There is a large cast of characters and one of those cast listings at the front (including a pronunciation guide). At no stage did I feel like there was definitely going to be an exam at the end of this book, the details just flowed into the narrative.

There's a lot of detail in the book about the whys and wherefores of how these sorts of things normally work in Ancient Greek society, as there are details about the various political movements - but the delivery of that detail is not heavy handed. His reactions impress Pericles, a supporter of democracy (from the same 'side' as the dead man), so Pericles commissions Nicolas. Nicolas, the son of a sculptor is only given the task of investigating this death because he happens to be the man on the spot. The story told is as old as the setting though - politicians fighting for power, for their version of politics, for their view of the world. Mixed in with sufficient historical perspective and details, this book could work for fans of historical crime fiction, just as it would be a perfect introduction for readers who have steered clear until now. Show More that we can 'get' why not in our sort of voice? At first the gentle humour and the very Australian voices in THE PERICLES COMMISSION came as a bit of a surprise, albeit a rather pleasant one, but the more I read this book, the more I realised that the voice works. The language was very unsophisticated and many expressions were very modern, which spoiled it somewhat for me. I thought the explanation of the ancient banking system was well done. He has included an extensive 'Author's Note.' I did get somewhat of the flavor of ancient Athens. I admired how the author took the scanty records from those days and wove his story from those few facts. To paraphrase : oh, no, we'd never elect an actor to high office. He himself is arrested for treason and faces a death sentence, before the denouement.Ī good deal of the novel was a satire on politics politicians haven't changed all that much in millennia. His young brother, Socrates, who can be annoying at times but has some good insights, along with a priestess-in-training help him in solving the crime. Through many twists and turns, the young man does find the killer.

Nico decides he wants to be a politician and not follow his father into the sculpture business.

Pericles just happens to come by right then. Nico is commissioned by Pericles, the politician and one of the founders of democracy, to find the killer.

The Pericles Commission by Gary Corby