Constantinople, 1452. Seeking a new life and career, Nicollo Moro, one of the most feared investigators in Venice, has come to the city, only to find it surrounded by an Ottoman army and sea blockade, waiting for the moment to strike and take the city.

With his money tied up in a ship that cannot penetrate the blockade, Moro finds himself drafted into service in his old role. As tensions rise between the Venetians as to whether to abandon the city or not, one of them, an old acquaintance of Moro, has been murdered during a party. But why did he die with a smile on his face?

I get a fair few requests for reviews – would you like to read my Regency romance set on Venus sort of thing. I can always tell them because they start “Dear Puzzle”, i.e. they haven’t bothered to actually look at the blog and realise that that isn’t actually my name. But occasionally I get one from someone who’s read the blog, took about one minute to spot my actual name on it and thought about whether I’d like their book or not. And this author, Mark Sherry, was one such writer.

Note: if you’re a similar writer with a whodunnit that you want me to take a look at, do get in touch.

As you know, I’m a fan of the historical mysteries, especially in times and places which I have little knowledge of, and Constantinople is one such place. Now some people might be aware of the importance to the city of the date, but I wasn’t so the uncertainty surrounding the fate of the city worked really well – actually, if you do know, then it adds a ticking clock, which would only enhance the atmosphere.

There’s a second narrative that ties into the main plot concerning Moro’s past in Venice that helps build Moro’s character while avoiding an exposition dump. Meanwhile in the “present”, we follow Moro navigating local politics and rivalries to hunt down a murderer that did catch me out.

The mystery works out very well. The mechanics of the death are a variant of something that Carr did, but it’s not a locked room mystery. It is, however, an intriguing one which, when the explanation comes, makes the reader wonder why they missed the obvious.

All in all, this is a very promising debut. It could have done, for this aging reader at least, a dramatis personae at the beginning, but other than that, this is well worth a look for fans of Paul Doherty and friends.