Review – The Eighth Veil

Frederick Ramsay in his new book, "The Eighth Veil" Book One in the Jerusalem Mystery series published by Poisoned Pen Press introduces us to Gamaliel. From the back cover:   The Eighth Veil is a mystery set in the year 28 CE in Jerusalem during the feast of Tabernacles. A murdered servant girl is found in the palace of King Herod Antipas. The Prefect, Pontius Pilate is in attendance. The populace is still buzzing over the brutal death of one of their Prophets, John, known familiarly as the Baptizer, and scandal is in the air. Pilate does wants no trouble and insists an independent investigation into the murder be made. Antipas will have none of Pilate's men in the palace and Pilate doesn't trust Antipas. Gamaliel, the chief rabbi and head of the Sanhedrin is coerced by Pilate to do the detective work.Gamaliel is a Talmudic scholar, not a sleuth and at first struggles. But as he learns more of the dead girl's background and that of the other major players in the drama, particularly Menahem, Antipas' foster brother, he soon becomes eon over to the process and, Sherlockian-like, begins to fit the pieces together. Or, as his "Watson" Loukas says, strips the veils from his personal Salome. The girl turns out not to be the mere servant everyone assumed, in spite of his impatience with the pace and direction of the investigation Pilate is rewarded and the fascinating, little told but critically entwined, histories of Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Herod the Great, Anthony and Augustus Caesar, and the Battle of Actium suddenly seems more relevant to the Gospel narratives than anyone might have previously imagined.Meanwhile, the figure of Jesus, the rabbi from Nazareth, with his ragged band of enthusiasts and his habit of annoying Caiaphas, the High Priest, moves enigmatically in the background. I think one of the hardest things to do is to craft a complex murder mystery. To add in a Rabbi that really doesn't want to solve a murder but is being forced to just adds to the flavor of the story. "The Eighth Veil" is a murder mystery set in Jerusalem at the time of Christ and is a gem of a story with a lot of real-life characters that we are already aware of. It has the feel of meeting up with old friends. Get ready to pound the streets of Jerusalem as Gamaliel not only sets out to discover who murdered the woman but who she really is. Danger, excitement and murder all figure into this highly complicated plot. These are fascinating characters that seem very real and a killer that seems impossible to discover. "The Eighth Veil" is loaded with twists and turns and red herrings that will leave you guessing all the while you are flipping pages to find out what happens next. I am so glad I found Mr. Ramsay and am so looking forward to the next book in this series.