Persian Boy

Murder and mayhem may seem like unreasonable company for Aristotle, one of the founding minds of Western philosophy. But in the skilled hands of Margaret Doody, the pairing could not be more logical. With her Aristotle Detective novels, Margaret Doody brings a Holmesian hero to the bloodied streets of ancient Greece, trading the pipe and deerstalker of Sherlock for the woolen chiton and sandals of Aristotle. Replete with suspense, historical detail, and humor, and complemented by an ever-growing cast of characters and vivid descriptions of the ancient world, Doodyand#8217;s mysteries are as much lively takes on the figures and forms of the classics as they are classic whodunits in their own right.

In Aristotle Detective, we first meet Stephanosand#151;naive Watson to Aristotleand#8217;s learned Holmesand#151;a young landed Athenian and student of Aristotle. With the aid of his cunning, olive-loving teacher, Stephanos must clear his exiled cousin of murder and save his familyand#8217;s honor in a tense public trial. Will Stephanos survive to cinch the case?

"It takes skill to depict, as Miss Renault has done, this half-man, half Courtesan who is so deeply in love with the warrior." The Atlantic Monthly

Follows the career of Alexander the Great through the eyes of his lover and servant, the slave Bagoas, from Alexander's victory over the Persians to his death.

The Persian Boy traces the last years of Alexander's life through the eyes of his lover, Bagoas. Abducted and gelded as a boy, Bagoas was sold as a courtesan to King Darius of Persia, but found freedom with Alexander after the Macedon army conquered his homeland. Their relationship sustains Alexander as he weathers assassination plots, the demands of two foreign wives, a sometimes-mutinous army, and his own ferocious temper. After Alexander's mysterious death, we are left wondering if this Persian boy understood the great warrior and his ambitions better than anyone.

“It takes skill to depict, as Miss Renault has done, this half-man, half Courtesan who is so deeply in love with the warrior.”-The Atlantic Monthly

The Persian Boy traces the last years of Alexanders life through the eyes of his lover, Bagoas. Abducted and gelded as a boy, Bagoas was sold as a courtesan to King Darius of Persia, but found freedom with Alexander after the Macedon army conquered his homeland. Their relationship sustains Alexander as he weathers assassination plots, the demands of two foreign wives, a sometimes-mutinous army, and his own ferocious temper. After Alexanders mysterious death, we are left wondering if this Persian boy understood the great warrior and his ambitions better than anyone.

This is the first of three andquot;Aristotle Detectiveandquot; mysteries weandrsquo;re publishing in Spring 2014.and#160; Set in ancient Athens, it begins with a murder and ends with an exciting, public trial in which evidenceandndash;provided by Aristotleandmdash;clinches the case.and#160; A student of Aristotle named Stephanos narrates, describing clues he doesnandrsquo;t himself recognize, and marveling at his teacher's insights.and#160; The action-packed story includes murderous attacks at night and a comical escape from the city in disguise. But all is informed by research about life in Athens,and#160; 332 BC: the architecture of homes, privileges of citizenship, the culture of olives, various qualities of pottery, the (lack of) rights of women, and the workings of the legal system in Athens.and#160; Readers will enjoy the suspense of watching Aristotle teach Stephanos how to gather evidence and manage the case in order to save his familyandrsquo;s honor.and#160;

Renault was born in London, she attended Oxford, then trained for a nurse. After the war she settled in South Africa. Mary Renault died in 1983.

I and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; I, Stephanos

II and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Murder in Athens

III and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Threnodies and Accusations

IVand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Aristotle at Home

V and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Hearing and Overhearing

VI and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Prytaneion to Peiraeus

VII and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Taverns and Broken Vessels and#160;

VIII and#160;and#160;and#160; Blood and Insults

IXand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Family Matters

X and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Puzzles in Writing

XIand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Fire and Darkness

XII and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Swords and Stones

XIII and#160;and#160;and#160; The Last Prodikasia

XIVand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; A Day at the Farm

XVand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Journey to Euboia

XVIand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Return to Athens

XVII and#160; Aristotle Plans a Journey

XVIIIand#160; Peril and Approach of Death

XIXand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Thoughts of Death

XXand#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; At Hecateand#8217;s Crossroads

XXI and#160;and#160;and#160; Aristotle Teaches Rhetoric

XXII and#160; The Trial Begins

XXIII and#160;The Areopagos in an Uproar

XXIV and#160;After the Trial