"The cleverness of the plot and the solution to the murder are among the series's best."
--Publishers Weekly
"The 12th franchise entry places the reader in the middle of the turmoil of sixth-century Rome and into a tense historical mystery."
--Kirkus Reviews
"...builds to a crescendo of violence, betrayal, and tragedy.... John is an interesting and sympathetic character, enigmatic but immensely likable."
--Diana Hockley. King's River Life
The Lord Chamberlain's Mother
by Eric (origin of John Lord Chamberlain)
Mary writes about Adventures in Ancient Roman Cuisine at Killer Crafts and Crafty Killers, the blog hosted by Lois Winston, author of the Anastasia Pollack Crafting mysteries.
We had the honour of Kings River Life's Lorie Ham choosing an
extract from our WW2 mystery Ruined Stones for her podcast series. Paddy
Myers, the actor who recorded ours, did an absolutely bang-up job and it
sounded wonderful!
Mary's essay, Talking Snakes and Other Mysteries, appears in the summer issue of Mystery Reader's Journal. She talks about the roles played by animals in our Byzantine mysteries. The issue can be ordered online. Historical Mysteries II.
At our blog, Jane Finnis, author of the Aurelia Marcella historical mystery series, writes about why she loves short mystery stories.
Mary reviews A Pinch of Pure Cunning, a collection of short stories by Jane Finnis, author of the popular Aurelia Marcella historical mystery series. See our blog.
At Anastasia Pollack's Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers Mary talks about where writers find plot ideas. Read The Eyes Have It.
Check out the new additions to Mary's Golden Age Mysteries and Supernatural Stories.
Mary's essay The Grim Reaper's Lawnmower, has appeared in Seeds, a free weekly electronic
for Texas gardeners. Subscribe at Seeds.
At PJ Nunn's bookbrowsing, Mary offers some tips and Interet resources for Naming Your Characters.
At Lois Winston's blog, KIller Carafts and Crafty KIllers, Mary discusses researching Five for Silver, a John the Lord Chamberlain novel set during the Justinian Pandemic. See: A Circumstance Such as has Never Before Been Recorded
Mary has posted a review of a GAD short story collection on our blog. Mr Treadgold Cuts In by Valentine Williams
was published in 1937. Mr Treadgold is an elderly tailor and amateur 'tec.
At bookreporter -- Author Talk Mary explains how we connected with the Press, the amount of research that goes into recreating the world of Byzantium in the sixth century, and the inner workings of our collaboration process.
At AnneLouiseBannon.com Mary ponders what makes a book cover stand out? See Mary Reed Does a Survey on Book Covers.
Mary and Eric are interviewed at Crimespree Magazine. Read Five Things - An Empire For Ravens By Mary Reed And Eric Mayer
At Suzanne Adair's blog, Mary examines the life of John's antagonist Empress Theodora. Read Empress Theodora: Saint, Sinner or Both?
Anastasia Pollack has an Interview with John, Lord Chamberlain at Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers.
At Writers Who Kill, Mary finds story ideas on Craigslist. Read Advertisement: Writer Seeks Ideas
Mary talks about pets and writing at Heather Weidner's Pens, Paws, and Claws.
There's an interview with Eric Reed, our not so secret pseudonym, at Killer Crafts and Crafty Killers.
At The Southwest Armchair Traveler Mary writes about memorable cinematic scenes she's seen.
In the wartime issue of The Mystery Readers Journal Mary writes about how criminals in Great Britain took advantage of conditions on the
homefront during the Second World War.
At B.K. Stevens Mysteries Mary analyzes how we wrote The First Two Pages of Ruined Stones.
Mary visits Lelia Taylor's Buried Under books to write about a vacation walk involving a Bagpiper on the Beach.
At PJ Nunn's bookbrowsing, Mary writes about Character Paper Doll for Promotional Use.
At Marilyn's Musings, Mary describes the "Newcastle flat" type of housing she grew up in and which our protagonist Grace Baxter occupies in our new World War Two mystery Ruined Stones.
A short ghost story for International Short Story Month (May):
Waiting
Author and blogger Terry Odell interviews Newcastle Auxiliary police officer Grace Baxter about her experiences as the protagonist of our new World War Two mystery Ruined Stones.
Character Interview--Eric Reed's Grace Baxter.
An Empire For Ravens
Missing treasure, murder, possible treason...
Emperor Justinian's former Lord Chamberlain, John, gets a letter from his longtime comrade, Felix, and, placing loyalty to a friend above his own safety, risks defying imperial edict by leaving his exile in Greece for Rome where Felix is in some kind of trouble.
For years a Captain of the Excubitors at the court in Constantinople, Felix has achieved his ambition to become a General when Justinian sends him to serve under General Diogenes in fighting for Rome against the besieging Goths.
