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Pompeii #1
Pompeii: A Tale of Murder in Ancient Rome
History awaits an unsuspecting young man, fleeing the imperial capital and Nero's wrath. Arriving in Pompeii, Marcellus witnesses the funeral of a local man; in an instant the course of his life will be altered by this stranger’s death. Unable to stop the murder of a mysterious woman named Helen, Marcellus becomes the caretaker of the dead woman's newborn baby. Hiding in plain sight at a brothel, Marcellus is left to decipher Helen's secrets. With the help of his overbearing servant and a seductive oracle, Marcellus must deduce who in Pompeii has blood on their hands. Helen's killer appears to be his greatest threat. Little does he know what cataclysm the Mighty Jove has designed. If Marcellus can survive the city's disaster, he just might expose a murderer and stay alive.
399 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 18, 2012
33 people are currently reading
195 people want to read
About the author
Robert Colton
27 books38 followers I became interested in Roman history at a very young age. While always reading or writing, I didn’t know that my true passion would be the invention of my trio of fictional characters attempting to make their way in Pompeii, until I was reading "The Robe" by Lloyd C. Douglas. I am a fan of the happily ever after conclusions,and "The Robe" did not offer that.
I put my other unending writing projects down and started typing the tale of a young noble Roman who was a bit less noble than Douglas’s hero. After years of research on Pompeii and the details of Rome that would have influenced a likeable, and unfortunate young man, an entire world came together for me. "Pompeii: A Tale of Murder in Ancient Rome" is just the beginning.
A fan of autumn and a lover of animals, I am always reading something that takes me back to the glory days of Rome. I stumble through the day, quoting Cicero and daydreaming about a time long gone, but not forgotten.
I put my other unending writing projects down and started typing the tale of a young noble Roman who was a bit less noble than Douglas’s hero. After years of research on Pompeii and the details of Rome that would have influenced a likeable, and unfortunate young man, an entire world came together for me. "Pompeii: A Tale of Murder in Ancient Rome" is just the beginning.
A fan of autumn and a lover of animals, I am always reading something that takes me back to the glory days of Rome. I stumble through the day, quoting Cicero and daydreaming about a time long gone, but not forgotten.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 30, 2016
Horrible! Avoid! I bailed after about 25%. And I usually really like novels set in ancient Rome.
September 6, 2025
Pompeii: A Tale of Murder in Ancient Rome is a very character driven historical fiction beginning shortly before the earthquakes in Ancient Pompeii. The characters, especially Tay, were so interesting you had to read the rest of the book if for no other reason than to learn more about Tay and Marcellus and see what they'd do next.
The author seemed to have anticipated my difficulty keeping the many characters' Roman names straight, as he included a very helpful list of characters in the front of the book. The murders were told in minimally necessary detail and were not gory, which I appreciated. (Also, without forensic science available, it made a lot of sense to include certain details and leave out others.)
I loved learning about how people may have lived in Ancient Rome and Pompeii, and it was evident that the author did his homework before writing about the people, events, and culture. I especially enjoyed learning about how the Egyptian, Greek and Roman cultures may have mixed.
I look forward to reading the next book in Marcellus and Tay's adventures and eventually learning how Marcellus becomes the Marcellus of his letters.
The author seemed to have anticipated my difficulty keeping the many characters' Roman names straight, as he included a very helpful list of characters in the front of the book. The murders were told in minimally necessary detail and were not gory, which I appreciated. (Also, without forensic science available, it made a lot of sense to include certain details and leave out others.)
I loved learning about how people may have lived in Ancient Rome and Pompeii, and it was evident that the author did his homework before writing about the people, events, and culture. I especially enjoyed learning about how the Egyptian, Greek and Roman cultures may have mixed.
I look forward to reading the next book in Marcellus and Tay's adventures and eventually learning how Marcellus becomes the Marcellus of his letters.
February 22, 2013
A thoroughly enjoyable book that kept my interest from start to finish. It was well written and although there were a few minor proof reading errors, these weren't numerous enough to spoil my enjoyment.
As the synopsis states, the book tells the story of the hapless Marcellus and his stay in Pompeii. He was a very young nobleman returning to Rome after time spent on his education in Alexandria. Typically ruled by his hormones, he thinks of not much more than who he can seduce next, and Tay his Egyptian slave is left to organise his existence and keep him from trouble. Tay is overbearing, but frankly Marcellus could not survive without him and although Marcellus is the narrator and nominal main character of this book, it is Tay who I found to be the hero of the tale. At the end of the book, I was left wondering more about Tay's life than Marcellus's and can't help but feel there are loads more adventures in store for such a resourceful character.
