The Nubian's Curse
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- £7.99
Publisher Description
A cursed statue . . . A haunted house . . . A seemingly supernatural death . . . The unexpected arrival of a friend from his past plunges musician, sleuth and free man of color Benjamin January into an old, unsolved case in this historical mystery set in New Orleans
"Outstanding . . . fastidious period detail, and a consistently surprising investigation" Publishers Weekly Starred Review
"[Benjamin January is] a winning character, nimbly moving through parts of history we should all know better" New York Times
December 1840. Surgeon turned piano-player Benjamin January is looking forward to a peaceful holiday with his family. But the arrival of an old friend brings unexpected news - and unexpected danger.
Persephone Jondrette has found Arithmus: a Sudanese man with extraordinary mental abilities who January last saw in France, nearly fifteen years ago, during a ghost-hunting expedition to a haunted chateau. January and his friends survived the experience . . . but Arithmus' benefactor, the British explorer Deverel Wishart, did not. He was discovered dead one morning, his face twisted in horror, and shortly afterwards Arithmus vanished, never to be seen again.
Did Deverel succumb to the chateau's ghosts - or did Arithmus murder him and run away? January is determined to uncover the truth about the tragic incident from his past, and clear his old friend's name - but even he isn't prepared for what happens next . . .
The Nubian's Curse by NYT-bestselling author Barbara Hambly is the latest instalment of the critically acclaimed historical mystery series featuring talented amateur sleuth and free man of color, Benjamin January.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Hambly's outstanding 20th whodunit featuring formerly enslaved doctor Benjamin January (after Death and Hard Cider) combines an eerie murder mystery with a vivid depiction of the antebellum South. In 1840, Benjamin is celebrating Christmas in Louisiana, where he's managed to build a life with a few patients, a loving family, and occasional opportunities to play piano professionally. When Benjamin is reunited with Arithmus Wishart, whom he hasn't seen in nearly 16 years, a mystery from his past comes roaring back. In 1825 France, Benjamin met Deverel Wishart, who claimed that he found Arithmus in a Sudanese desert, and that, though the man spoke "no known human language," he possessed remarkable mathematical gifts. Not long after that, Deverel was found dead during a ghost hunt in a supposedly haunted chateau, and Arithmus, who disappeared soon afterwards, became a suspect. His reappearance leads Benjamin to reinvestigate Deverel's death, and as he digs deeper into Arithmus's past, he discovers surprising details about his own. Hambly isn't content to rest on her laurels—she packs this installment with dueling timelines, fastidious period detail, and a consistently surprising investigation. This long-running series still shows plenty of life.
