Good day everyone, thanks to be here on Alessandro III di Macedonia, the blog about Alexander the Great and Hellenism. Yesterday I discovered a to-me new and interesting historical fiction trilogy:
Eye of Isis series by Dana Stabenow
set in the court of Cleopatra VII. Let’s see its three books together all published by Head of Zeus!
Dana Stabenow was born in Anchorage, Alaska and raised on a 75-foot fishing tender. She knew there was a warmer, drier job out there somewhere and found it in writing. Her first Kate Shugak book, A Cold Day for Murder, received an Edgar Award from the Crime Writers of America. Find her online at stabenow.com
Death of an Eye (#1)
ALEXANDRIA, 47 BC.
For three centuries, the House of Ptolemy has governed the Kingdom of Egypt. Cleopatra – seventh of her name – rules from Alexandria, that beacon of commerce and learning that stands between the burning sands of the desert and the dark waters of the Middle Sea.
But her realm is beset by ethnic rivalries, aristocratic feuds and courtly intrigues. Not only that, she must contend with the insatiable appetite of Julius Caesar who needs Egyptian grain and Egyptian gold to further his ambitions. The world is watching the young Queen, waiting for a misstep…
And now her most trusted servant – her Eye – has been murdered and a vast shipment of newly minted coin stolen. Cleopatra cannot afford for the coins to go unrecovered or the murderers unpunished, so she asks childhood friend, Tetisheri Nebenteru, to retrace the dead Eye’s footsteps.
Tetisheri will find herself plunged into the shadowy heart of Alexandria. As she sifts her way through a tangle of lies and deceit, she will discover that nothing can be taken at face value, that she can’t trust anyone – not even the Queen herself.
The first book was published for the first time on 06 December 2018 on Hardback and the Paperback came out on 05 September 2019.
Disappearance of a Scribe (#2)
ALEXANDRIA, 47 BC.
Cleopatra – seventh of her name, avatar of the goddess Isis, ruler of the Kingdom of Egypt – watches over her city. The war is over, but Alexandria, that once great beacon of learning and commerce, has suffered in its wake. Caesar has returned to Rome, and the queen must restore her city and her kingdom to their former greatness.
But now a body has been found floating upright at the bottom of the sea, anchored in place by a cement weight around its feet. It’s the second corpse to be found this way in two years, and the queen is concerned.
With a city to rebuild and a kingdom to keep in line, Cleopatra cannot allow any more murders to interfere. So she sets Tetisheri – her Eye, her closest confidant and personal investigator – to make things right. As she delves deeper into the mystery, Tetisheri will discover secrets, conspiracy and danger far beyond her ken…
This book came out one month ago and the paperback edition will be released on 13 October 2022.
Theft of an Idol (#3)
When Cleopatra’s most beloved actress disappears, her new Eye of Isis must solve a case that will lead to the darkest corners of Alexandria.
From the palaces of Alexandria reigns Cleopatra – seventh of her name, avatar of the goddess Isis, ruler of the Kingdom of Egypt – surrounded by riches untold. Through the streets of her great city bustle scholars and sailors, politicians and priests. For those with the means, it is a comfortable life.
But not all are invited to share in the wealth of Egypt’s first city. For the peasants and farmers, their lives lie in the hands of the gods and the harvest. Unless, that is, they can find other methods to feed their families. Other, less savoury methods.
When Herminia, one of Alexandria’s most beloved actresses, disappears on the eve of a great performance, Cleopatra sets Tetisheri, her Eye, to investigate. In her search for the truth, Tetisheri will uncover a mystery that will take her to the city’s darkest corners…
This third book will be released on 03 November 2022.
These books are historical crime thrillers and from what I’ve read on the web they should also be very good. Stabenow is an author who has already arrived in Italy with the series about Kate Shugak and I hope that this will be published too in Italian because I want to read it! But if it won’t arrive in Italian, I’ll read it in English!
Happy Sunday everyone,
Alessandro III di Macedonia 