As the synopsis states, the book tells the story of the hapless Marcellus and his stay in Pompeii. He was a very young nobleman returning to Rome after time spent on his education in Alexandria. Typically ruled by his hormones, he thinks of not much more than who he can seduce next, and Tay his Egyptian slave is left to organise his existence and keep him from trouble. Tay is overbearing, but frankly Marcellus could not survive without him and although Marcellus is the narrator and nominal main character of this book, it is Tay who I found to be the hero of the tale. At the end of the book, I was left wondering more about Tay's life than Marcellus's and can't help but feel there are loads more adventures in store for such a resourceful character.
September 14, 2016
Not a perfect book covering events around 63 AD including devastation of quake in Pompeii...but the characters were colorful enough to motivate me to read to the end despite excess of detail and subplots. This book could have been a lot shorter and thus more enjoyable. It was available through the Kindle Unlimited program on Amazon and lately I have been trying to maximize my investment in that program, trying out books and authors I have not heard of previously. I will likely try another from this author since I have preference for historical fiction.
March 23, 2013
What the heck is up with all the italics? Really I get Colton was trying to emphasize certain things but goodness gracious over and over it got very annoying. I also found the cowardice of the the main character akin to Meyer's Bella and her lack of grace. How many times did it need to be punctuated? Long winded at times, I still overall enjoyed the story. It was a good intrigue and I enjoyed Colton's prose.
September 18, 2014
A little over-twisty, but good setting.
For a futher review: http://susannag.booklikes.com/post/60... .
For a futher review: http://susannag.booklikes.com/post/60... .
July 30, 2018
I really enjoyed this little historical fiction mystery. Colton did a wonderful job creating unique charters that have entertaining relationships. The story was told in a series of letters from the protagonist to a friend, years after the incident occurred; this added to the story as introductions and explanations as if a real conversation was taking place. This story telling structure was something I hadn't seen but really felt it contributed to the overall feel of the tale.
Marcellus and his slave, Tay, are returning to Rome from Egypt in the anticipation that Marcellus' father has died. Marcellus and Tay stop in Pompeii and become involved in the suspected murder of a city politician by his slave, Marcus. When Marcellus and Tay return to Rome, they find Marcellus' "old man" alive however during an argument the "old man" has an accident that results in his death. Marcellus is accused of murder with Marcus being the only witness to Marcellus' innocence.
Marcellus and Tay are now on the run. The relationship between Marcellus and Tay is the best part of the story. Although Tay is a slave, it is clear he is in charge in of the pair. Whilst on the run, Tay and Marcellus switch place to avoid suspicion. With Tay playing the part of a Roman noble and Marcellus his mute slave, the relationship becomes even more hilarious. The interactions between Marcellus and Tay are the highlights that keep conversations from becoming a dull recitation of facts relating to the mysteries of the crimes they are involved in.
Marcellus and Tay, as fugitives become owners of a brothel and must deal with the calamities of the business as well as searching for answers to the murder of the politician and the myriad of questions revolving around the lives of the citizens of Pompeii.
Although this first novel only hints at the notorious down fall of Pompeii, the reader can feel catastrophe coming. I'm not familiar with the timeline of the Vesuvius disaster, I did like the accuracy of conversation and setting. I felt that the tale was accurate to Ancient Roman culture. I would recommend this novel to anyone that likes a good historical fiction and while this is a murder myster, it is more of a comedy than suspense, but incredibly enjoyable.
Marcellus and his slave, Tay, are returning to Rome from Egypt in the anticipation that Marcellus' father has died. Marcellus and Tay stop in Pompeii and become involved in the suspected murder of a city politician by his slave, Marcus. When Marcellus and Tay return to Rome, they find Marcellus' "old man" alive however during an argument the "old man" has an accident that results in his death. Marcellus is accused of murder with Marcus being the only witness to Marcellus' innocence.
