Jerusalem's deadly secrets are emerging from the smoke.
The year is AD 29, and Jerusalem chafes under the Roman Empire's continued presence and oppressive rule. In spite of that unpleasant fact, life goes on—but not for everyone. People die, some because it is their time, others by misadventure. One death in particular brings the city's daily routine to a halt. A badly burned body is found behind the veil of the holy of holies—the temple's inner sanctum and the most sacred space on earth for the Jews. No one except the high priest may enter this place and he only once a year on the Day of Atonement. This is no casual violation, and the authorities are in an uproar.
Rabban Gamaliel of the Sanhedrin, the ranking rabbi in all Judea, is drawn into solving this delicate mystery while dark agents with unholy interests plot to seize control of much of the trade in certain highly profitable imports from the east and west.
Loukas, the physician, plays Watson to Gamaliel's Sherlock as they slowly unravel the tangled web of intrigue and murder, but not before more bodies, both literal and figurative, show up. All the while Yeshua, the radical rabbi from Galilee, continues to annoy the high priest and smoke—holy smoke—rises from the sacrifices in the temple.
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“[Narrator RobinField’s] female characters are convincing and the accents accurate. Hemaintains the fast pace of the story as both Gamaliel and Loukas are in deadlyperil. Highly recommended to students of the Bible, fans of complicatedmysteries, and history buffs. This was planned as a trilogy but we can onlyhope for more of Gamaliel’s fine detection.”
— SoundCommentary.com
“Entertaining…Ramsay earns high marks for the series’ premise.”
— Publishers Weekly“A rabbi is yet again forced to use his skills in critical thinking to solve a murder…The second in a trilogy set in first-century Jerusalem not only offers a finally wrought mystery but includes intriguing information on the religious and secular life of the period.”
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Frederick Ramsay was born in Baltimore and received a doctorate from the University of Illinois. After a stint in the army, he joined the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He is also an ordained Episcopal priest and an accomplished public speaker. In addition to the Ike Schwartz mysteries, the Botswana mysteries, and the Jerusalem mysteries, Ramsay is the author of scientific and general articles, tracts, and theses and coauthor of the Baltimore Declaration. He lives in Surprise, Arizona, with his wife and partner, Susan.
Robin Field is the AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator of numerous audiobooks, as well as an award-winning actor, singer, writer, and lyricist whose career has spanned six decades. He has starred on and off Broadway, headlined at Carnegie Hall, authored numerous musical reviews, and hosted or performed on a number of television and radio programs over the years.