Skip to main content

The Deadliest Fever (Miriam bat Isaac Mystery #4) by June Trop: A Book Review

The Deadliest Fever (Miriam bat Isaac Mystery #4)
Author: June Trop
Genre:  Historical Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: Black Opal Books
Release Date: 2018
Pages: 248
Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Miriam bat Isaac, a budding alchemist and amateur sleuth in first-century CE Alexandria, is concerned when she learns that the Torah mantle in Alexandria’s Great Synagogue has been damaged. She takes the mantle to Judah, a renowned jeweler and the unrequited love of her life. He repairs the mantle but assures her that the gems are genuine. Like Miriam, he is astonished that someone would damage the mantle but leave the gems behind. But Miriam suspects that something is not right. She is even more convinced that something is amiss, a few days later, when an anonymous note arrives, warning that the security at the Synagogue needs to be increased. As she digs for answers, she learns that some of the people she trusts are not what they seem, and she may not survive long enough to uncover the truth… 

      My Review: Miriam bat Isaac, alchemist and amateur sleuth, now tackles another case! Miriam discovers that the Torah mantle in Alexandria’s Great Synagogue has been vandalized. She takes the mantle to her crush, Judah, for repair. While he repairs it, Judah tells her that the gems in the mantle are authentic. Miriam is surprised because why would someone damage the mantle but not steal the gems. She becomes more suspicious and believes that there is more to the case. Miriam searches for the truth as to the real reason why the Torah was damaged.

    Ever since reading The Deadliest Sport, I have been fascinated with Miriam and her mysteries. In this latest installment, Miriam is struggling with the guilt of sending her brother to his death. She spends the book trying to make up for her late brother. Miriam also tries to find a way to be with her love Judah, whom she cannot marry because he is of a lower-class. Thus, I saw a more vulnerable side to Miriam, who is usually very strong-willed and does not let anything get her down. I liked her more and saw a more mature figure.

     Overall, this novel is about regrets, loss, and acceptance. The mystery was not very compelling and was a little unsatisfactory. However, I liked the supporting characters in the novel and Miriam’s inner struggle. The novel is very well-written and is very meticulously researched. It was as if ancient Alexandria had come alive. My favorite part of the The Deadliest Fever was the ending. It was happy and romantic, making me want more! While The Deadliest Fever seemed like a perfect ending, I hope that there will be more mysteries for I would love to see what is next in store for Miriam! I recommend this series for fans of The Ides of April, Domina, and I, Claudia.

 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 This is the official book trailer for The Deadliest Fever:
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Seven Sisters (The Seven Sisters #1) by Lucinda Riley: A Book Review

The Seven Sisters (The Seven Sisters #1) Author: Lucinda Riley Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance Publisher: Atria Release Date: 2015 Pages: 463 Source: My State Public Library Synopsis: Maia D’Apliese and her five sisters gather together at their childhood home, “Atlantis”—a fabulous, secluded castle situated on the shores of Lake Geneva—having been told that their beloved father, who adopted them all as babies, has died. Each of them is handed a tantalizing clue to her true heritage—a clue which takes Maia across the world to a crumbling mansion in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Once there, she begins to put together the pieces of her story and its beginnings. Eighty years earlier in Rio’s Belle Epoque of the 1920s, Izabela Bonifacio’s father has aspirations for his daughter to marry into the aristocracy. Meanwhile, architect Heitor da Silva Costa is devising plans for an enormous statue, to be called Christ the Redeemer, and will soon travel to Paris to find the right sculptor to
1 comment
Read more

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn: A Book Review

The Rose Code Author: Kate Quinn Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Harper Collins Release Date: 2021 Pages: 635 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: 1940, Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire.        Three very different women are recruited to the mysterious Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes.       Vivacious debutante Osla has the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses – but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, working to translate decoded enemy secrets. Self-made Mab masters the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and the poverty of her East-End London upbringing. And shy local girl Beth is the outsider who trains as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts.       1947, London.        Seven years after they first meet, on the eve of the royal wedding between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, disaster threatens. Osla, Mab and Beth are estranged,
Post a Comment
Read more

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki: A Book Review

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post Author: Allison Pataki Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Ballantine Release Date: February 15, 2022 Pages: 381 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Mrs. Post, the President and First Lady are here to see you. . . . So begins another average evening for Marjorie Merriweather Post. Presidents have come and gone, but she has hosted them all. Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard—even when deemed American royalty, even while covered in imperial diamonds. Marjorie had an insatiable drive to live and love and to give more than she got. From crawling through Moscow warehouses to rescue the Tsar’s treasures to outrunning the Nazis in London, from serving the homeless of the Great Depression to entertaining Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Hollywood’s biggest stars, Marjorie Merriweath
Post a Comment
Read more