Marcellus and Tay are now on the run. The relationship between Marcellus and Tay is the best part of the story. Although Tay is a slave, it is clear he is in charge in of the pair. Whilst on the run, Tay and Marcellus switch place to avoid suspicion. With Tay playing the part of a Roman noble and Marcellus his mute slave, the relationship becomes even more hilarious. The interactions between Marcellus and Tay are the highlights that keep conversations from becoming a dull recitation of facts relating to the mysteries of the crimes they are involved in.
Marcellus and Tay, as fugitives become owners of a brothel and must deal with the calamities of the business as well as searching for answers to the murder of the politician and the myriad of questions revolving around the lives of the citizens of Pompeii.
Although this first novel only hints at the notorious down fall of Pompeii, the reader can feel catastrophe coming. I'm not familiar with the timeline of the Vesuvius disaster, I did like the accuracy of conversation and setting. I felt that the tale was accurate to Ancient Roman culture. I would recommend this novel to anyone that likes a good historical fiction and while this is a murder myster, it is more of a comedy than suspense, but incredibly enjoyable.
February 23, 2014
An ice storm and four day power outage gave me the opportunity to finally read a Kindle version of this book by new author, Robert Colton.
A fictional 19-year-old protagonist named Marcellus Sempronius Gracchus (yes, a descendant of the famous Gracchi brothers) and his Egyptian slave, Tay, are touring Roman sites around the Mediterranean before Marcellus reports for military duty in Syria when Marcellus receives a letter from his uncle that his father is dying in Rome. The uncle provides all of the transportation arrangements for Marcellus to return home so Marcellus and Tay board a ship to return them to the Roman mainland. It is late in the sailing season and a difficult passage results in the ship needing to stop for supplies in Pompeii. There, Marcellus witnesses a funeral procession for a local magistrate that catches his attention. His interest is piqued still further when a trip to the baths yields gossip that the magistrate was probably murdered. But Marcellus cannot linger to learn anything more.
When Marcellus and Tay resume their journey, they find that an elderly freedman named Darvus, who has boarded their ship, carries a letter from the widow they had witnessed in the funeral procession to a woman named Helen in Rome. But the obviously ill old man dies before they reach their destination. Before dying, however, Darvus asks Marcellus to deliver the letter for him and this task serves as the event that will launch Marcellus and Tay on an investigation that will be the basis of the plot for the rest of the novel.
Colton does a good job of recreating the ancient world, fleshing out his characters and writing dialogue. But as you read the backstory of his protagonist, Marcellus, you discover he is a rather feckless young man who has very little ambition and has spent much of his time since donning his toga virilus chasing married women and drinking himself insensible. His slave companion, Tay, in contrast, is far more astute in the ways of business and social relationships and experienced in physical combat. Where Marcellus is an outright coward, Tay faces threats with a clear head and, if need be, a swift, lethal response, making Tay the more dynamic character. But Tay is not framed as the main character, creating a problem with balance in the narrative.
When the pair arrive in Rome, Marcellus is surprised to find his hateful father still alive and we learn that father and son have had a contentious relationship for most of Marcellus' life. When Marcellus mistakenly sends the secretive Helen the wrong letter from the stack in his father's office, Helen storms into Marcellus' home during the morning salutatio and confronts Marcellus in front of his father, who promptly suffers a fatal heart attack. His father's old clients waiting in the atrium rush in and see blood all over the floor and will not believe Marcellus' father merely struck his head on the corner of his desk when he fell. Helen, not wishing to become involved with imperial prosecutors, rushes away and Marcellus, without a corroborating witness is wrongly accused of patricide. So, Marcellus and Tay must flee Rome to escape retribution from the unstable emperor, Nero.
As the pair gallop back toward Pompeii, slave and patrician reverse roles as a disguise in an attempt to elude authorities . This plot twist, however, further exacerbates the character imbalance between the protagonist and his slave companion as Tay is now dressed as a wealthy Roman merchant and Marcellus is following along in the role of a mute valet.
On the road to Pompeii, Marcellus and Tay cross paths once more with Helen who has left Rome to return to Pompeii as instructed by the mysterious letter. Marcellus is desperate for Helen to bear witness to the actual events leading up to his father's death to clear him. But the heavily pregnant Helen is already engaged in a secret mission for the widow Fabia in Pompeii and tells Marcellus his favor must wait until she fulfills her other obligations.
But Helen meets a grisly end before she can bear witness for Marcellus. So Marcellus and Tay must find Helen's companion, Marcus, who has also disappeared, to act as witness.
