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495517,627 (3.61)2
Lord Chamberlain John spends his days counseling Emperor Justinian and passes the small hours of night in conversation with the solemn-eyed little girl depicted in a mosaic on his study wall. He never expected to meet her in a public square or afterwards find her red-dyed corpse in a subterranean cistern. Had the mysterious woman truly been the model for the mosaic years before as she claimed? Why had she sought John out? Who wanted her dead--and why? The answers seem to lie among the denizens of the smoky streets of the quarter of Constantinople known as the Copper Market, where artisans, beggars, prostitutes, pillar saints, and exiled aristocrats struggle to survive within sight of the Great Palace. In his investigations, John encounters a faded actress, a patriotic sausage maker, a sundial maker who fears the sun, a religious visionary, a man who lives in a treasure trove, and a beggar who owes his life to a cartload of melons. But before long he suspects he is attempting to unravel not just a murder but a plot against the empire....… (more)
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Showing 4 of 4
John is accosted by a woman claiming to be the original of a mosaic portrait in his house. She asks him to meet her the next day but when he arrives at the meeting place, he only finds a corpse with its head bashed in, only recognisable from the tatoo on its wrist. Of course he looks for the murderer, who seems to be involved with a group of disgraced courtiers who may or may not be a threat to the regime.

Lots of twists and turns that certainly left me confused. ( )
  Robertgreaves | Jun 19, 2017 |
Another John the Eunuch mystery set in Justinian's Constantinople. Not as good as some others in this series; much was contrived, as you'd expect based on Procopius, the old gossip and rumormonger. This mystery brought together a woman who claims to be the model for the mosaic girl in John's study and who is murdered then thrown down a cistern and dyed red as an attempt to conceal her identity and to obliterate a tattoo on her wrist. John feels he must investigate the death as in a way it touches him personally. There are several more bodies as the story progresses. The novel brings together a stylite, several eccentric shopkeepers [sundial maker, antiquities seller, dyer], the putative illegitimate son of Theodora, and a cabal planning a coup against the royal couple.

John's a fascinating character; the others felt as though they were merely foils who played off of him. The author's done her research, but the style was a bit arid and events were often implausible. You do get a good feel for Constantinopolitan life. The author is nothing if not original. ( )
  janerawoof | Feb 1, 2015 |
I thoroughly enjoy John the Eunuch series. John is such an interesting character, the plot is well developed, and the setting and historical background are first rate. ( )
  porlocklt | Aug 21, 2010 |
This mystery is set in Constantinople during the reign of Justinian, when people still vividly remember earlier riots and our facing waves of plague outbreaks. The story starts when John the Lord Chamberlain is approached by a woman who introduces herself using the name of a woman in a mosaic in John's house. When John attempts to meet her, he finds a body and then of course he proceeds to investigate her death. While I found parts of the plot overly contrived and confusing when I finished the book my overall feeling for the book was positive. ( )
  alice443 | Oct 1, 2009 |
Showing 4 of 4
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Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Mary Reedprimary authorall editionscalculated
Mayer, Ericmain authorall editionsconfirmed
Reed, Marymain authorall editionsconfirmed
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Lord Chamberlain John spends his days counseling Emperor Justinian and passes the small hours of night in conversation with the solemn-eyed little girl depicted in a mosaic on his study wall. He never expected to meet her in a public square or afterwards find her red-dyed corpse in a subterranean cistern. Had the mysterious woman truly been the model for the mosaic years before as she claimed? Why had she sought John out? Who wanted her dead--and why? The answers seem to lie among the denizens of the smoky streets of the quarter of Constantinople known as the Copper Market, where artisans, beggars, prostitutes, pillar saints, and exiled aristocrats struggle to survive within sight of the Great Palace. In his investigations, John encounters a faded actress, a patriotic sausage maker, a sundial maker who fears the sun, a religious visionary, a man who lives in a treasure trove, and a beggar who owes his life to a cartload of melons. But before long he suspects he is attempting to unravel not just a murder but a plot against the empire....

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