Miriam bat Isaac, a budding alchemist and amateur sleuth in first-century CE Alexandria, is concerned when she learns that the Torah mantle in Alexandria’s Great Synagogue has been damaged. She takes the mantle to Judah, a renowned jeweler and the unrequited love of her life. He repairs the mantle but assures her that the gems are genuine. Like Miriam, he is astonished that someone would damage … damage the mantle but leave the gems behind. But Miriam suspects that something is not right. She is even more convinced that something is amiss, a few days later, when an anonymous note arrives, warning that the security at the Synagogue needs to be increased. As she digs for answers, she learns that some of the people she trusts are not what they seem, and she may not survive long enough to uncover the truth…
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With a flourish of language and description, June Trop has created a unique and vibrant mystery set in ancient Alexandria. Protagonist Miriam bat Isaac is a 30-year-old independent Roman citizen with a penchant for solving murders. When the mantle covering the Torah in the local synagogue is vandalized, Miriam realizes it must be an inside job. And when a sea captain dies of mysterious circumstances in a local brothel, Miriam starts connecting the events. Readers are treated to an inside view of the Jewish community in ancient Alexandria as well as to a fascinating depiction of life under Roman authority. This is the fourth in a series of Miriam bat Isaac mysteries, but you can start with this one without missing what came before. I loved reading about a head-strong young woman who uses her intellect to solve the puzzling events in the narrative.
This is the fourth book in a series and I did not have the privilege of reading the previous three. The heroine of the books, Miriam bat Isaac, is an alchemist and amateur sleuth in ancient Roman occupied Alexandria, whose friend Gershon ben Israel, keeper of the sacred objects in Alexandria’s Great Synagogue comes to her one day in a very agitated state to tell her that the Torah mantle in the Synagogue has been vandalized. She takes the damaged mantle to a friend whom she is very attracted to, Judah, to be repaired, however, he comforts her that the gems in the mantle are still there and real. This raises her suspicions and launches a tale of mystery with lots of twists and turns. The death of a ship’s captain upon arrival from Ephesus raises questions as does a subsequent heist of jewels. Miriam enlists Judah, who, it turns out has been pining for her, to help solve these mounting mysteries.
The historical setting for the book is interesting and the reader wants more of it. The characters are well formed and the novel well written, but perhaps the mystery could have been deepened somewhat and made more complex and compelling for example, by involving the Romans. Nevertheless, this is a very good read, one I recommend to lovers of historical fiction.
The Deadliest Fever is a historical mystery set in first-century CE Roman-occupied Alexandria. The protagonist is an amateur detective, a woman named Miriam bat Isaac, who is called upon to tackle the problem of why the Torah mantle in the Great Synagogue has been desecrated (but the jewels have not been stolen). At the same time, the perpetrators of a jewel heist in Ephesus escape to Alexandria. Soon after, the captain of that ship dies of a heart attack, although Miriam suspects he may have been poisoned. Are these three events related? Apparently not, until one of the perpetrators bitten by a rabid bat shows symptoms of the deadliest fever. Although this book is the fourth in the Miriam bat Isaac Mystery Series, you need not have read the earlier books to enjoy this one. But I’ll bet, like me, you’ll want to go back and read them too!