Once back in Pompeii, Tay, now a Roman businessman named Octavius Regulus with a mute valet named Demetrius (the former Marcellus), plans is to embed himself in Pompeii society so he and Marcellus will not be viewed as suspicious as they investigate people who might know where Marcus may be hiding. Tay begins by entering into a business relationship with a pretentious brothel owner named Popidius. (Marcellus has sent a secret letter to his wealthy friend Petronius requesting financial help and Petronius has responded with the delivery of a heavily laden strongbox. So, money is the least of their worries at this point.)
But, the devastating earthquake of 62 CE (some sources claim 63 CE) strikes Pompeii and Regulus and Demetrius are left with a brothel full of alluring women and murder suspects lurking behind toppled columns and collapsed buildings.
I thought Colton did a particularly good job of describing the aftermath of the earthquake and the rescues and rebuilding efforts of Pompeii's citizens. He also describes the activities of the brothel and religious activities of the period quite well, too.
But a weak protagonist who simply allows himself to be propelled by events rather than driving the plot is a fatal flaw in the narrative and diminishes the story's overall impact.
Although the murder mystery is ultimately resolved, I found it disconcerting that Marcellus was never vindicated for the death of his father and never can be under the parameters established by the author (which I found unconvincing in the first place). So, I'm afraid the ending left me unsatisfied. But I admire the obvious research and hard work that went into this first effort.
A fictional 19-year-old protagonist named Marcellus Sempronius Gracchus (yes, a descendant of the famous Gracchi brothers) and his Egyptian slave, Tay, are touring Roman sites around the Mediterranean before Marcellus reports for military duty in Syria when Marcellus receives a letter from his uncle that his father is dying in Rome. The uncle provides all of the transportation arrangements for Marcellus to return home so Marcellus and Tay board a ship to return them to the Roman mainland. It is late in the sailing season and a difficult passage results in the ship needing to stop for supplies in Pompeii. There, Marcellus witnesses a funeral procession for a local magistrate that catches his attention. His interest is piqued still further when a trip to the baths yields gossip that the magistrate was probably murdered. But Marcellus cannot linger to learn anything more.
When Marcellus and Tay resume their journey, they find that an elderly freedman named Darvus, who has boarded their ship, carries a letter from the widow they had witnessed in the funeral procession to a woman named Helen in Rome. But the obviously ill old man dies before they reach their destination. Before dying, however, Darvus asks Marcellus to deliver the letter for him and this task serves as the event that will launch Marcellus and Tay on an investigation that will be the basis of the plot for the rest of the novel.
Colton does a good job of recreating the ancient world, fleshing out his characters and writing dialogue. But as you read the backstory of his protagonist, Marcellus, you discover he is a rather feckless young man who has very little ambition and has spent much of his time since donning his toga virilus chasing married women and drinking himself insensible. His slave companion, Tay, in contrast, is far more astute in the ways of business and social relationships and experienced in physical combat. Where Marcellus is an outright coward, Tay faces threats with a clear head and, if need be, a swift, lethal response, making Tay the more dynamic character. But Tay is not framed as the main character, creating a problem with balance in the narrative.
When the pair arrive in Rome, Marcellus is surprised to find his hateful father still alive and we learn that father and son have had a contentious relationship for most of Marcellus' life. When Marcellus mistakenly sends the secretive Helen the wrong letter from the stack in his father's office, Helen storms into Marcellus' home during the morning salutatio and confronts Marcellus in front of his father, who promptly suffers a fatal heart attack. His father's old clients waiting in the atrium rush in and see blood all over the floor and will not believe Marcellus' father merely struck his head on the corner of his desk when he fell. Helen, not wishing to become involved with imperial prosecutors, rushes away and Marcellus, without a corroborating witness is wrongly accused of patricide. So, Marcellus and Tay must flee Rome to escape retribution from the unstable emperor, Nero.
As the pair gallop back toward Pompeii, slave and patrician reverse roles as a disguise in an attempt to elude authorities . This plot twist, however, further exacerbates the character imbalance between the protagonist and his slave companion as Tay is now dressed as a wealthy Roman merchant and Marcellus is following along in the role of a mute valet.
On the road to Pompeii, Marcellus and Tay cross paths once more with Helen who has left Rome to return to Pompeii as instructed by the mysterious letter. Marcellus is desperate for Helen to bear witness to the actual events leading up to his father's death to clear him. But the heavily pregnant Helen is already engaged in a secret mission for the widow Fabia in Pompeii and tells Marcellus his favor must wait until she fulfills her other obligations.
