A Murder at Armageddon
This historical mystery concerns a ‘scribe’ and his ‘bodyguard’ in the 1st Century, trying to solve a murder. Not only do they receive help via visions from the deceased man, they also move in some spiritual circles and shed light on Jewish life under Roman occupation. This subtle blend of genres with mystic elements works surprisingly well.
Given the author’s academic credentials, it is no wonder that the historical, social, cultural and religious aspects of the story are convincing and rewarding. Differences in the various languages and the spellings of names appearing in the novel are excellently dealt with. The book uses its own path through some conflicting theories and myths about the times and remains always reasonable, while the ‘whodunit’ storyline and some well-chosen characters keep the book entertaining and very enjoyable.
If I had to pick on something it would be that there was not quite as much descriptive scene-setting as I would have liked. The book, however, deserves praise as it reads very easily for such an intellectually stimulating novel.
I can see the potential for a very successful series.
