The Wine Dark Sea: The Trojan Murders Books 1-3
(2021)(A book in the Trojan Murders series)
An omnibus of novels by Peter Tonkin
'Homer meets Holmes in this delightful twist on the Iliad.' Peter Sandham, author of Porphyry and Blood
Beware of Greeks
Greece. Circa 1190 BCE.
The Greek world is in turmoil as Agamemnon prepares for war against Troy.
His friends and allies scour the cities and islands, demanding that lesser kings supply armies to join him in his approaching conflict.
Meanwhile a merchant’s son, beaten and crippled during a robbery on the dockside in Troy is trying to make a living as an apprentice rhapsode in the port city of Aulis.
Passing through Aulis on his way to Phthia in search of Prince Achilles, who he plans to recruit along with his army of Myrmidons, King Odysseus of Ithaca conscripts the young rhapsode onto his crew.
Odysseus and his young associate travel from the city of Phthia to the island of Skyros searching for Achilles.
But as they do so they find themselves confronted by a ruthless killer who will stop at nothing to prevent them completing their mission.
So, as the campaign against Troy turns on their success or failure, Odysseus and his young rhapsode must solve a series of murders and stay alive themselves - long enough to find and recruit Achilles to Agamemnon’s cause.
Vengeance at Aulis
The Port City of Aulis, Greece 1190 BCE.
The Greek fleet of a thousand ships, assembled for the attack on Troy, lies becalmed. The huge army, camped on the shore, swelters under a heatwave.
In the forest groves consecrated to the Goddess Artemis which clothe the hills above the port, a sacred stag and a young priestess lie dead. Superstitious soldiers believe that the outraged Goddess will not release the winds until the man who killed them is unmasked and sacrifices a child of his own in revenge.
The army begins to run out of patience and turns on its leaders. The soldiers demand that either the killer is found - or the assault on Troy be aborted.
Odysseus is asked to look into the case and reveal who is guilty of the sacrilege and crime.
But the closer he gets to the truth, the more gruesome murders occur until he and his young assistant become the subjects of brutal attacks themselves.
The Anger of Achilles
1190BCE.
Lyrnessus lies in blazing ruins. Achilles’ Myrmidon army is in occupation, supported by those of King Odysseus and Prince Aias. Only one person of royal blood has survived the onslaught – Princess Briseis.
The princess has aroused Aias’ lust and faces either dishonour or death. When Odysseus convinces Achilles to step in and stop Aias abusing her, Briseis accuses the Myrmidon general of conquering her city through treachery.
Outraged by the slur on his unquestioned reputation for honour, Achilles turns to Odysseus. The cunning King of Ithaka agrees to discover whether there is any truth in the princess’ accusations and, if there is, who is really guilty of the treason which made the city fall.
Odysseus must complete his mission within four days while the funeral rites for the royal dead are performed; a time limit dictated by the Trojan ally Prince Sarpedon, who will arrive with his vast army to annihilate them all in five days’ time.
Odysseus enlists the help of Briseis herself only to find that the more they uncover, the greater their deadly danger becomes: the mysterious murderer who has already slaughtered Lyrnessus’ royal house as he betrayed the city is watching them in secret and will stop at nothing to cover his bloodstained tracks.
Peter Tonkin was born in Ulster, Northern Ireland and was raised in the UK, Holland, Germany, and the Persian Gulf. The son of an RAF officer, Tonkin spent much of his youth travelling the world from one posting to another. He is the author of the Richard Mariner Thriller Collection, Caesar's Spies and the Tom Musgrave Mysteries.
Genre: Fantasy
Beware of Greeks
Greece. Circa 1190 BCE.
The Greek world is in turmoil as Agamemnon prepares for war against Troy.
His friends and allies scour the cities and islands, demanding that lesser kings supply armies to join him in his approaching conflict.
Meanwhile a merchant’s son, beaten and crippled during a robbery on the dockside in Troy is trying to make a living as an apprentice rhapsode in the port city of Aulis.
Passing through Aulis on his way to Phthia in search of Prince Achilles, who he plans to recruit along with his army of Myrmidons, King Odysseus of Ithaca conscripts the young rhapsode onto his crew.
Odysseus and his young associate travel from the city of Phthia to the island of Skyros searching for Achilles.
But as they do so they find themselves confronted by a ruthless killer who will stop at nothing to prevent them completing their mission.
So, as the campaign against Troy turns on their success or failure, Odysseus and his young rhapsode must solve a series of murders and stay alive themselves - long enough to find and recruit Achilles to Agamemnon’s cause.
Vengeance at Aulis
The Port City of Aulis, Greece 1190 BCE.
The Greek fleet of a thousand ships, assembled for the attack on Troy, lies becalmed. The huge army, camped on the shore, swelters under a heatwave.
In the forest groves consecrated to the Goddess Artemis which clothe the hills above the port, a sacred stag and a young priestess lie dead. Superstitious soldiers believe that the outraged Goddess will not release the winds until the man who killed them is unmasked and sacrifices a child of his own in revenge.
The army begins to run out of patience and turns on its leaders. The soldiers demand that either the killer is found - or the assault on Troy be aborted.
Odysseus is asked to look into the case and reveal who is guilty of the sacrilege and crime.
But the closer he gets to the truth, the more gruesome murders occur until he and his young assistant become the subjects of brutal attacks themselves.
The Anger of Achilles
1190BCE.
Lyrnessus lies in blazing ruins. Achilles’ Myrmidon army is in occupation, supported by those of King Odysseus and Prince Aias. Only one person of royal blood has survived the onslaught – Princess Briseis.
The princess has aroused Aias’ lust and faces either dishonour or death. When Odysseus convinces Achilles to step in and stop Aias abusing her, Briseis accuses the Myrmidon general of conquering her city through treachery.
Outraged by the slur on his unquestioned reputation for honour, Achilles turns to Odysseus. The cunning King of Ithaka agrees to discover whether there is any truth in the princess’ accusations and, if there is, who is really guilty of the treason which made the city fall.
Odysseus must complete his mission within four days while the funeral rites for the royal dead are performed; a time limit dictated by the Trojan ally Prince Sarpedon, who will arrive with his vast army to annihilate them all in five days’ time.
Odysseus enlists the help of Briseis herself only to find that the more they uncover, the greater their deadly danger becomes: the mysterious murderer who has already slaughtered Lyrnessus’ royal house as he betrayed the city is watching them in secret and will stop at nothing to cover his bloodstained tracks.
Peter Tonkin was born in Ulster, Northern Ireland and was raised in the UK, Holland, Germany, and the Persian Gulf. The son of an RAF officer, Tonkin spent much of his youth travelling the world from one posting to another. He is the author of the Richard Mariner Thriller Collection, Caesar's Spies and the Tom Musgrave Mysteries.
Genre: Fantasy
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