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A Murder in Thebes is one of the Paul Doherty Alexander the Great mysteries, with Alexander himself as a peripheral figure and the actual investigation conducted by his royal scribe Telamon. The case involves a death in the besieged city of Thebes that has political ramifications for Alexander's campaign.
Doherty is a working historian and the period detail is the book's engine. The Greek military camps, the Theban city politics, the religious texture of the Hellenic world, all carry weight. The puzzle is fair. Telamon's detection style is observant and quiet.
Four stars. Recommended to readers who like their historical mysteries set in serious antiquity. Doherty's career-long commitment to the form has produced a deep back catalog worth exploring.
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