Sacred Games by Gary Corby

Published by Soho Crime on May 21, 2013

Nicolaus, an Athenian investigator featured in two earlier novels, is charged with babysitting his friend Timodemus, a fierce fighter in the pankration and Athens' best hope for a medal in the eightieth Olympiad of the Sacred Games -- assuming that he isn't disqualified for pre-event tussling with his strongest competitor, the Spartan Arakos. Nico makes the mistake of leaving his friend alone for the night. The next morning, when Arakos is found murdered, Timodemus is the prime suspect. Nicolaus has five days, until the end of the games, to prove that Timodemus is innocent and thus prevent his execution. For the first (and presumably last) time, criminal investigation becomes an Olympic event.

The stakes are high for Nico, given the possibility that the murder, if committed by Timodemus, might be used as an excuse for war between Sparta and Athens. Nico has a full load of problems even without bearing the added weight of Timodemus' (and possibly Athens') fate. He regards Diotima as his wife, and in fact has already "soiled" her (often and with enthusiasm), but neither his father nor her stepfather has consented to their marriage. Ultimately, Nico's ability to have his marriage recognized by the two families may depend upon Nico's success in catching the killer.

Fortunately, as the creative problem solver in his family, Nico is well-suited to the task of criminal investigation. Even more fortunately, when Nico needs the benefit of a logical mind, he can consult with his younger brother, Socrates, who has a bit of Sherlock Holmes in him. Other well-known historical figures who appear as characters include the statesman Pericles, Sparta's King Pleistarchus, the poet Pindar, and a baby named Hippocrates (whose father, of course, is a doctor).

Given what's at stake, a reader might expect Nico to feel a greater sense of urgency than the story conveys. Nico is easily distracted by pleasures of the flesh and spends a fair amount of time chit-chatting with philosophers and poets who do little to assist his investigation. He even helps one of them sculpt an ox from bread dough. That would be a problem if this were a more serious novel, but Sacred Games isn't intended to be a thriller. Gary Corby has a keen sense of humor that shines through in the story's lighter moments, particularly in Nico's interaction with the willful Diotima (who will certainly be wearing the toga in the family). There's also a chuckle-inducing moment when Nico warns young Socrates not to go anywhere near hemlock. Gags of that sort pop up every now and then, and all of Nico's encounters with ancient thinkers are amusing. Despite the digressions, the plot is tightly constructed, proving enough suspects and red herrings to keep a mystery lover guessing.

The Spartan and Athenian characters in Sacred Games have some interesting discussions about the advantages of monarchies over democracies, but this isn't a political novel. For that matter, I wouldn't call it an historical novel. I don't know how accurate the details are of Athenian life in ancient times (Corby appends a lengthy author's note about the history from which he draws, although I'm pretty sure women in 460 B.C. didn't use expressions like "Are you hitting on me?"), but given the novel's light-hearted nature, I don't much care. The story seems to be well researched, and in any event, the plot is clever, the resolution of the mystery is satisfying, and the story is entertaining. The poignant, "feel good" ending might be too obviously manipulative, but it works. 

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