Seven For a Secret

January 7, 2008
In Reed and Mayer’s engrossing seventh mystery set in sixth-century Constantinople (after 2005’s Six for Gold
), John, lord chamberlain to the emperor Justinian, has taken to sharing his thoughts with a young girl, whom he’s named Zoe, depicted in the mosaic on his study wall. One day John meets a woman on the street who identifies herself as Zoe and claims to be the model for the child in the mosaic. Who could have revealed his secret confessor? John wonders. When John finds this mysterious woman brutally beaten to death in a cistern, he begins a dangerous investigation that will take him into the lives of prostitutes, artisans, beggars and religious fanatics. Once again convincing historical detail and strong characterization help drive a riveting plot. Fans will be pleased to know that while the title is based on the last line of the verse on which the series is based, the authors plan to send John to Italy in an eighth volume.

Starred review from February 1, 2008
Sixth-century Constantinoplethe capital of the Byzantine empire and the forerunner to modern Istanbulis a mysterious and perilous city as the eunuch John, the Lord Chamberlain of the Emperor Justinian, well knows. In his seventh adventure (after "Six for Gold"), John finds the brutally murdered corpse of a young woman who had identified herself to him as a model for a mosiac he keeps in his study and who was about to give him some vital information. Discovering what that secret was takes John, walking a fine line between maintaining his loyalty to his emperor and searching for the truth, on a twisting route to a very dangerous ending. The authors get everything right in their latest historical. The story is fast paced, the tensions between characters well portrayed; the ending leaves the reader clamoring for more. Those interested in Istanbul's history may also enjoy series set in Ottoman Turkey by Jason Goodwin ("The Janissary Tree") and Jenny White ("The Sultan's Seal"). The authors live in Pennsylvania.

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