Judith Starkston
Judith Starkston writes historical fiction and mysteries set in Troy and the Hittite Empire, as well as the occasional contemporary short story. Her novel Hand of Fire (Fireship Press, 2014) tells the story of Briseis, the captive woman Achilles and Agamemnon fought over in the Iliad. It turns out there was a lot more to her than the handful of lines Homer gave her. Imagine a woman who can both challenge and love that most conflicted of heroes in history, Achilles.
Ms. Starkston’s upcoming mystery series features the indomitable Queen Puduhepa of the Hittites. Puduhepa placed her seal beside that of her foe, Rameses II, on the first surviving peace treaty in history, but she didn’t realize until now that she was a sleuth.
She is a classicist (B.A. University of California, Santa Cruz; M.A. Cornell University) who taught high school English, Latin, and humanities. Ms. Starkston’s website includes book reviews, history, and ancient recipes, and keeps readers informed about the historical fiction community. She and her husband have two grown children and live in Arizona along with their golden retriever Socrates.
