The Deadliest Sport

5:26 pm 17 May 2018

Miriam bat Issac lives in Alexandria in the first century CE. She is awaiting the return of her twin brother, Binyamin as he prepares for his last gladiatorial fight. Miriam currently serves as the head of the household after her father passed, taking care of the family business and overseeing the household. When Binyamin returns, he is rowdy, unkempt, harsh and demanding. He wants his share of his father's inheritance in order to open his own ludas or gladiator school in Alexandria. When Miriam tells him that the inheritance was relinquished when he became a gladiator, Binyamin is furious. Meanwhile, Miriam's charge, Amram is dying and the family's former scribe is found murdered in an unseemly part of of town. Miriam knows that the events are connected and somehow her brother is involved, it is up to her to place the pieces together.

A fun adventure and mystery in early Alexandria. I absolutely loved Miriam, she is very forward thinking, straightforward and brave. Miriam was given a difficult path in life and constantly decided to meet issues head on. I was very interested in the gladiatorial way of life and how men found their way into the sport as well as the fighting techniques. For all of Binyamin's brusqueness, he was well versed in understanding of the sport and training techniques. The mystery picked up about halfway through the story and captured my interest, what seemed like a simple plot thickened as new players arose. I enjoyed that I was able to see the mystery from two points of view and was pleased at how Miriam handled the indiscretion. Overall, a quick read for lovers of historical mystery with a strong female character.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

mystery Historical fiction

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The Deadliest Sport