When the whale is opened, they find the dead body of Gadaric, an eight-year-old twin, son of the late King of Italy, and hostage in the complicated international realm that was the Roman Empire in the sixth century. Barnabas has disappeared. John is assigned the task of locating the missing dwarf as well as discovering the circumstances behind the boy’s death. Because he has Theodora’s enmity as well as Justinian’s trust, John knows he is in a precarious position. p> Sunilda, Gadaric’s sister, seems unworried about her brother’s death. She believes that he is not really dead but only hiding. But John recognizes the potential danger to Sunilda as the only surviving child. As he searches the estate near Constantinople where the child died, he starts to suspect that there is more to Gadaric’s death than merely a curious boy and a tragic accident.

Byzantine means relating to Byzantium as well as characterized by a devious and surreptitious manner of operation. Byzantine is a accurate description of Three for a Letter in both senses of the word. When I began Three for a Letter, I didn’t know any of the characters and was confused as to identities and interpersonal dynamics. Unfortunately, I wasn’t much more enlightened by the end of the book. Since Three for a Letter is the third in the authors’ historical mystery series, those readers who are familiar with the earlier novels may not feel as much at a loss. For me, however, the story seemed an endless parade of anonymous characters with unknown motivations doing inexplicable things. As I said, Byzantine.

A continuing mystery series requires a strong protagonist to keep the readers’ loyalty. A character who is acceptable for a single book may not interest readers for a repeat engagement. John the Eunuch is a difficult character to warm up to. Perhaps due to his injuries or his period of slavery, he lives a fairly solitary existence. He’s obviously intelligent, accomplished, and kind to children, but I didn’t feel as though I knew him much better by the end of the book than I had at the beginning. Moreover, I don’t feel compelled to seek out the earlier books to expand my understanding.

If an historical mystery series set in sixth century Byzantium sounds intriguing to you, I advise you to start with the first books. Jumping in with Three for a Letter is like negotiating the intricacies of court politics without foreknowledge of the players or the hierarchical system.

--Lesley Dunlap