Mysteries in unique locations

Originally published in the Ketchikan Daily News, July 2013; written by Lisa Pearson.

I love mysteries. I tend to avoid the really dark, gruesome authors, so I view mysteries as escapist pleasure reading. I have occasionally found authors who not only provide intriguing storylines and cunning plot twists, but also give me a glimpse into another time and place. For those of you looking for stories with an extra dash of setting, try these.

If you’re interested in the political intrigue and gritty daily life of the Roman Empire, there are multiple authors who have explored this era. Two of my favorite series are the Gordianus the Finder mysteries by Steven Saylor and the John the Eunuch mysteries by the husband-and-wife team of Mary Reed and Eric Mayer. The nice thing about these series are that they bookend the Roman Empire, taking place about 600 years apart.

Saylor sets his stories during the reign of Julius Caesar, when society was transitioning from a republic to an all-powerful Emperor. Since Gordianus is Rome’s version of a private investigator, his cases bring him into contact with all levels of Roman society and Saylor does a good job of describing their lives without being boring. He also manages to provide his characters with an authentic voice, turning them from historical footnotes into human beings. He includes an author’s note in each book to provide a little more of the historical background, especially as it relates to Roman politics.

The John the Eunuch mysteries are set in Byzantium during the reign of Emperor Justinian I and his scandalous wife Theodora. The Western half of the Roman Empire had collapsed two centuries earlier, and Justinian is overseeing the reconquest of the Mediterranean territories, while at the same time dealing with famine, plague and political unrest in the capital. Since Justinian was a fervent Orthodox Christian, while many of his subjects were Jewish, Zoroastrian, pagan and Samaritan, religious oppression was constant. John the Eunuch hides his worship of the pagan god Mithra to protect his place at court (and his life). The descriptions of the religious beliefs and ceremonies of the followers of Mithra are very interesting, as are the machinations of the various political factions in the Byzantine court. A glossary in the back provides additional information about historical characters, sports, architecture and politics.

The Judge Dee mysteries, by Robert van Gulik, are based on the career of a real 7th-century judge in China during the Tang dynasty, although van Gulik has moved the setting into the more modern Ming dynasty (1300-1600 AD). The details of everyday life he drops into the story are often just as interesting as the plot itself. Class structure, clothing, food, art, religion, dress, the role of women and the intricacy of the Ming bureaucracy are all there, and van Gulik has added his own illustrations as well. A Dutch diplomat and linguist, van Gulik had a lifelong passion for the orient and its history, and the postscripts in each book provide extra information for the reader. Thanks to his great eye for detail, the culture of ancient China really comes alive in this series.

If you prefer your novels with a more modern setting, you can immerse yourself in the flavors of Sicily with the Inspector Salvo Montalbano mysteries, written by Andrea Camilleri. The books are translated from the original Italian by Stephen Sartarelli, and he has provided a nice set of endnotes that explains some of the culinary terms and political references (you will pick up that Camilleri is not a fan of Silvio Berlusconi and his center-right party). Inspector Montalbano loves his food, and the descriptions of his meals, even the ones left for him by his housekeeper, will make your mouth water. His references to the corruption and crippling bureaucracy of Italy are less enticing, but just as educational.