenomenon.