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Marcus Corvinus #14
No Cause for Concern
‘I need a favour from you, Corvinus. Do what Occusia asks, and I’ll be very grateful. Very grateful indeed. Turn her down, or fudge things, and – watch my lips here, please – you’ll wish that you’d never been born. Your choice, absolutely no pressure. You understand?’
Four years down the line, and Sempronius Eutacticus is still the charming, good-natured organized-crime boss that he was when they last met. Now his stepson has gone missing, and he wants Corvinus to trace him. Not that it should be difficult, mind: there’s no cause for concern, because young Titus has simply run off to join his uncle’s acting troupe. Or that’s what everyone assumes, anyway.
Until, of course, he’s found murdered.
The thirteenth in the Marcus Corvinus series.
Four years down the line, and Sempronius Eutacticus is still the charming, good-natured organized-crime boss that he was when they last met. Now his stepson has gone missing, and he wants Corvinus to trace him. Not that it should be difficult, mind: there’s no cause for concern, because young Titus has simply run off to join his uncle’s acting troupe. Or that’s what everyone assumes, anyway.
Until, of course, he’s found murdered.
The thirteenth in the Marcus Corvinus series.
209 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2012
14 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
David Wishart
57 books95 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Historical crime writer David Wishart was born in Arbroath, Scotland. He studied Classics - Latin and Greek - at Edinburgh University and after graduation taught for four years in a secondary school.
He then retrained as a teacher of English as a Foreign Language and worked abroad for eleven years, in Kuwait, Greece and Saudi Arabia. He returned to Scotland in 1990 and now lives with his family in Carnoustie, mixing writing with teaching EFL and study skills at Dundee University.
Historical crime writer David Wishart was born in Arbroath, Scotland. He studied Classics - Latin and Greek - at Edinburgh University and after graduation taught for four years in a secondary school.
He then retrained as a teacher of English as a Foreign Language and worked abroad for eleven years, in Kuwait, Greece and Saudi Arabia. He returned to Scotland in 1990 and now lives with his family in Carnoustie, mixing writing with teaching EFL and study skills at Dundee University.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 9, 2022
Read this book in 2012, and its the 14th volume of the wonderful "Marcus Corvinus" mystery series.
In this mystery Marcus Corvinus is asked very nicely by Occusia, the boy's mother, and in terms of a crime boss in a more pressurized manner, to start for the search for the lady's and Sempronius Eutacticus's (step)son, called Titus.
What is supposed of what have happened to young Titus is that he has joined his uncle's acting troupe, but instead of that Titus's body is found, and dead as can be.
For Marcus Corvinus a difficult case to solve for he must enter the world of crime and murder, and in this deadly environment he must somehow find the culprit of this hideous deed.
What is to follow is a thrilling Roman mystery, in which Marcus Corvinus will encounter some dangerous moments himself, before he's able to solve this mystery to the satisfaction of the criminal boss, Sempronius Eutacticus.
Very much recommended, for this is another entertaining short mystery addition to this very likeable series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Very Enjoyable Corvinus Mystery"!
In this mystery Marcus Corvinus is asked very nicely by Occusia, the boy's mother, and in terms of a crime boss in a more pressurized manner, to start for the search for the lady's and Sempronius Eutacticus's (step)son, called Titus.
What is supposed of what have happened to young Titus is that he has joined his uncle's acting troupe, but instead of that Titus's body is found, and dead as can be.
For Marcus Corvinus a difficult case to solve for he must enter the world of crime and murder, and in this deadly environment he must somehow find the culprit of this hideous deed.
What is to follow is a thrilling Roman mystery, in which Marcus Corvinus will encounter some dangerous moments himself, before he's able to solve this mystery to the satisfaction of the criminal boss, Sempronius Eutacticus.
Very much recommended, for this is another entertaining short mystery addition to this very likeable series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Very Enjoyable Corvinus Mystery"!
July 14, 2015
Although I enjoyed this one and the Marcus Corvinus novels are plotted better and more tightly, some kind of je ne sais quoi or spark is missing from the the more recent ones. There didn't seem to be the same élan. Maybe it could be the modern slangy language [a trademark of this series] is getting to be overdone. In this one, I noticed the author kept using the same expressions over and over. I will keep on reading the series, though for the plots, and will fill in with earlier novels I've missed.
In this one, Marcus is ordered by the local organized crime boss, Eutacticus, to find his stepson, Titus, who has run away from home. If Marcus doesn't comply, he'll "wish he'd never been born", in Eutacticus' words. So Marcus sets out to find the lad who is supposedly with his uncle's acting troupe. It's not such an easy job; the lad turns up dead with his slave, in an out-of-the-way grotto in Euctacticus' garden. Three more victims turn up in the course of the novel: a crooked accountant; another slave; and a vicious 'heavy', Laughing George. With Marcus' dogged sleuthing and his wife Perilla's astute insights, the crime boss finally declares the case closed. There's one more knot to tie up and Marcus just can't let it go. There's an attempt on Marcus' life down on the waterfront in Ostia, where Marcus is checking out ships and cargoes as mentioned in the dodgy accountant's records. The humorous domestic crisis at Marcus' home involved the painting of an avant garde mural on Marcus' triclinium wall--not to Marcus' taste at all. The plot was excellent, and I enjoy the same recurring characters. Maybe I'm just tiring of the author's writing style.
In this one, Marcus is ordered by the local organized crime boss, Eutacticus, to find his stepson, Titus, who has run away from home. If Marcus doesn't comply, he'll "wish he'd never been born", in Eutacticus' words. So Marcus sets out to find the lad who is supposedly with his uncle's acting troupe. It's not such an easy job; the lad turns up dead with his slave, in an out-of-the-way grotto in Euctacticus' garden. Three more victims turn up in the course of the novel: a crooked accountant; another slave; and a vicious 'heavy', Laughing George. With Marcus' dogged sleuthing and his wife Perilla's astute insights, the crime boss finally declares the case closed. There's one more knot to tie up and Marcus just can't let it go. There's an attempt on Marcus' life down on the waterfront in Ostia, where Marcus is checking out ships and cargoes as mentioned in the dodgy accountant's records. The humorous domestic crisis at Marcus' home involved the painting of an avant garde mural on Marcus' triclinium wall--not to Marcus' taste at all. The plot was excellent, and I enjoy the same recurring characters. Maybe I'm just tiring of the author's writing style.
July 6, 2023
Another puzzler.
Only a short story this one but it lacks a lot into it. The organised crime boss Eutacticus has contacted Corvinus he has a job for him and he will not take no for an answer. His stepson has run away from home after a bad argument and he wants Corvinus to find him and bring him home. The young man didn't leave alone he took his personal slave with him. Corvinus doesn't have much to go on, a witness saw him at the door leaving but didn't see which way he went after that. Failure thought isn't an option when you're client.is a mob boss so.Corvinus needs to.come.up.with some idea of where to.look.........fast. The story also has.some.comic relief when Perilla commissions a new fresco for the dining room, much to Bathyyius disgust..........
Only a short story this one but it lacks a lot into it. The organised crime boss Eutacticus has contacted Corvinus he has a job for him and he will not take no for an answer. His stepson has run away from home after a bad argument and he wants Corvinus to find him and bring him home. The young man didn't leave alone he took his personal slave with him. Corvinus doesn't have much to go on, a witness saw him at the door leaving but didn't see which way he went after that. Failure thought isn't an option when you're client.is a mob boss so.Corvinus needs to.come.up.with some idea of where to.look.........fast. The story also has.some.comic relief when Perilla commissions a new fresco for the dining room, much to Bathyyius disgust..........
July 15, 2019
No Cause for Concern is a "simple" Corvinus mystery. This time he's asked (with his arm twisted) to look for a missing boy.
What to Expect
A short and quick and quick read, wth Corvinus regular charm. Though it starts with a young man that ran away (hence the title), don't worry -- the bodies soon pile up. It's got all the Corvinus essentials, from Roman life in first century CE to the engaging whodunit mystery. He gets his arm twisted by a leading gangster to help look for the missing boy, and we in return get a glimpse at Roman low-life and criminal joints.
This is book 14 of the series, and though it's not part of the "political" novels it helps if you know the existing characters.
What I liked
I love Corvinus. I'm going through the series in order, but I take breaks to read other books & genres. Coming back to Corvinus is like catching up with an old friend. By this stage he's well established, and Wishart keeps an excellent balance of humour and suspense, of Roman trivia and mystery writing.
Wishart breathes life into all his characters, and you can just see their realistic interactions. Corvinus in particular has a most unique voice that is a joy to read, though throughout the series Wishart uses a modern language to bring the characters to life. He's also using a time-honoured trope of representing the Roman patriarchy similar to British aristocracy. The result is a novel that reads as a cross between Sam Spade and Downton Abbey, on a backdrop of ancient Rome. It makes for very enjoyable experience for lovers of those genres - we're not reading in Latin, after all, so taking a purist view is in itself a untenable proposition.
What to be aware of
Though Wishart's prose is excellent, he avoids all Latin terms to the point where it's a bit much (like referring to a toga as a mantle, or to the Forum as Market Square). I find this a bit diluting the experience of Rome, which is a big factor to anyone reading Roman-era fiction.
Summary
This is a short and sweet volume in the series, a quick and entertaining read. If you like cosy mysteries and Roman-era detectives (e.g. by the likes of Lindsey Davis, Steven Saylor, and Ruth Downie), you really need to read the Corvinus series as well.
--
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
What to Expect
A short and quick and quick read, wth Corvinus regular charm. Though it starts with a young man that ran away (hence the title), don't worry -- the bodies soon pile up. It's got all the Corvinus essentials, from Roman life in first century CE to the engaging whodunit mystery. He gets his arm twisted by a leading gangster to help look for the missing boy, and we in return get a glimpse at Roman low-life and criminal joints.
This is book 14 of the series, and though it's not part of the "political" novels it helps if you know the existing characters.
What I liked
I love Corvinus. I'm going through the series in order, but I take breaks to read other books & genres. Coming back to Corvinus is like catching up with an old friend. By this stage he's well established, and Wishart keeps an excellent balance of humour and suspense, of Roman trivia and mystery writing.
Wishart breathes life into all his characters, and you can just see their realistic interactions. Corvinus in particular has a most unique voice that is a joy to read, though throughout the series Wishart uses a modern language to bring the characters to life. He's also using a time-honoured trope of representing the Roman patriarchy similar to British aristocracy. The result is a novel that reads as a cross between Sam Spade and Downton Abbey, on a backdrop of ancient Rome. It makes for very enjoyable experience for lovers of those genres - we're not reading in Latin, after all, so taking a purist view is in itself a untenable proposition.
What to be aware of
Though Wishart's prose is excellent, he avoids all Latin terms to the point where it's a bit much (like referring to a toga as a mantle, or to the Forum as Market Square). I find this a bit diluting the experience of Rome, which is a big factor to anyone reading Roman-era fiction.
Summary
This is a short and sweet volume in the series, a quick and entertaining read. If you like cosy mysteries and Roman-era detectives (e.g. by the likes of Lindsey Davis, Steven Saylor, and Ruth Downie), you really need to read the Corvinus series as well.
--
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
May 25, 2017
This was much shorter than the previous novels, but very enjoyable. Marcus is forced to enter into a working relationship with Eutacticus and I always enjoy reading about the mob. The story was straightforward and Marcus wisecracks his way through it just the way we know and love.
As an added little storyline (we know those from previous novels, e.g. the water clock) this time we have a modern painter who does murals in M.C. Escher style, much to Marcus' and Bathyllus' displeasure. Fantasy Architecturescape Seven - too funny!
As an added little storyline (we know those from previous novels, e.g. the water clock) this time we have a modern painter who does murals in M.C. Escher style, much to Marcus' and Bathyllus' displeasure. Fantasy Architecturescape Seven - too funny!
August 20, 2018
Shortee. Pleasant read. Corruption with a crime boss-but guess who did it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2019
This instalment of the Marcus Corvinus series was vastly different in length at just over 120 pages, compared to the monster of White Murder which was over 600 pages long. Nevertheless I enjoyed No Cause for Corcern just as much as White Murder (my first Marcus Corvinus book) if not more. Wishart crams a very suspenseful and complex mystery into this short book. Quite a few of the characters from White Murder made a welcome return.
The author wonderfully combines the mystery with his trademark humour. A personal highlight was Bathyllus’s personal vendetta against the mural painter and his determination to stop him from defacing his walls with his modern work.
Highly recommended for Roman mystery fans.
The author wonderfully combines the mystery with his trademark humour. A personal highlight was Bathyllus’s personal vendetta against the mural painter and his determination to stop him from defacing his walls with his modern work.
Highly recommended for Roman mystery fans.
January 30, 2013
This is a nicely, tightly-written mystery that moves smoothly to its resolution.
Some of the character: Corvinus, a member of the Watch, although in this tale he basically investigates on behalf of Eutacticus rather shady "racketeer" type; Perilla, Corvinus' rather elegant wife, related to a poet; Sempronia, daughter of the aforementioned racketeer; Satrius, the muscle for Eutactcius; Astrapton, account for Eutacticus.
Corvinus finds himself having to search for the stepson of Eutacticus, who has apparently run away. As he investigates, he uncovers embezzlement and other deceptions, as well as murder. I must say I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome of the entire mystery. The characters were nicely developed and interesting.
Corvinus however would have been at home in a Mickey Spillane or Dashiel Hammet story. He spoke in colloquial 21st century, at times, and would not have been out of place as Sam Spade.
There was also not much of a real feeling of this being a Roman story. With some minor adjustments the same story could have been told in any other time or place.
It was still a pleasant read.
Some of the character: Corvinus, a member of the Watch, although in this tale he basically investigates on behalf of Eutacticus rather shady "racketeer" type; Perilla, Corvinus' rather elegant wife, related to a poet; Sempronia, daughter of the aforementioned racketeer; Satrius, the muscle for Eutactcius; Astrapton, account for Eutacticus.
Corvinus finds himself having to search for the stepson of Eutacticus, who has apparently run away. As he investigates, he uncovers embezzlement and other deceptions, as well as murder. I must say I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome of the entire mystery. The characters were nicely developed and interesting.
Corvinus however would have been at home in a Mickey Spillane or Dashiel Hammet story. He spoke in colloquial 21st century, at times, and would not have been out of place as Sam Spade.
There was also not much of a real feeling of this being a Roman story. With some minor adjustments the same story could have been told in any other time or place.
It was still a pleasant read.
August 16, 2013
Another book in Wishart's ancient Rome series and apparently self-published.
I believe he must have left his publisher of long running, published this book on his own, and now has been picked up by a different publisher. (His very latest book out - the book following this one - is issued by a new publisher.)
This book is generally good, but a mid-quality Corvinus tale. Wishart's novels are usually more detailed, far longer and have many more scenes. This one approaches a long novella.
My biggest complaint is the confusion I had in keeping the characters separated. Perhaps, their names were often too similar or my mind simply wandered while reading this particular story.
Well, on to the new book in a month or two.
I believe he must have left his publisher of long running, published this book on his own, and now has been picked up by a different publisher. (His very latest book out - the book following this one - is issued by a new publisher.)
This book is generally good, but a mid-quality Corvinus tale. Wishart's novels are usually more detailed, far longer and have many more scenes. This one approaches a long novella.
My biggest complaint is the confusion I had in keeping the characters separated. Perhaps, their names were often too similar or my mind simply wandered while reading this particular story.
Well, on to the new book in a month or two.
July 4, 2015
The crime lord from the racing book is back and needs a favor. His stepson is missing and his wife wants him found. Sounds simple until his body shows up. Then come the rest of the bodies and nasty double dealings. Lots of old friends turn up. Much shorter and less detailed than earlier entries.
Read
September 16, 2012 A Roman Mickey Spilane. Love this series.
February 14, 2013
Not perhaps the best in the series - and the production standard was a bit low - but still, an enjoyable read.
April 16, 2016
funnier, less political, & less complicated than the previous.
January 26, 2018
Wishart up to his usual standard. Only complaint: a bit on the short side.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews