Maria Yovanovitch, y'all. Maria Effin' Yovanovitch. When the annals of this nonsensical but devastating four year attack on the Republic are written, her name will figure in letters of gold. Unlike Gym Jordan, Milk Dud and the Elise woman whose name I am too lazy to google.

Highly entertaining. The wit is in full evidence ( did you ever think traveling with Herodotus could be boring?) Corby does, and the result is plentiful laughs along with a mystery that holds up if does not challenge. The usual enormous amount of historical information deftly inserted into the book, along with scenes of surprising sobriety. Usually Corby has been content to land jokes. No quarrel with that, but when he does decide to get serious, well, it opens up some brilliant insights into the mind of a Golden Age Athenian. Highly recommend.

The worst thing about life since the Emperor Tang seized power is the sheer force of negative emotion that courses through me every single goddam day. There is nothing that can set me off faster than being around people who I know voted for him or even worse, recognize him as some kind of "necessary evil."

Another cheerful entry in this mystery series. Nico and Diotima investigate the household of the Athenian hero/exiled traitor Themistocles in the city of Magnesia, where he rules as a satrap of the Persian Great King. Corby has a sharp eye for what made ancient Greek civilization great <i>and</i> peculiar, coupled with a witty style. This time out the mystery is actually puzzling as well, so The Ionia Sanction delivers the goods in that department as well.