If the historical novel is a genre, and the murder mystery is a genre, the
combination of the two in an ancient Roman setting a sub-genre, then
we have a sub-sub-genre in the following stories. Usually they are set
in the Near East with frameworks drawn from the Bible and always have
an obvious didactic purpose. Note, however, that the ratings assigned
only reflect how well they succeed as historical mysteries.
The Qumrán Mystery (
[IN DUTCH]as Het Qumran mysterie, 1997;
[IN ENGLISH]London: Orion Books, 1998
hardcover;
paperback;
[IN GERMAN]as
Die Jesus Verschwörung 1997, hardcover;
2000,
paperback;
[IN HUNGARIAN]as Kumrán;
[IN ITALIAN]as Qumrar, Edizioni Tropea;
[IN SPANISH]Mexico City: Ediciones Grupo Zeta, 1997;
Barcelona: Columna Edicions, 1997).
A thriller which is also a 2000-year journey through religious history,
exploring Judaism and Christianity, the Essenes, the Hassidics and
religious texts, from the Talmud to the Gospels.
[not yet rated]
All Roads Lead to Zion (USA: Paracletus, 2008,
paperback).
Roman Centurion Gaius Julius Comminus has been ordered by Tiberius
to maintain order in Judea, but a rebellion seems to swirl about a
young rabbi from Nazareth..
[not yet rated]
The Christ Commission (New York: Lippincott and Crowell, 1980).
A modern-day investigator travels through time to ancient Jerusalem
to investigate the truth of the resurrection. [not yet rated]
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Case of the Damascus Dagger, The (Sydney: Hodder & Stoughton, 1994;
Carlisle: OM, 1995,
paperback).
In a Middle East
of the first century AD with all the modern conveniences,
attorney Ben Bartholomew is trying to clear his client despite
local thugs' attempts to run him out of town. St. Paul, Barnabas
appear. Third in chronological order. [★★+]
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Case of the Dead Certainty, The (Sydney: Hodder & Stoughton, 1995).
In a first century AD filled with anachronisms,
a search for a missing teenager leads Ben and wife Rachel
Bartholomew into mysterious and dangerous situations. Second in
chronological order. [not yet rated]
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Case of the Secret Assassin, The (Sydney: Hodder & Stoughton, 1992;
Carlisle: OM, 1995,
paperback).
Based on the biblical
Acts of the Apostles, concerns the development of the early
Christian Church under the guidance of St. Paul. Fourth in
chronological order.
[not yet rated]
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Case of the Vanishing Corpse, The (Sydney: Hodder & Stoughton, 1990;
Carlisle: OM, 1995,
paperback).
Jesus Christ has been
laid in the tomb. Attorney Ben Bartholomew is called in to
investigate the disappearance of the corpse. First in
chronological order. [★★]
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Didymus Contingency, The (Breakneck Media, 2015).
Two physicists travel back in time to a point a few years before
the crucifixion. One wants to prove that miracles never happened,
the other fears that the will interfere with history. Together
they witness many biblical events first hand.
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Man Who Buried Jesus, The (New York: Macmillan Books, 1989).
Nicodemus, one of the men responsible for placing
the body of Jesus in the tomb, investigates its disappearance.
The Apostles, Mary Magdalen appear. [★+]
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