www.tobypress.com

Reader comments excerpts
The Cybelene Conspiracy by Albert Noyer

“With fascinating insights into fifth century medicine, religion, society and culture, THE SECUNDUS PAPYRUS is an evocative historical mystery that brings the twilight years of the Roman Empire to life.”

 The Toby Press/New Milford, CT and London UK

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“Albert Noyer is a novelist who knows how to make history come alive and seem important. [He] has an eye for color and a scholar’s passion for accuracy and detail.”

 Dr. Ronald Modras / St Louis University

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“I quite enjoyed this reader’s copy. Even amidst the flourishing of historical mysteries this setting (about which most of us know utterly nothing) is unique in my experience and I found it fascinating. The glossary and maps added a lot to my enjoyment. I found the ambiguity of some of the characters interesting¾never really resolving whether they are villains or not added to the unusual flavor of Noyer’s story… Thanks for introducing me to Noyer. I’ll be on the lookout for his things in the future.”

 Collier Brown / Powells Books

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“Novelist Albert Noyer takes the reader on a vivid yet historical journey through Getorius and Arcadia, two very believable protagonists. A mysterious monk charged with protecting a powerful secret is found dead near his forest hut. Getorius, a physician, and Arcadia his beautiful wife and medical apprentice…are summoned to determine the monk’s cause of death. Shortly after, the couple along with several other colorful characters, are invited to the palace of Galla Placidia, Empress Mother of Emperor Valentinian III. While on an impromptu tour of Placidia’s new mausoleum, an ancient papyrus is discovered in a booby-trapped niche. Getorius and Arcadia know the contents of the papyrus could have a… devastating effect on not only the empire, but the future of mankind. Building suspense, Noyer leads the reader to a surprise ending. [He] uses a detailed knowledge of the Romans to entice the reader with descriptive passages on the religions, politics, food, medicine and day-to-day life of the time. Noyer adds maps and glossaries, making it easy to keep up with the many characters[and] has an almost musical yet tight style of writing. This is the first volume of a planned trilogy.”

Carolyn Carlson / The Albuquerque Journal / 11-30-03

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“I enjoyed this mystery even more than the author’s first, The Saint’s Day Deaths. The descrip-tive passages were quite lovely and transported me to the places described. I am more at ease with the Latin names and places now; they don’t interfere with the flow of the story. Noyer is carving a special niche with his genre of historical mysteries, and this novel was definitely a thumbs-up read. More! More!”

 Olga Naumoff / Author, “My Name is Sotir.”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“This is a historical novel playing in mid-fifth century Ravenna, the Western Roman capital at the time…in an era of extraordinary upheaval. The Vandals had conquered most of the Roman possessions in North Africa. In 439 AD (the year of the novel) they conquered Carthage and in 455 AD they sacked Rome. If this were not enough, the Christian faith, which had been declared the state religion roughly a century earlier, was still far from being the established religion of Europe. The novel begins showing Emperor Valentinian III hunting with two Hunnic bodyguards on the outskirts of Ravenna. He was pursuing a boar he had just wounded, but the animal escaped across a stream. The loss gave the emperor pause for a monologue about the three persons who were making his life difficult: his mother, his wife, and the commander of the Western Roman Army, all of whom the reader will meet as the story unfolds. While the emperor is indulging in self-pity, his horse suddenly shied. In the icy waters of the stream bobbed the naked body of a man, striking a grotesque pose with his arms outstretched as if crucified. Valentinian recognized the man from his tonsured head. ‘It’s that Hibernian monk who comes to the palace library,’ he cried. With that begins a novel that is as suspenseful as any who-done-it and as fascinating as history can be.

But this is not an ordinary who-done-it. [It is] a skillfully designed novel narrated against a masterfully crafted historical background. There is a cast of colorful characters…the suspects, the intrigues, the false hopes, and the tracks that lead nowhere. It is an intricate web of actors and actions that can be confusing at times, but is masterfully woven. The solution? You will be surprised.

 Bruno and Renate Manz. (Bruno Manz / Author, “A Mind In Prison.”)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“I found The Secundus Papyrus to be an intriguing journey back in time. With fine storytelling, convincing characters, and a page-turning plot, Noyer’s second literary effort [after the Saint’s Day Deaths] was well worth the wait. I look forward to more from this exceptional new author in the near future.”

 Margaret Clare / New Orleans

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“A very interesting, intriguing read, I thought,[with a] clean and crisp arrow-line followed through from start to finish. I especially liked the medical references, the ‘bone-cutters’ era-driven curiosities, which added a perfect note of authenticity… The food notes were a wonderful touch. The last chapter tied everything together in a manner that I found ultimately satisfying…no loose ends.

Chris Kassel / Co-author with Chef Keith Famie,
“You Haven’t Been There Until You’ve Eaten the Food.”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“What a terrific book. Well written and the detail of life in 400 AD is outstanding. The development of the plot keeps you on the edge of your seat! I certainly can’t wait to read his The Saint’s Day Deaths.”

