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The Deadliest Sport Book Review & Giveaway

I love mysteries and historical fiction--so this novel seemed the perfect addition to my spring reading list.  Set in Ancient Alexandria, with a female lead character--I was excited to read The Deadliest Sport by June Trop.  What did I think of The Deadliest Sport?  I am sharing my review today--so, check it out and be sure to enter for a chance to win an Amazon gift card in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post.


Book Title: The Deadliest Sport: A Miriam bat Isaac Mystery in Ancient Alexandria
Author: June Trop
Category: Adult fiction, 242 pages
Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction

About the Book

Miriam bat Isaac, a budding alchemist in first-century CE Alexandria, welcomes her twin brother Binyamin home to fight his last gladiatorial bout in Alexandria. But when he demands his share of the family money so he can build a school for gladiators in Alexandria, Miriam explains that he forsook his share when he took the gladiatorial oath.

When she refuses to loan him the money for what she feels is a shady and dangerous enterprise, Binyamin becomes furious. Soon after, the will of Amram, Miriam's elderly charge, turns up missing; Amram becomes seriously ill; and the clerk of the public records house is murdered. Could Binyamin really be behind this monstrous scheme? If not he, who could be responsible? And is Miriam slated to be the next victim?

My Review

Readers will Venture to Another Place and Time in The Deadliest Sport.  This is the first book that I have read from this author--but, it is certainly not going to be the last.  The author does an amazing job transporting readers to an ancient time and place. Readers will feel the swish of robes, hear the character's voices, feel the twists and turns & get lost in another time and place.  Many times, historical fiction novels mix too much of our modern world with the historical content.  Trop keeps the novel setting in check and her characters and their interactions well placed and realistic.

The Deadliest Sport is a Standalone Novel.  I loved the author's writing style.  While, I picked this book up and read it without having read other books from series--I never had the feeling that I was missing anything from past character development or backstories.  Having said that--I enjoyed the author's story development and writing style so much that I do plan to read other books from this series. 

History and Mystery Fans Should Enjoy this Novel.   I did feel that I was transported back in time--but, it was to a time period of great interest to me.  While there are twists and turns as the characters move through the mystery--making it ideal for mystery lovers and there is truly an historical setting that will appeal to historical fiction fans.  Additionally, human nature and family bonds come into play making this a very well rounded historical mystery that modern readers are able to enjoy.

Would I Recommend The Deadliest Sport?  As a mother of 3 daughters--I love finding a series with a strong, intelligent, capable, realistic, lead female character.   I enjoyed the author's setting and character development--especially as a reader coming in "late" to the series.  I loved the story line and the plot twists--and would certainly recommend this book to fans of historical mysteries.   Readers will be pulled into Alexandria and into the life of Miriam--and will not want to put down the book until the story draws to a close. 


To read more reviews, please visit June Trop's page on iRead Book Tours.


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Meet the Author




June Trop and her twin sister Gail wrote their first story, "The Steam Shavel [sic]," when they were six years old growing up in rural New Jersey. They sold it to their brother Everett for two cents.

"I don't remember how I spent my share," June says. "You could buy a fistful of candy for a penny in those days, but ever since then, I wanted to be a writer."

As an award-winning middle school science teacher, June used storytelling to capture her students' imagination and interest in scientific concepts. Years later as a professor of teacher education, she focused her research on the practical knowledge teachers construct and communicate through storytelling. Her first book, From Lesson Plans to Power Struggles (Corwin Press, 2009), is based on the stories new teachers told about their first classroom experiences.

Now associate professor emerita at the State University of New York at New Paltz, she devotes her time to writing The Miriam bat Isaac Mystery Series. Her heroine is based on the personage of Maria Hebrea, the legendary founder of Western alchemy, who developed the concepts and apparatus alchemists and chemists would use for 1500 years.

June lives with her husband Paul Zuckerman in New Paltz, where she is breathlessly recording her plucky heroine's next life-or-death exploit.

Connect with the Author: Website ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest

Enter the Giveaway!
Ends June 2, 2018


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3 Comments

  1. I enjoyed getting to know your book and thanks for the chance to win :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a really unique cover! Can't wait to read this!

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