Aristotle Detective
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
"Wit in a first novel is rare enough, and when allied to the skillful unraveling of a murder story set in Ancient Athens it makes us doubly grateful for Aristotle Detective." -- "Daily Telegraph"
The Telegraph
Wit in a first novel is rare, and allied to the skillful unraveling of a murder story set in Ancient Athens it makes us doubly grateful for Aristotle Detective
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Both this opening effort and the second `Aristotle Poetics' caught my eye whilst browsing the mystery section one day so I thought I'd give them a try. `Detective' is written in a somewhat languid style, aiming to achieve murder sleuthing through peripatetic analysis. Indeed, from the point Stephanos (nephew to the exiled major suspect Philemon, as denounced by Boutades nephew, Polygnotos) goes to his old mentor for assistance we are given a drilling in sleuthing based on logical thought, rather than physical fact. From the opening reluctance, but required first step, to prove Philemon's innocence using the Aunt Eudoxia principal (proof of a negative) to the .... we are stepped through the murder.
The year is 332 BC, Alexander has just destroyed Tyre and is marching on Egypt. The premise of the novel concerns one of the Athenian triachs - Boutos, by name - who is found murdered ina most unusual way (for an Athenian) in that he was killed by an arrow fired into his study. Fairly quickly we are presented with some people with a motive, from his abused wife, to the apparently insane Arkhimenos as we seek to find the real character of Boutades underneath the carefully crafted veneer that was presented to Athenian society. Stephanos spends the opening sections of the novel between the first and second prodikasia attempting to find proof that Philemon was not present in Athens, spending time disguised at the Peiraieus as a countryman in order to glean from sailors and local people snippets of information about Philemon's movements after his departure from Athens. On the trail of his cousin we locate a hidden wife complete with surpise nephew for Stephanos, undergo several clandestine trips in the dark where our hero gets attacked twice and undergo social ostracism from the higher echelons of Athenian society. Eventually, Philemon turns up to provide some necessary information about the events of the night and in a classically Ciceronian manner Stephanos declaims the true murderer, after some coaching in his oratorical delivery by Aristotle, at the trial.
This is not a bad stab at a first murder mystery though it appears that the attempt to provide a classically accurate picture of Athenian law is detrimental to the actual plot. The eventual denouement is weak, based on little evidence, more a case of shocking the culprit(s) into an admission of guilt. You get the feeling a brazen person might yet have got away with it. Nevertheless it was sufficiently thought provoking and the development of Aristotle entertaining enough to ensure that `Poetics' and the new `Secrets of Life' is read. I suspect it will only improve as our characters develop.
The year is 332 BC, Alexander has just destroyed Tyre and is marching on Egypt. The premise of the novel concerns one of the Athenian triachs - Boutos, by name - who is found murdered ina most unusual way (for an Athenian) in that he was killed by an arrow fired into his study. Fairly quickly we are presented with some people with a motive, from his abused wife, to the apparently insane Arkhimenos as we seek to find the real character of Boutades underneath the carefully crafted veneer that was presented to Athenian society. Stephanos spends the opening sections of the novel between the first and second prodikasia attempting to find proof that Philemon was not present in Athens, spending time disguised at the Peiraieus as a countryman in order to glean from sailors and local people snippets of information about Philemon's movements after his departure from Athens. On the trail of his cousin we locate a hidden wife complete with surpise nephew for Stephanos, undergo several clandestine trips in the dark where our hero gets attacked twice and undergo social ostracism from the higher echelons of Athenian society. Eventually, Philemon turns up to provide some necessary information about the events of the night and in a classically Ciceronian manner Stephanos declaims the true murderer, after some coaching in his oratorical delivery by Aristotle, at the trial.
This is not a bad stab at a first murder mystery though it appears that the attempt to provide a classically accurate picture of Athenian law is detrimental to the actual plot. The eventual denouement is weak, based on little evidence, more a case of shocking the culprit(s) into an admission of guilt. You get the feeling a brazen person might yet have got away with it. Nevertheless it was sufficiently thought provoking and the development of Aristotle entertaining enough to ensure that `Poetics' and the new `Secrets of Life' is read. I suspect it will only improve as our characters develop.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
So much historical crime seems dumbed down, but this is so well researched, with literary jokes interwoven into the text. Not to mention a brilliant piece of detection from Aristotle himself, who unravels the plot most satisfyingly and you kick yourself for not getting it first!
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Young Stephanos, the heir to an impoverished family is forced into defending his exiled cousin Philemon from a charge of murder. At first glance the charge seems absurd; Philemon can never return to Athens and some of the witnesses testimonies are dubious to say the least. Someone somewhere is determind to frame Philemon for the crime and in desperation Stephanos turns to his former tutor Aristotle for advice. Things become even more complicated when it transpires that Philemon has indeed be seen locally and even worse has a strong motive for killing the victim. Stephanos has to prepare a defence, unsure of whether to believe his cousin or not, and take on the powerful, well respected victim's family.
The book is well writen and Ms Doody has a real feel for the historical period. The only criticism I would make is that a glossary of terms used would be helpful to those unfamiliar with Athenian politics and the justice system.
The book is well writen and Ms Doody has a real feel for the historical period. The only criticism I would make is that a glossary of terms used would be helpful to those unfamiliar with Athenian politics and the justice system.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
