Philocles Book #1)
by J.M. Alvey
GENRE : #Historical-mystery
My rating: ★★★★★
Actually 4.5 rounded up to 5
I rate this mystery 4.5 stars, which I've rounded up to 5.
It was a beautiful and engaging read, perhaps due to the setting, which is quite different from my usual choices. Stepping outside my comfort zone could have been a hit or miss, but thankfully, it was a hit. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Before sharing my opinion, let me give you a brief overview of THE PLOT:
Ancient Greece, Athens, 443 BC. After decades of war with Persia, peace has finally arrived. Athens is being rebuilt, and commerce and culture are flourishing.
Aspiring playwright Philocles returns home to find a man with his throat cut, slumped against his front gate. Was it simply a robbery gone wrong? If so, why did the thieves leave the dead man's valuables? With the play that could make his career just days away, he must discover the man's identity, the motive for his murder, and why the corpse was left in his doorway.
Philocles soon realizes he is caught up in something far bigger, and powerful forces want him to stop investigating.
From the first chapter, the story captivated me!!!
___ A RIVETING STORY ___ The author seamlessly blended a wholly imaginative mystery with the historical realities of Athenian politics, culture, and governance.
She also skillfully incorporated Greek mythology into this already well-crafted mix, drawing from their beliefs, customs regarding the gods, and mythological texts recounting heroic deeds.
Through the unfolding story and the investigation into the murder of a foreigner (a member of the Delian League, which united Athens and other cities against Persia), the author tells us of the famous games dedicated to Dionysus.
She describes how comedies and tragedies were performed, the actors employed, and how the city's wealthiest citizens served as patrons.
Furthermore, the novel sheds light on the rights and duties of Athenian citizens, the role of slaves (and the common practice of owning them) and the role of women, particularly wives: did you know that only Athenian women could marry Athenian citizens and enjoy certain rights? Foreign women could only be concubines.
____THE CHARACTERS ___
While the story features a main character and a few key co-protagonists, it also includes a wide array of supporting characters (acquaintances, family members, friends, villains, friends of villains, people with brief appearances, and others only mentioned).
Despite this, the author masterfully delineates the salient traits of each character's personality.
The descriptions of domestic scenes and the emotional bonds between Philocles and his closest family (his companion/concubine and his slave, who is also his best friend) allowed me to immediately empathize with the protagonist and his loved ones, even amidst the constant flux of characters.
Initially, I was concerned about the sheer number of Greek names (and I admit, it intimidated me at first!), but this fear quickly dissipated. Although I initially worried I'd get lost in a flood of similar names ending in "es" and "tos/os" (Philocles, Lysicrates, Menakles, Apollonides, Pericles, etc... Nymenios, Aristarchos, Nikandros, Stratos, Dados, etc...plus other recurring endings that made the names similar), I found them surprisingly easy to remember. Perhaps it was because each character is associated with specific qualities, flaws, or roles, and ultimately serves a purpose within the narrative.
___ IS IT READABLE AS A STAND-ALONE BOOK? ___
Yes, it is! It's the first book in a series, but offering a satisfying ending without any kind of cliffhanger.
__ MY ONLY WARNING__
While there are no gory scenes and the only sex scene is not described in detail, this cannot be considered a "cozy mystery."
-----> The language is not always particularly delicate or polite: several serious insults among the characters.
Furthermore, it looks like the presence of phalluses on stage was a source of great humor in ancient comedy, consequently, since Philocles is a comedy writer, they are repeatedly cited!
_____ WHY NOT 5 FULL STARS?
The half-star deduction is due to the author's absence of historical notes at the end of the novel and the lack of footnotes throughout the book, particularly at points where history and mythology are referenced.
----> Readers unfamiliar with ancient Greece may struggle to distinguish between factual accounts, the author's creative liberties, and elements derived from ancient Greek poets' imaginations.
_____ COCLUDING :
Overall, I award this book a well-deserved 4.5 stars for its compelling and solid plot, a well-crafted mystery, fluid and light-hearted writing, likable characters, the author's extensive historical research, and the perfect blend of mystery, history, mythology, investigation, action, and character-driven storylines.
I want to know more about the adventures of Philocles and his friends, I will definitely read the other 2 books included in this series as well!!
Thank you for reading my opinion, I hope it helps you choose your next book. :-)
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