John's covert entrance into Rome is ambushed, driving him deep into ancient catacombs before he exits into the heart of the city. Arrested and brought before Diogenes, John learns that Felix is missing. It has been two days since he went to call upon Archdeacon Leon, a troublesome man at the heart of Felix's dispatch to the city.
When sent to lodge at Felix's quarters, John finds the household in disarray, evidence that Felix has taken a questionable lover and run up his usual debts, and someone is rifling supplies. Then a young woman servant, also missing, is found dead. John has many mysteries to solve before Diogenes' courier to Justinian can return and prompt John's immediate execution.
Ruined Stones
Surviving the 1941 Blitz and the predator in her small Shropshire village, policeman's daughter Grace Baxter moves to Newcastle-on-Tyne. Situated on the northern bank of the River Tyne, the ancient northeast city developed around the Roman settlement Pons Aelius-named for the Emperor Hadrian who built the famous wall right at the edge of the then civilized world. No matter its later history as a wool trade, then coal mining center, and the ship building that makes it a German bombing target, Newcastle's Roman past won't be ignored.
Grace is eager to explore city life. And she's turned professional with an official job in the city's constabulary. The war means women can find work, even if most men in the job discount if not actively resent her.
Grace's arrival coincides with the discovery of the body of a young woman, curiously difficult to identify, at the scanty ruins of a Roman temple situated across from a church. The bone-numbing cold, the fogs, and the Blitz, not to mention to peculiar behavior of some of the citizens and the hostility directed towards a woman in man's work, test Grace's resolve to be an effective officer. There are many potential leads, and much suspicious behavior to sort through. What role do ancient rituals play in the murder and what follows? What current misbehavior or crimes is someone, or someones, desperate to cover up? The investigation, carried out through fog and blackout and fear as well as the hostility of her colleagues, tests Grace's resolve to be an effective officer. Will it also endanger her life?
Reviews
Praise for Ruined Stones
"...handles the wartime setting (rife with paranoia) and the woman-in-a-man's-world theme with equal skill. A fine period mystery." David Pitt, Booklist
"...hits all the high notes with a spunky, savvy heroine, small town idiosyncracies and a tumultuous time in world history
" -- for the Love of Books
"An in-depth look at what it was like in England during World War II and how women took over men's jobs, leading to a social revolution that continues today." -- Kirkus Reviews
"I enjoyed this mystery, with its convincing characters... It provides an interesting look at life during the war, complete with black marketeers and criminals taking advantage of the blackout, and the prejudice and fear shown to foreigners and strangers." -- BooksPlease
"...so-cool it chills suspense novel. The tone and sense of time and place are near perfect." -- Martin Hill Otiz, It's Harder Not To blog
"[Ruined Stones]... will take you away for an adventure to another time and place...-- Virginia McGee Butler, Goodreads
"A mystery with dark and dangerous undercurrents that will keep you turning the pages. A "Must Read" for any serious fan of historical mysteries." -- Doward Wilson, KRL News and Reviews
Praise for The Guardian Stones
"A remote Shropshire town is beset by wartime demons even more insidious than the Third Reich....A fascinating look at a small town mired in the past and confronting the future -- with a bombshell ending." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Shades of Arthur Miller's The Crucible pervade these pages...a nicely told historical mystery". -- Historical Novel Society Review
"...a society falling to pieces, falling into darkness, hurting all that come within reach, a truly diabolical - and unsettling - story; a darkly atmospheric thriller set at a time when all the world (at least in Europe) seemed to be falling -literally- to pieces." -- Abbey Hamilton, Goodreads
About the Authors
The husband and wife team of Mary Reed and Eric Mayer published several short John the Lord Chamberlain detections in mystery anthologies and in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine prior to 1999's highly acclaimed first full length novel, One For Sorrow. Their protagonist's adventures continued in Two For Joy (2000), a Glyph Award winner in the Best Mystery category. Two For Joy also gained an Honorable Mention in the Glyph Best Book Award list and in addition was a finalist for the IPPY Best Mystery Award. Three For A Letter (2001), Four For A Boy (2003), and Five For Silver (2004) followed. The latter two novels were nominees for the Bruce Alexander History Mystery Award. Five For Silver won the 2005 Glyph Award for Best Book Series. In June 2003 the American Library Association's Booklist Magazine named the Lord Chamberlain novels as one of its four Best Little Known Series. Six For Gold appeared in 2005, Seven For A Secret in 2008, Eight For Eternity in 2010, Nine for the Devil in 2012, Ten For Dying in 2014 and Murder in Megara in October 2015 from Poisoned Pen Press. An Empire For Ravens appeared in October, 2018. Head of Zeus is publishing the John the Lord Chamberlain series in the UK and Europe. In 2016 The Guardian Stones, a Grace Baxter mystery, was published under the pen name Eric Reed. The second in the series, Ruined Stones, appeared in July 2017.
Lord Chamberlain Mysteries
Grace Baxter Mysteries
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