But Helen meets a grisly end before she can bear witness for Marcellus. So Marcellus and Tay must find Helen's companion, Marcus, who has also disappeared, to act as witness.
Once back in Pompeii, Tay, now a Roman businessman named Octavius Regulus with a mute valet named Demetrius (the former Marcellus), plans is to embed himself in Pompeii society so he and Marcellus will not be viewed as suspicious as they investigate people who might know where Marcus may be hiding. Tay begins by entering into a business relationship with a pretentious brothel owner named Popidius. (Marcellus has sent a secret letter to his wealthy friend Petronius requesting financial help and Petronius has responded with the delivery of a heavily laden strongbox. So, money is the least of their worries at this point.)
But, the devastating earthquake of 62 CE (some sources claim 63 CE) strikes Pompeii and Regulus and Demetrius are left with a brothel full of alluring women and murder suspects lurking behind toppled columns and collapsed buildings.
I thought Colton did a particularly good job of describing the aftermath of the earthquake and the rescues and rebuilding efforts of Pompeii's citizens. He also describes the activities of the brothel and religious activities of the period quite well, too.
But a weak protagonist who simply allows himself to be propelled by events rather than driving the plot is a fatal flaw in the narrative and diminishes the story's overall impact.
Although the murder mystery is ultimately resolved, I found it disconcerting that Marcellus was never vindicated for the death of his father and never can be under the parameters established by the author (which I found unconvincing in the first place). So, I'm afraid the ending left me unsatisfied. But I admire the obvious research and hard work that went into this first effort.
January 29, 2020
A murder mystery? Who cares!
The real interest lays in the likable characters, the topsy turvy circumstances in which they come to live (master turning slave and slave master) and finally in the vivid description of a Pompeii brought low and chaotic by a devastating earthquake.
It’s both fun and exciting and you read on because you actually want to know how it all transpires:
Will the pampered Marcellus mature?
Will the enigmatic Tay pull it off, masquerading as an up and coming patrician?
And will they continue to escape the law? And what about managing a whorehouse? And...
It all caught my attention for sure!
The real interest lays in the likable characters, the topsy turvy circumstances in which they come to live (master turning slave and slave master) and finally in the vivid description of a Pompeii brought low and chaotic by a devastating earthquake.
It’s both fun and exciting and you read on because you actually want to know how it all transpires:
Will the pampered Marcellus mature?
Will the enigmatic Tay pull it off, masquerading as an up and coming patrician?
And will they continue to escape the law? And what about managing a whorehouse? And...
It all caught my attention for sure!
September 28, 2014
First in a mystery series involving Marcellus, member of an established and well connect Roman noble family, and his slave Tay during the reign of Nero. Marcellus returns from 4 years in Alexandra because of his father's illness only to discover his father his fine upon his return to Rome. During an argument with his father, his father dies of a heart attack while the father's patrons accuse Marcellus of murdering his father. Marcellus and Tay flee to Pompeii and establish themselves there with Tay posing as the Roman citizen and Marcellus his mute slave in order to hide their true identities. Both are 19 years old, however, Tay is much more mature and responsible than Marcellus who is both immature as well as talks too much. They become involved in the murder of a woman and seek to discover what happened to her as well as other Pompeii intrigues when an earthquake destroys a portion of the city.
Basic mystery is good along with good local color information and humor. The story can be a pain at times because of the behavior of Marcellus. The story is told by Macellus years later through a series of letters to an unidentified person.
Basic mystery is good along with good local color information and humor. The story can be a pain at times because of the behavior of Marcellus. The story is told by Macellus years later through a series of letters to an unidentified person.
December 28, 2016
Young Marcellus returns to Rome thinking that his father has died, but the old man is still alive. At least until he hits his head during a tirade at Marcellus. The old man's hangers-on think the son killed him, so he flees to Pompeii with his Egyptian slave Tay. In order to remain hidden, Tay and Marcellus trade places; Tay is a much better actor than Marcellus so he tells everyone they meet that his slave is mute. The only people who can testify that Marcellus didn't kill his father are killed also and Marcellus and Tay are left with the new-born baby of one of the victims. It's a pretty complicated story, but it works out in the end. I was expecting the eruption of Vesuvius to play a part, as it always seems to in any novel set in Pompeii, but the story takes place in 62 CE during a large earthquake. There are a good many typos and misspellings, but they only distract slightly from the story.
