by Anne Perry
First published 2010
Anna Zarides arrives in Constantinople in 1273 with a desperate plan. Her twin brother Justinian has been banished to the desert for allegedly plotting to murder the nobleman Bessarion. Anna believes in his innocence. She takes on the identity of Anastasius, a male eunuch, and uses her physician's training to treat patients and gain access to the city's elite. Her medical practice brings her close to Zoe Chrysaphes, a scheming noblewoman, and Giuiliano Dandolo, a ship captain torn between his Venetian and Byzantine loyalties who develops feelings for her disguised persona. As Anna investigates, she uncovers troubling details about Justinian's connections to Bessarion's widow and possible involvement in a conspiracy against the emperor. Meanwhile, Rome and Venice prepare another Crusade that threatens Constantinople itself. Anna finds herself drawn deeper into the treacherous imperial court, where deception rules and identities shift like shadows. Time runs short as she races to clear her brother's name before the coming invasion destroys everything.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, mystery, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water, identity-deception
Setting: Constantinople, Desert, Rome, Venice
Period: 1273
518 pages · Hardcover · Ballantine Books