IT is 334 BC, and the young Alexander the Great waits with his troops by the Hellespont, poised to attack the empire of the great Persian king, Darius III.
To win the approval of the gods for his enterprise, he makes many offerings, yet the smoke does not rise, the sacrifices are tainted. Worse, his guides are being brutally murdered, Persian spies are in the camp, and Alexander's generals have their own secrets.
Into this turmoil comes Telamon, a physician and boyhood friend of Alexander. As the climax builds and Alexander throws off his nervous fears, winning a brilliant and bloody triumph over the Persians, Telamon at last succeeds in uncovering their enemies within.
The House of Death -- A Mystery of Alexander The Great by Paul Doherty is published in hardback by Constable at £16 99.
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