num_pages: 314
description: In ancient Athens, one of the pupils of Plato's Academy is found dead. His idealistic teacher Diagoras is convinced the pupil's death is not as accidental as it appears, and asks the famous Heracles Pontor, the "Decipherer of Enigmas," to investigate. As the death toll rises, the two men find themselves drawn into the dangerous underworld of the Athenian aristocracy, risking their own lives to solve the riddle of these young men's deaths. Simultaneously, a second plot unfolds: that of the modern-day translator of the ancient text, who, as he proceeds with his work, becomes convinced that the original author has hidden a second meaning in the text, one that can be interpreted through certain repeated words and images. As the story advances, however, the translator is alarmed to discover references to himself, which seem to address him personally in an increasingly menacing fashion.
language: English
title: The Athenian Murders
titlecomplete: The Athenian Murders
genres: Spanish Literature, Greece, Historical, Historical Fiction, Philosophy, Novels, Crime, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction
ratings_count: 2255
places: Piraeus, Athens
awards: awardedAt: 1009872000000
name: CWA Ellis Peters Historical Award, awardedAt: 1041408000000
name: Independent Foreign Fiction Prize
category: Shortlist, awardedAt: 1009872000000
name: The Macallan Gold Dagger
category: Fiction
publisher: Abacus