From PW, "A battle between 13th-century religious factions forms the crux of this interesting dep
arture for mystery novelist Perry (A Christmas Promise). Disguised as a eunuch, physician Anna Zarides arrives in Byzantium to learn why her brother has been accused of murdering Besarion Comnenos, a man with significant aristocratic and political ties. As she ministers to the emperor Michael Palaeologus, the Orthodox bishop Constantine, the Medea-like Zoe Chrysaphes as well as Arab, Jewish, Italian, and Greek tradespeople, she learns of the bitter divisions between Orthodoxy (whose followers do not believe in the Holy Spirit) and the Latin rite (whose followers do), as well as a power struggle among the emperor, the king of Naples and the Two Sicilies, and the pope. As the danger, betrayals, and dead bodies mount, Perry conveys an earnest message about obsession, sacrifice, and faith at a dazzling crossroads of East and West civilizations.
I am a huge fan of Anne Perry, I have read all of her books, some of them 2 or three times. This book, Sheen on the Silk, has to be the worse book I have ever read. I have read some authors who have set their stories in the 100's to 1299's and they were very good: this book, however, lacked flow, and while I am sure all of the content was factual for the time, I didn't buy it for a history lesson. When I buy a book I want a good story line, this one jumped all over the place. Stick with what you know Anne.
ReplyDelete