In Rome, 80 BC, on a warm spring morning, Gordianus the Finder receives a summons to the house of a then-unknown young advocate and orator, Cicero. Ambitious and brilliant, the twenty-six-year-old Cicero is about to argue his first important case. His client is a wealthy farmer, one Sextus Roscius of the town of Ameria, who stands accused of the most unforgivable act in Ancient Rome: the murder of his father.
Hired by Cicero to investigate the charges, Gordianus sets out to discover the truth in a case—and a society—rife with deceit, betrayal, and conspiracy. As he draws nearer to the truth, the conspiracy looms ever larger until Gordianus begins to perceive the hand of the dictator Sulla himself. Playing for stakes much higher than he bargained for, Gordianus finds that not only is he himself endangered, but so are all those around him.
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"I moved from Medieval England to pre-Caesarian Rome and there is a correlation. Great mystery with history. I have enjoyed this book (an author presented at a Mystery Book talk) greatly and hope to read more from this author. Dreary weather and an excellent book - life is good. " — Colleen (4 out of 5 stars)
"I moved from Medieval England to pre-Caesarian Rome and there is a correlation. Great mystery with history. I have enjoyed this book (an author presented at a Mystery Book talk) greatly and hope to read more from this author. Dreary weather and an excellent book - life is good. "
“Saylor puts such great detail and tumultuous life into his scenes that the sensation of rubbing elbows with the ancients is quite uncanny.”
“Steven Saylor’s engrossing series of popular novels centered around Gordianus the Finder—a kind of Roman Sherlock Holmes.”
“Saylor has acquired the information of a historian but he enjoys the gifts of a born novelist.”
“Saylor evokes the ancient world more convincingly than any other writer of his generation.”
“From the arrival of an articulate slave on the doorstep of sleuth Gordianus to the riveting re-creation of an actual oration by Cicero, Saylor’s remarkable first novel takes the reader deep into the political, legal and family arenas of ancient Rome, providing a stirring blend of history and mystery, well seasoned with conspiracy, passion and intrigue…a story greatly enhanced by its vivid characters…A classic historical mystery, in every sense.”
“A modern master of historical fiction.”
“Gripping…A combination of Hitchcock-style suspense and vivid historical details.”
“Saylor’s evocation of ancient Rome is vivid and realistic. Within its compelling story, one tours Roman life from bottom to top in what is both good history and good mystery…A novelist whose future work will be worth reading.”
“The detail is meticulous.”
" the roman penalties were a bit crazy. when you tie symbolic punishment and the law together you have to watch out. Great characters. "
" A detailed take on Ancient Rome. The violence and conniving are described in a raw manner. I've read enough about Cicero to do me for a few years but the story is well told and edgy. "
" I liked how the story progressed into something that I had not expected. I am excited to continue with this series. "
" Buddy read with Kim and Hayes :-). "
" This was the first I read in the "sub rosa" series and I've kept to the time-line since. A good introduction to Gordianus (and Saylor) but there are better ones.... "
" This is what got me addicted to Historical fiction ;) "
" Loved this. Great start to the Roma Sub Rosa series. Wished I had read it first. "
" I was in the mood for a mystry novel set in ancient Rome and this filled the bill. I liked it enough that I have purchased the next couple books in the series. "
" I love this series about Ancient Rome. "
" (bought in a moment of extreme weakness at Bookstop on 10/29/08) "
" Ancient roman history in the context of a mystery. Learned the punishment for parricide--yuck!--and daily life of ancient rome "
" A very good start to the series - reading House of the Vestals next! "
" Very well written. A familiar cast of characters given their own distinct personalities, differing from other authors' works yet meshed together in what becomes an intriguing tale. Will continue on with this series of stories of ancient Rome. "
" An entertaining look at an actual historical trial, set in the late Roman Republic. Well written, clever interpretation, however, I do not find lawyering that exciting, so 3 stars, not 4. "
" I just finished this novel of ancient Rome. Learned a lot about Rome reading this mystery. Very enjoyable. "
" Just great historical fiction. A well-written mystery set in 80 BC Rome that really makes you well like you are walking the streets and alleys of ancient Rome. I will definitely be reading more. "
" I moved from Medieval England to pre-Caesarian Rome and there is a correlation. Great mystery with history. I have enjoyed this book (an author presented at a Mystery Book talk) greatly and hope to read more from this author. Dreary weather and an excellent book - life is good. "
" A promising start to a new series but I'll need to read more to discover if the characters grab me. "
" First in series of Gordianus the Finder mysteries. 80 BC in Rome. Sextus son charged with his murder. Good historical framework to interesting mystery. "
" This too was engaging in that romance novel, candy for the brain kind of way. It helps that I'm a Roman History nerd. I found some of the plot lines hard to believe, but considering the research and the amount of material taken from actual texts, it's great! "
" The first Gordianus mystery, Saylor has a penchant for giving the dirty streets of Ancient Rome the same treatment that Chandler did L.A. in the 40s. Great stuff! "
" Great mystery novel set in the times of ancient Rome. "
" This is the best of the ancient Rome detective stuff. If you haven't read it yet, then I am jeaoulos of you!! The best. "
" This book is well written. It has all of the intrigue and suspense found in any great mystery. The story began to drag a bit at the end. When you think the story is done, something new appears. Yet, it is worth the read. "
" This is the first in a series of novels about a man called Gordianus who is a 'FInder' in Ancient Rome. A Finder is really a sort of Private Investigator but the beauty of the books is in the detail of the lifestyles and history of Rome. "
" Whoo-hoo, excellent novel of ancient Rome, and start of a nice big series to work through, the "Roma Sub Rosa" series. Excellent discovery. For some reason I'd been assuming Steven Saylor was British, but turns out he's from Austin. "
" Pretty interesting historical fiction set in a murder mystery. Didn't know whether to give it 3 or 4 stars but I plan to read more of Saylor's books so I guess it deserves the 4 stars. "
" Okay - first - this was a great book. Not so much for the mystery, but rather because it let you walk through ancient Roman life. The author puts in details the bring Rome back to life, and it was an interesting and enjoyable book. I will continue on with the series. "
" Sherlock Holmes in Rome. I liked it! "
Steven Saylor is a freelance writer, editor, and the author of novels set in ancient Rome. He studied history at the University of Texas at Austin. Saylor’s writing has appeared in the Threepenny Review, San Francisco Bay Guardian, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, and the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. He lives in Berkeley, California, and Austin, Texas.
Scott Harrison is a graduate of the American Repertory Theater Institute in Massachusetts and founder of Ironweed Productions, a theater company in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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