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Title: Roman Blood : A Novel of Ancient Rome by Steven Saylor ISBN: 0-312-97296-2 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 15 February, 2000 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.23 (44 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Well-crafted Whodunnit set in ancient Rome
Comment: "Roman Blood" is a whodunnit set in ancient Rome near the end of the Republic. It features Gordianus the Finder as the gumshoe. Gordianus a down-on-the-heels Roman detective is hired by Cicero an up-and-coming republican, lawyer/politician to gather evidence proving the innocence of a murder suspect he's defending. Gordianus's footwork unveils a not just the murder, but a political intrigue involving the highest levels of the dictator Sulla's regime.
Whodunnits are pretty formulaic. This one reminds me a lot of the best of Ellroy mixing murder, money, and politics. The spin of setting it in ancient Rome makes it more interesting. Saylor writes well. His prose is tight, and graphic. The obligatory gratuitous sex is especially well done. His violence and action passages are just a little weak. In addition, the story is twisty enough, not to figure it out ahead of time.
"Roman Blood" is good. It is a well crafted, murder mystery with enough information on ancient Rome to keep even serious readers of historical fiction interested.
Rating: 3
Summary: Better history than mystery
Comment: Steven Saylor's novel is aptly named -- a good deal of Roman blood is indeed spilled when Gordianus the Finder agrees to help a young lawyer named Marcus Tullius Cicero with his first case. Cicero has been hired to defend one Sextus Roscius, accused of killing his father, also named Sextus Roscius. The crime of patricide was punishable by death in ancient Rome, and neither Cicero nor Gordianus wants to see an innocent man executed.
Saylor does a good job of bringing Rome to life; he includes many details, including descriptions of the narrow, winding streets, the oppressive heat of summer, and the intricacies of the Roman legal system, that create a sense of place and painlessly educate the reader. There are only a few places where the description intrudes into the story. Since the story is bound up with the political intrigue surrounding the rule of the dictator Sulla (80 BC), a knowledge of Roman history will help the reader keepthe characters and their motivations straight. Saylor does give an explanation of Sulla's rise to power and the atrocities he and his followers committed, but it comes late in the book and drags on for several pages, so this is not as useful as it could be. Readers not familiar with (or uninterested in) Roman history may have trouble getting into the book, but overall the setting is well-done and convincing.
The mystery aspect of the novel was not as interesting as the historical aspect; the story is slow in places, and it was hard to care about the characters, especially since many of them lack redeeming qualities. Also, Saylor has an unfortunate tendencyto overemphasize key plot points, as if he doesn't want the reader to miss the fact that a certain discovery is a clue. Part of the mystery reader's responsibility is to find the clues on her own; it is the mystery author's job to confuse the reader about what is a clue and what is a red herring. Saylor doesn't seem to have mastered that skill. The end of the novel, which includes the requisite court scene with Cicero making his argument on behalf of the accused, seems to take forever to lumber to a conclusion. Read the book for its setting, but don't expect too much in the mystery department.
Rating: 5
Summary: Roman Blood is extremely good
Comment: Roman Blood by Steven Saylor was well written and well researched. Saylor was able to blend his fictional writing with factual information in a very interesting way. Being the first book in the Roma Sub Rosa series, this book has led me to start reading the rest of the series. Roman Blood blends action and mystery. Gordianus the finder is a very intriguing character that will make you think more than you think you should. Roman Blood is a great book to sit down and read to. Its entertaining, but also, if you are interested in ancient Rome, it will give great information on everyday life and Roman government. Also, the ending is a doozy.
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Title: Arms of Nemesis : A Novel of Ancient Rome by Steven Saylor ISBN: 0312978324 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 15 February, 2001 List Price(USD): $6.50 |
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Title: Catilina's Riddle by Steven Saylor ISBN: 080411269X Publisher: Fawcett Books Pub. Date: 29 August, 1994 List Price(USD): $6.50 |
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Title: The Venus Throw : A Mystery of Ancient Rome by Steven Saylor ISBN: 0312957785 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 15 April, 1996 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: The House of the Vestals : The Investigations of Gordianus the Finder by Steven Saylor ISBN: 0312964528 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 15 August, 1998 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: A Murder On The Appian Way : A Mystery Of Ancient Rome by Steven Saylor ISBN: 0312961731 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 15 May, 1997 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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