 Dan Paine / Book store, Unionville, CT

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Secundus Papyrus, a historical mystery, is a welcome break from the deluge of beach-reading currently clogging up the bookshelves. Now don’t roll your eyes like that…yes, I know what you’re thinking. Historical mysteries…yawn…well not this time. The Secundus Papyrus is as potent as Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose, and with the same mix of interesting characters, historical setting and creepy atmosphere… With illuminating insights into fifth century medicine, religion and culture, The Secundus Papyrus is a highly intriguing story that breathes life and color into the twilight years of the Roman Empire.

 Lisa Polisar / abqARTS / March 2004

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“….twenty-seven chapters of good reading, some very interesting insights into the medicine of the period (well done), and an exciting mystery story.”

 John Jenne, M.D. / Sanda Park, NM

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“This is a satisfying book to read. Noyer beautifully and effortlessly blends the many small details of daily life at the time into a really good mystery plot. With no effort on your part, you are smoothly transported to 5th century Ravenna, Italy, riding along on a bumpy cart, for example, with Getorius and Arcadia, enjoying the fragrant smells of baking bread and…roasting meat and fish. Noyer has obviously logged a good number of research hours for this book. He teaches us medicine as practiced then: the theory and the actual practices. He shows us the cultures, the religions, the minutiae of daily life. He also makes real for us the old saying

‘the more things change, the more they stay the same.’ The religious arguments against dissection of a dead body mirror the arguments against such things as stem cell research today. He details the political maneuvering among the rulers and would-be rulers and the cultural gap between rich and poor¾very much the same today.

This is the second historical mystery for Noyer; the first was The Saint’s Day Deaths, which in Noyer’s words,“…is in a sense a prequel to [Secundus] set at what is now Mainz, Germany, in AD 406, 33 years previously. The protagonists are Treverius and Blandina, the parents of Getorius. The Secundus Papyrus is the first of an already written trilogy that continues the sleuthing activities of Getorius and Arcadia.”

 I, for one, shall be waiting for the next book. ***1/2

 Kay De Wit / Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine / Spring 2004

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“Well written, serious, and excellently researched…. Getorius Asterius, orphaned by the murder of his parents in Moguntiacum and adopted by the physician Nicias…palace surgeon to the empress Galla Placidia, has been brought to Ravenna and trained as a physician, a man with an inquiring mind. He is married to Arcadia Valeriana, a beautiful but headstrong young Roman woman, determined to become a’ medica’ herself. Getorius is called in by the young emperor Valentinian III to examine the drowning death of a Hibernian hermit monk and the story takes off from there.

At the center of the story is a document, the ‘SecundusPapyrus,’ purported to be from the ‘Nazarene’ as Christ is called by the heretics. Revealed at its planned time, it would destroy the Roman world as known. Several peopleare involved in the discovery of the papyrus and resercah on its authenticity are found murdured or dead under suspicious circumstances, and it is a race against time for Getorius and Arcadia to assist the Empress in keeping the papyrus hidden and finding out who is behind the signs of the red rooster cropping up in connection with the document and the extent of a possible conspiracy.

Along the way, cleverly woven into the story, we are treated to descriptions of the imperial library and given a treatise on 5th century medicine, as well as all the divisions in the Church and apocalyptic view and not to forget, 5th century cuisine.It is not an easy read as mysteries go, especially with a time period not well known even to Roman history buffs, but wholly satisfying. Mr. Noyer has the ability to bring characters and their environment to life and build up a satisfying suspense…

This book is the first of a planned trilogy. I eagerly await the next one, titled The Cybelene Conspiracy. It will be released in Spring 2005.”

 Irene Hahn / The Roman History Reading Group
http://romanhistorybooksandmore.freeservers.comr_papyrus.htm

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“Albert Noyer’s second historical mystery takes the reader to the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century, where the physician Getorius and his wife Arcadia race to discover why all those connected with the discovery of a potentially dangerous papyrus are being murdered. Present when the papyrus was discovered was found in the…Empress Mother Galla Placidia’s mausoleum, Getorius and his wife know they are slated for death also. Not knowing if they are to be victims of political intrigue, the husband-and-wife team uses their knowledge of medicine and languages to glean clues from corpses and symbols found. Noyer’s characters are believable, and the interesting insights on the medical practices of the times are amusing as well as informative. Noyer’s ability to portray the religious strife between the numerous cults and the impact on politics is also well done. The Secundus Papyrus is an enjoyable portal to Rome, her people, and problems in her penultimate stage of Empire”

 Susan Crane / The Historical Novels Review / Issue 27, Feb. 2004

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“ Really enjoyed the “Secundus Papyrus” Well written! Compulsively and typically for me, I reached for “A History of Architecture” by Fletcher. Sure enough, p. 365, a plate showing the mausoleum of Galla Placidia with details…right down to mosaics “still retained on a blue background.” Having had two semesters of the history of architecture caused descriptions to ring true as {the author] painted word pictures of the buildings. A good read.

 Phyllis Bailey Chisholm / Tijeras, NM

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .