The Pericles Commission

Gary Corby

Nov 2010 · Macmillan + ORM

About this eBook

Nicolaos walks the mean streets of Classical Athens as an agent for the promising young politician Pericles. His mission is to find the assassin of the statesman Ephialtes, the man who brought democracy to Athens and whose murder has thrown the city into uproar. It's a job not made any easier by the depressingly increasing number of dead witnesses.

But murder and mayhem don't bother Nico; what's really on his mind is how to get closer (much closer) to Diotima, the intelligent and annoyingly virgin priestess of Artemis, and how to shake off his irritating twelve year-old brother Socrates.

The Pericles Commission is the first in an exciting new series by first-time novelist Gary Corby, who takes us to Ancient Greece at one of the most exciting times in history. In this wonderfully approachable, historically rich novel, Athens is brought vividly to life in a mystery engaging from the first page to last.

Ratings and reviews

Gary Corby takes us on a romp through ancient Athens at the birth of democracy. Ephialtes, an up-and-coming politician, drops dead from the sky at the beginning of the book, landing at the feet of the book's detective, Nicolaos. Nicolaos is the son of a minor sculptor and doomed to follow in his father's footsteps unless he can prove himself otherwise in politics, so when the ambitious Pericles commissions him to find out who killed Ephialtes, Nico readily agrees. But he soon learns there's more intrigue and danger in Athenian politics than he's ready for, and there's a different sort of danger, too, in the priestess Diotima, who, while lovely, is betrothed to another man. For history buffs and mystery lovers alike, THE PERICLES COMMISSION does not disappoint. Gary brings ancient Athens to life, and the mystery is full of plot twists and red herrings that will keep you guessing right until the very end!

Excellent voice in this fascinating and entertaining tale of politics and murder the dawn of democracy. I found this book wry, intelligent, and fun, with a rich cast of characters and an intriguing, multilayered mystery. Corby does a great job of elucidating the differences—often quite strange—between classical Greek culture and our contemporary world without ever falling into excessive exposition. The world of ancient Athens is alive and vibrant in this pages. I look forward to the further adventures of Nicolaos and Diotima.

The Pericles Commission is a wonderful debut novel by researcher and writer Gary Corby. A taunt murder mystery and borderline political thriller, the story is like your personal way-back machine to ancient Greece. The seat-of-your-pants story unfolds in a whirlwind of historical goodness. I can't wait to read the next in the series!

About the author

GARY CORBY is a first time novelist, former systems programmer at Microsoft, and lives in Australia with his wife and two daughters.