Back after not writing anything for who knows how long. yay! go me.
This time, we are in Rome, the last days of the Republic, when figures larger than life such as Sulla, Crassus, Caesar, Catilina and Mark Anthony hop around the not-quite-safe streets of the city with the 7 hills.
The books deal with the adventures of Gordianus the Finder, a well traveled Roman that is now living in Rome with his spirited good looking Egyptian slave/concubine. He happens to be the only private investigator in Rome, most likely because on one hand this profession of prying into peoples’ businesses is not very acceptable to society, but also because it’s also downright dangerous. Gordianus also seems to be a rare beast in those days, namely completely apolitical, without any great interest in any of the happenings in the forum.
As far as the books, they are not the greatest murder mysteries by any means. If you want that, go for the Cadfael series by Ellis Peters, or Agatha Christie. Where these books shine is in the depth of the historical research, combined with the rich, detailed way Rome is portrayed. Take them as historical novels, and you’ll be much happier. The pacing can get slow from time to time, but if you like the period and want to read more about it, these books can help. Oh, and the best part: no slave-turned-gladiator-turned-hero of the people/emperor/BS. The books actually make sense.
First book of the series: Gordianus helps a young lawyer out to prove his worth named Marcus Tullius Cicero prove the innocence of a man accused of paricide. The punishment for that crime is rather gruesome, but proves just how inventive the Romans were: the guilty one was severely scourged then sewn into a stout leather bag with a dog, a snake, a rooster, and a monkey, and the bag was thrown into the river Tiber.
.
.
A collection of short stories dealing with Gordianus’s adventures. Although this was published at some later date, it is actually the second book in the series, and deals with events that will be mentioned later on. More murder and mayhem in ancient Rome, and quite entertaining.
.
.
.
The third book in the series by timeline if not publication date. Gordianus manages to travel a bit about Italy, so we get to see something else other than Rome. Complete with murders, gladiators, chariot races if i remember correctly and a beautiful Nubian actress looking for her long lost brother, also a Nubian.
.
.
Fourth book in the series, has as a backdrop Spartacus’ rebellion. A Roman patrician has been murdered, and the suspects are two of his slaves that have run away. As punishment, the rest of the household slaves will be executed unless Gordianus can find the real murdered. A bit like a Die Hard movie actually. We also get to meet Crassus, the very rich Roman that eventually stops Spartacus.
The murder mystery is fairly good, not too predictable, and we get a chance to see how Roman society lived outside Rome, in their seaside villas.
Fifth book, where Gordianus once again finds himself in the middle of Rome’s political mayhem, even though he has retired to the countryside. Not as much a murder mystery as a way for the author to propose a twist on Catilina’s rebellion. And for those not aware of who Catilina was, or who barely remember it from Roman History classes, Wikipedia is just a step away. Cicero is back, more annoying then ever. Great from a historical fiction point of view, very interesting read, though a bit slow at times.
.
Sixth book, where we find out more about Gordianus’ time in Alexandria when he was a youth. An old teacher appears, the philosopher Dio, and promptly gets murdered. We get some great background info on what was happening in the kingdom of Egypt before the ascension of Cleopatra as a pharaoh, and we get to meet Clodia the quite happy widow. Good ending, and finding out who the murderer is might come as a surprise.
.
.
Seventh book, and more political fighting between the Optimates and the Populares, more murders, and even kidnapping. This time, Publius Clodius, rabble rouser, brother/maybe lover of Clodia from the previous book and champion of the poor gets murdered on the Appian way, the highway his ancestors had build. And oddly enough, no one really knows what or how it happened? We also get to meet Pompei the Great and Mark Anthony , and Cicero is more of a jack ass than ever before.
This is where i started being fed up with Rome. Next stop, Johannes Cabal, a necromancer.
No comments