By Margaret Doody
Reviewed by Dennis Bianchi
Margaret Doody is a Canadian author of historical detective fiction and is also a feminist literary critic. She is professor of literature at the University of Notre Dame, and helped found the Ph.D. in the Literature Program at Notre Dame, and served as its director from 2001-2007. She began what was to become a series of detective novels with Aristotle Detective in 1978, but the stories were not published in the United States until recently. They are a welcome addition to the historical “whodunit” genre.
When one thinks of Aristotle one thinks of a philosopher, an historical figure with a deep-thinking mind coming from the Classical Era who has much influence even today, 2,300 years later. Ms. Doody brings Aristotle to life. She describes a busy, interesting fellow, with an interest in helping out a friend. That friend is Stephanous, a young man whose father had died recently. Stephanous has a cousin named Philemon, of whom he is very fond of, but Philemon has been exiled from Athens. The penalty of exile only adds to the plot as Philemon, in his absence, has been accused of murdering an upper-class and wealthy citizen, Boutades. Young Stephanous has been charged with the defense of his cousin, as was ancient Greece’s custom. He was also a student of Aristotle and seeks his advice and guidance in this obligation. What the author has set up looks a bit like the novels showcasing armchair detective Nero Wolfe, created by Rex Stout in the 1930s. With Aristotle representing Wolfe and Stephanous representing Archie Goodwin, we see a team consisting of a thoughtful, deductive, stay-at-home thinker who works with an outside “leg-man.” I can’t say for sure that the author has copied the Wolfe novels or the Sherlock Holmes stories, but she created a very clever and enjoyable read. As Aristotle advises the young man what course of action to follow he also preps him in the art of rhetoric. As the book reaches its final trial period the reader is treated to a fun courtroom drama.
The novel provides a feel for life on the streets of ancient Athens; the political maneuvering that was taking place and the jealousies and prejudices that existed at the time. And the really good news is, if you like what you read there are several recently released novels with the same characters in the same time and place.
