Synopses & Reviews
The Curse-Maker is the sequel to he award-winning Nox Dormienda, the first book of the Roman noir series created by Kelli Stanley (City of Dragons). Wedding impeccably researched history to prose and themes reminiscent of classic hard-boiled writers, The Curse-Maker is a thrilling and suspenseful journey into a dark corner of Roman Britain you've never seen before. When Roman physician Arcturus and his stunning wife, Gwyna, arrive at Bath for a holiday, a dead body is floating in the sacred spring. It turns out that the murdered man is a curse-maker whose invocations actually come true, and as murder follows murder, it looks like there's now a curse on Arcturus. This is an exciting and exotic story of a spa town where people go to heal...only to wind up dead. And it takes the doctor-investigator on a dark road -- into Roman cemeteries, silver mines, and underground water tunnels -- to comprehend the twisted mind of a killer bent on revenge.
Review
"Terrific noir. The flavor and setting shine, and Stanley has the knack for creating an atmosphere that feels as if she has transcribed actual historical events.... Stanley is definitely one to watch."
--RT Book Reviews "Besides writing an engrossing mystery ... Stanley serves up fascinating and never heavy-handed information on Roman life."
--Booklist (Starred Review) "Well-plotted ... all will wish this historical series a long life."
--Publishers Weekly "Captures the details and rhythms of daily life in the ancient empire."
--Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
When Roman physician Arcturus and his stunning wife Gwyna arrive at Bath for a holiday, a dead body is floating in the sacred spring. It turns out that the murdered man is a curse maker whose curses actually come true, and as murder follows murder, it looks like there's now a curse on Arcturus.
An exciting and exotic look at the sideshow world of fake healers, ghost-raisers and medicine men, The Curse-Maker is the story of a spa town where people go to heal... only to wind up dead. And it takes the doctor protagonist on a dark road into Roman cemeteries, silver mines, underground water tunnels, and the twisted mind of a killer bent on revenge.
About the Author
KELLI STANLEY reinvented the golden era of noir fiction with her critically acclaiemd historical suspense thriller City of Dragons, set in 1940 San Francisco and featuring the unforgettable series heroine, Miranda Corbie. The first in Stanley's "Roman noir" series, Nox Dormienda (A Long Night for Sleeping), won the Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery Award and was nominated for a Macavity Award. Stanley holds a master's degree in classics and lives in San Francisco. Visit her Web site at www.kellistanley.com.