July 12, 2016
Having read the prequel to this book (a book of short stories) I was looking forward to reading this book, I liked the book but I found that Marcellus' family history was a bit confusing, the plot moved along nicely although Marcellus seems to have dumbed down a bit and is much more enthralled by Tay. I wonder would any Roman Patrician really allow a slave to treat him that way even if it was for his own good?
Was the solution to the baby problem a bit obvious or was it because they were men that they would not think of it? The attempted murder problem was simple in its conclusion which could be overlooked easily.
I am currently reading the second book in the series......
Was the solution to the baby problem a bit obvious or was it because they were men that they would not think of it? The attempted murder problem was simple in its conclusion which could be overlooked easily.
I am currently reading the second book in the series......
July 8, 2014
While I read a lot of historical fiction, I generally don't go much further back than the Tudor era. Pompeii, set in the city of the same name, obviously takes place rather a lot further back in circa 63 AD.
An enjoyable read with a decent mystery, I did feel at times that it was overwrought. I also questioned the practicality/plausibility of the ruse that Tay and Marcello put into the place, which was distracting. Minor quibbles aside, the characters were well developed and the red herrings were well done. This is the first in a series and I've already borrowed the second.
An enjoyable read with a decent mystery, I did feel at times that it was overwrought. I also questioned the practicality/plausibility of the ruse that Tay and Marcello put into the place, which was distracting. Minor quibbles aside, the characters were well developed and the red herrings were well done. This is the first in a series and I've already borrowed the second.
May 17, 2021
I read this book although I was tempted to quit almost every day. It was the most horribly written book I’ve ever read. Where was the editor?!? The number of misspellings, grammar mistakes, punctuation errors, and just plain incomprehensibity was mind boggling! I felt like the author had dictated the book to an illiterate moron, but I couldn’t help thinking that he was the illiterate moron. The only reason I kept reading is that I wanted to know what happened, but I’m not sure that the pain of reading this piece of crap was worth it.
September 23, 2015
Finally read the first book- many an "Ahah" moment.
I really liked this book. I enjoyed the others but came in at the middle, so I was a little confused. This book explained alot of things and posed even more questions: who is Tay, really? Surely not the slave, but an imposter of an imposter!? I shudder with the thought that in a few short years all these adventures will be terminated in Vesuvius' wrath. That is the mark of a good book:you feel for the characters.
I really liked this book. I enjoyed the others but came in at the middle, so I was a little confused. This book explained alot of things and posed even more questions: who is Tay, really? Surely not the slave, but an imposter of an imposter!? I shudder with the thought that in a few short years all these adventures will be terminated in Vesuvius' wrath. That is the mark of a good book:you feel for the characters.
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October 10, 2012Great book! Well organized with factual events. Can't wait to read more by this author!
July 10, 2013
Good but not great. I had some trouble following the characters and plot twists. A bit too convoluted for my taste... Or perhaps not well laid out. Couldn't be me... :-)
June 27, 2013
enjoyed it right till the end, then disappointment.
November 5, 2013
I very much enjoyed this murder mystery set in pre-Apocolyptic Pompeii. It is fast paced and charming.
December 26, 2013
Great murder mystery. A little difficult to keep all the characters straight. Enjoyed the history lesson!
March 23, 2014
An interesting read with a descriptive setting. A perfect travel book if you are lucky enough to visit the ruins of the city as well, or even if you want to feel like you are.
June 29, 2017
I picked up this gem as a limited offer freebie on Amazon and I really have been impressed! The author earned every one of the 5 star reviews he's received thus far. Apart from one or two very minor editing errors/typos, this book is perfect.
The plotting and dialogue are very well written. This book caught my eye because of the similarity to the time period and subject matter of the Marcus Didius Falco mysteries by Lindsay Davis. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that it compares quite favourably and is perfectly capable of standing on its own merits.
The author can certainly write and I for one hope that we don't have to wait long for his next work.
The plotting and dialogue are very well written. This book caught my eye because of the similarity to the time period and subject matter of the Marcus Didius Falco mysteries by Lindsay Davis. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that it compares quite favourably and is perfectly capable of standing on its own merits.
The author can certainly write and I for one hope that we don't have to wait long for his next work.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews