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Nine for the Devil: A John the Lord Chamberlain Mystery Audiobook
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(4.06) - 18 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The year is 548, and Empress Theodora is dead of disease. Such is the belief of everyone in Constantinople, capital of the Roman Empire—everyone except Emperor Justinian, who orders John, his Lord Chamberlain, to find her murderer or suffer the consequences.
There is no sign of foul play, but many of the aristocrats at the imperial court had good reason to want Theodora dead. Suspects include General Artabanes, forced to occupy a house with an unloved wife, and Justinian’s cousin Germanus, who has seen his career blocked. Also suspect are Antonina and her husband General Belisarius, enraged by Theodora’s attempt to marry their daughter to her grandson by compelling the young couple to live together. Could the exiled and much hated former tax collector, John the Cappadocian, have played a role? Might Gaius, palace physician, have tampered with Theodora’s medication? Pope Vigilius, who was detained in the capital due to a religious controversy, is not above suspicion. Even friends of John the Lord Chamberlain are acting strangely, including Anatolius, the lawyer, and Felix, captain of the palace guards.
As if it isn’t difficult enough to seek a murderer who seems to be a figment of the emperor’s grief-deranged imagination, John must also grapple with domestic upheavals. His daughter, living on an estate outside of the city, is about to give birth, and his aging servant, Peter, is dying. Will John be able to serve justice, his loved ones, and the emperor?
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"I've really enjoyed this series. The authors have done a great job with the historical context, as well as the story lines. I am hoping that if this is the last in the series, as it appears it may be, there will be more to come from some other city."
— Mickie (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Superior…The puzzle is challenging enough to keep readers searching for clues, but the triumph of the authors lies in their spot-on recreation of the political and bureaucratic climate of the times.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“More complex and colorful than any Byzantine mosaic, Nine for the Devil by Mary Reed and Eric Mayer, will sweep you back into the cruel intrigue-ridden court of the Emperor Justinian, where treachery and murder linger behind every shadowed column of the imperial palace in Constantinople.”
— Robin Burcell, award-winning author of The Bone Chamber -
“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.”
— Library Journal (starred review) on Seven for a Secret -
“[Simon Prebble’s] reading of Eight for Eternity is excellent…Highly recommended.”
— SoundCommentary.com (starred review) on Eight for Eternity
Nine for the Devil Listener Reviews
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" I did not listen to the audio book, I read a copy. This was an interesting historical mystery set in Constantinople. I found the characters interesting and the mystery was pretty good. "
— Nancy, 7/22/2013 -
" A superb ninth entry in this series. "
— Barbara, 1/22/2013
About the Authors
Mary Reed and Eric Mayer, husband and wife, published several short stories in anthologies and in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. Their first full-length novel, One for Sorrow, featuring John the Lord Chamberlain, appeared in 1999 and began the mystery series that won the 2005 Glyph Award for Best Book Series. The American Library Association’s Booklist magazine in 2003 named the series as one of its four Best Little-Known Series.
Mary Reed and Eric Mayer, husband and wife, published several short stories in anthologies and in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. Their first full-length novel, One for Sorrow, featuring John the Lord Chamberlain, appeared in 1999 and began the mystery series that won the 2005 Glyph Award for Best Book Series. The American Library Association’s Booklist magazine in 2003 named the series as one of its four Best Little-Known Series.