This is an entertaining historical mystery set in the time of Emporer Justinian in Ancient Rome .

John , former Lord Chamberlain to Justinian , is in exile in Greece- forbidden from returning to Rome- when he gets a letter from his old friend Felix asking for help .
Captured on his return to Rome , John is given permission by General Diogenes to search for Felix .
He finds murder and missing treasures which all leads to the catacombs of the dead - is his own life
now in danger ?
This is a very entertaining mystery set in a time of great conflict , with great characters and an interesting plot

I was given an arc of the book by NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review

A strong series - and although the writing style is not my cup of tea, I can can see how these novels would provide a very good time for lots of readers, especially historical mystery fans who would like to leave Victorian London or in-between-wars England for a while. A recommend.

The 12 book in John the Lord chamberlain series. John is in exile on order of Emperor Justinian not to return to Rome. A call from his old friend Felix makes him risk his life to get past the invading Goths to return to Rome. Given the freedom to find Felix by General Diogenes while he checks up on him. John finds murder and missing treasures which all leads to the catacombs of the dead. This is a good mystery which also gets you involved in the many changes of history of Rome.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

In this 12th of the series former Lord Chamberlain, John has left his home in Greece to travel back to Rome to help his friend Felix.
I found it difficult to be interested in these characters or the story probably because I had not read the previous eleven books.

In this, the 12th in a series featuring John the Eunuch, Eric Mayer and Mary Reed return to the world where the Roman Empire is concentrated in Constantinople, and the City of Rome is a shell of its former self. I am already a fan of the series in which John is Lord Chamberlain to the Emperor Constantine; part detective, part fixer, former soldier. In the latest installment, John is in exile in Greece but soon finds himself in the City of Rome summoned by an old friend but held by an unexpected mystery.

What makes this 12th in the series especially intriguing is the setting of post imperial Rome. Few fiction books do such a great job conveying the decay of society, political power, and physical environment in this time period. To wrap this time period and place around the story makes this well written mystery all the more enjoyable.

An Empire for Ravens continues the investigations of John the Lord Chamberlain who is called from his exile to Rome by his friend General Felix in An Empire for Ravens. Eric Mayer and Mary Reed explore the intrigues swirling around the Byzantines under siege in Rome by Tortila the Goth. Dark doings threaten John and his servants. General Felix is missing. The Byzantines are being forced back from their conquest of Italy. Very interesting plot and complex characters. Read and enjoy.

What a wonderful way to explore the ancient Roman Empire ! For those of us who have gaps in their historical knowledge, Reed's book is a gift. AN EMPIRE FOR RAVENS provided an entertaining immersion into ancient religions, warfare, politics and social structure.

The protagonist, John, is a classic adventure hero that should appeal to a wide range of readers, but would be a sure inspiration to lure young men in to the pleasure of reading. I have not read the other books in this series, but
will want to return to this series, starting with Book 1, and experience all of the boldness and bravery of this engaging literary hero.

The books are "smart," but not so dense as to be daunting--highly recommended for any reader.

Appreciate the ARC for this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press and, as always it was great to visit with John and Cornelia. I also liked the vignette's that came back to Cornelia and john's home as a diversion from a complicated plot that often made my head spin. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

This is the crux of it:"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"

John, defying Justinian's exile and facing execution ( he has about 3 weeks), is enmeshed in many complicated issues not the least of which is the siege of Rome by the Goths under Totila.He sneaks into Rome, finds his dear friend is deceased and insists on figuring out what has happened.

Everything was wrapped up tidily in a terrific epilogue ( John and Cornelia's walk and discussion back home in Greece) which ended the story with the announcement that John was being recalled by Justinian to resume his imperial service. Exciting presage of what is to come.

I love the John the Chancellor mysteries, and this one didn't disappoint. The ending left me longing for the next volume in this detailed, period-appropriate series.