The Singer from Memphis

Starred review from February 29, 2016
Early in Corby’s exceptional sixth novel set in ancient Greece (after 2015’s Deus Ex Machina), Pericles, the most powerful man in Athens, asks Nicolaos, “the only private agent” in the city-state, to accompany the historian Herodotus on a trip to Egypt. Ostensibly, Nicolaos will serve as a bodyguard, but his real mission is to aid Egyptians rebelling against Persian rule. The rebels’ leader, Inaros, who claims to be descended from the last pharaoh, has asked for a “man of cunning and resource” to help take the city of Memphis, the last stronghold controlled by the enemy. Pericles shares his suspicions with Nicolaos that Herodotus may be a spy in the employ of the Persians. Later, pirates almost scuttle the journey to Egypt, and Nicolaos nearly loses his client to a master Spartan assassin. Eventually, Nicolaos must solve a murder, but this is more spy thriller than whodunit. Corby’s trademark blend of humor, fascinating historical detail, and accessible presentation of the politics of the time has never been better. Agent: Janet Reid, FinePrint Literary.

March 15, 2016
A wry sleuth accompanies a historian on the brink of fame to Egypt, where rebellion, murder, and wisecracks are in full flower in 450 B.C.E. Nicolaos, "the only private investigator in ancient Athens," gets a surprise visit from aspiring historian Herodotus. He plans a research trip to Egypt, where, backed by Athens, the locals have risen up against their Persian overlords and need a bodyguard. Nico's mentor, the politician Pericles, warns him that Herodotus might be a Persian spy but advises taking the job. If Herodotus is a spy, Pericles advises, "kill him." And so the journey begins, Herodotus accompanied by a large retinue and Nico by his wife, Diotima, a priestess. Their course takes them into the colorful heart of the conflict, richly depicted in Nico's arch first-person narrative. They run afoul of pirates and require rescue by the Athenian fleet, interview the rebel leader Inaros, who claims to be the prince of Libya, and receive aid from Maxyates, a surprisingly erudite barbarian who claims Troy as his homeland. Nico is none too happy to run into the duplicitous Barzanes, the eyes and ears of the King of Persia, an established nemesis from his previous adventures (Death Ex Machina, 2015, etc.). The murder of a general, tied to the pharaoh's valuable crook and flail, adds a new wrinkle to the excursion and raises its stakes. Is it just a coincidence that both Barzanes and Max are on the scene as Nico investigates? Corby's latest is brisk, cheeky, and full of well-researched historical tidbits.

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March 1, 2016

Historian Herodotus hires Nicolaos and his wife, the priestess Diotima, to assist him in writing a book. They travel to Egypt to do research, but is Herodotus's true purpose espionage? Egypt is in revolt against the Persian Empire, and Nico has to evade assassins. Corby's sixth sprightly outing (after Death ex Machina) blends humor with fascinating details about the ancient world.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 1, 2016
It is 456 BCE and 100 years before the birth of Alexander the Great. Athenian special agent Nicolaos has accepted an assignment to escort Herodotus to Egypt to collect data for his history books. Nico has also been assigned by Pericles to make contact with a Pharaoh wannabe named Inaros. We sweep across a pirate-infested Aegean and arrive in an Egypt at war, encountering a crocodile-infested Nile, a displaced Trojan with a serious case of ancestor worship, a Spartan assassin who would rather be a stand-up comic, treacherous cat-worshipping public officials, mummy curses, and not a drop of wine to be had. Just beer. Inaros, it turns out, is in the midst of a power struggle and needs Nico's help to establish his right to the throne of Egypt and unseat the Persian occupiers. An excellent blend of historical and fictional characters and events lends an authenticity to Nico's witty, first-person account. His contemporary tone moves the action along at a stunning pace. This sixth in the series is sure to amuse Lindsey Davis and Elizabeth Peters fans. Corby provides a generous endnote that enhances the reader's understanding of a complex man in a complex time. Despite Nico's cynical camouflage, he is a true humanist, perhaps due to the influence of both his wife, Diotima, a venerated philosopher, and, of course, his younger brother, Socrates. Diotima also functions as an Athenian Wonder Woman on an as-needed basis. Even if she can't swim.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)