The Oracle Seeker
Perched in splendid isolation high on the flanks of Mount Parnassos, Delphi seems far from the cultural and political turmoil roiling Greece in the mid-fifth century BC. But its apparent tranquility is deceptive. An unpopular oligarchy oppresses the people. Its famed oracle of Apollo is suspected of corruption, and strange cults hold midnight orgies in the countryside. When the mutilated body of an oracle seeker is found, the oligarchs blame a mysterious religious group.
Philoxenos, a young exiled Athenian and friend of the philosopher Socrates, suspects a coverup. Using the deductive skills he's learned from the Hippocratic physicians and the Pythagoreans, he soon uncovers evidence of a plot that threatens war between Athens and Sparta-a conflict that could quickly engulf the rest of Greece. But the more he learns, the more bafflingly complex the picture becomes-leading him to question not only the paramount power of reasoning but the cultural beliefs he has long cherished. The one person whose testimony could defuse the crisis is the priestess of Apollo, through whom the god's oracles are spoken. But the priestess, honoring her oath of secrecy, remains as silent and enigmatic as the marble Sphinx that gazes down on Delphi from her high pedestal. And time is running short.
The Oracle Seeker is a gripping historical mystery novel that blends a classic detective story with political intrigue. It presents a vivid picture of Greece at a time of tremendous cultural, religious and intellectual change, when rivalry between the two dominant powers-conservative Sparta and democratic Athens-was reaching the breaking point. It should appeal to fans of historical mystery writers such as Margaret Doody and Gary Corby.
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