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Judge Marcus Flavius Severus Mystery #1
Mars the Avenger
"Mars the Avenger" is an historical mystery set in the year 158 CE, during the reign of Antoninus Pius, a period often called the height of the Roman Empire. It is also a daily life in ancient Rome and a sojourn into the world of Roman life, criminal law, police and courts.
Marcus Flavius Severus, a judge in the court of the Prefect of the City of Rome, investigates the disappearance of a senator's wife and the finding of the body of a murdered man thrown on the steps of the Temple of Mars the Avenger. As the investigation unfolds, the two cases become connected to a love affair seventeen years before in the Roman orient.
The investigation leads Judge Severus and his court and police aids through the City and the society of ancient Rome, into a slave market, wealthy villas, taverns, tenement apartment houses and the Circus Maximus. There are also scenes in Roman courts and the book is accurate as to the criminal laws of the time, including the use of judicial torture. All laws, rescripts and legal procedures are from Roman law sources.
The novel also introduces a perspicacious new detective in the person of Roman judge Marcus Flavius Severus.
Marcus Flavius Severus, a judge in the court of the Prefect of the City of Rome, investigates the disappearance of a senator's wife and the finding of the body of a murdered man thrown on the steps of the Temple of Mars the Avenger. As the investigation unfolds, the two cases become connected to a love affair seventeen years before in the Roman orient.
The investigation leads Judge Severus and his court and police aids through the City and the society of ancient Rome, into a slave market, wealthy villas, taverns, tenement apartment houses and the Circus Maximus. There are also scenes in Roman courts and the book is accurate as to the criminal laws of the time, including the use of judicial torture. All laws, rescripts and legal procedures are from Roman law sources.
The novel also introduces a perspicacious new detective in the person of Roman judge Marcus Flavius Severus.
231 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 24, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
March 4, 2023
Quite interesting. A Roman inspector Morse.
It's around 170 ce and Rome is enjoying a time of prosperity. Judge Severus is that most unusual of beings "a contented man" he has a loving wife and two healthy children, a wealthy home and a prestigious job. He is also surrounded by employees and slaves whom he likes and respects. All this comes through quite obviously In the books, even though Rome at this time was a violent and debauched place Judge Severus seems to exist in an oasis of calm. That calm is broken one day when he is given the task of investigating the disappearance of a former senators wife. Before his investigation has fully commenced there's another crime, a body is dumped on the steps of the temple of Mars. Severus suspicious the two events may be related petitions to investigate both cases as one. What follows is a glimpse behind the curtain of what life is really like for the underprivileged in Roman society. It's not a pretty picture................... Now while Lindsay Davis does ancient Rome much more in depth and with a lot more detail than this author this book is not without its charm. Compare it to a cosy mystery book rather than a gritty violent crime novel, that's how it comes off to me the emphasis is more on the characters and their relationships with each other and those they come into contact with. I enjoyed it i see books like these as a palate cleanser something light you don't have to think too hard about although the ending is quite tragic..............
It's around 170 ce and Rome is enjoying a time of prosperity. Judge Severus is that most unusual of beings "a contented man" he has a loving wife and two healthy children, a wealthy home and a prestigious job. He is also surrounded by employees and slaves whom he likes and respects. All this comes through quite obviously In the books, even though Rome at this time was a violent and debauched place Judge Severus seems to exist in an oasis of calm. That calm is broken one day when he is given the task of investigating the disappearance of a former senators wife. Before his investigation has fully commenced there's another crime, a body is dumped on the steps of the temple of Mars. Severus suspicious the two events may be related petitions to investigate both cases as one. What follows is a glimpse behind the curtain of what life is really like for the underprivileged in Roman society. It's not a pretty picture................... Now while Lindsay Davis does ancient Rome much more in depth and with a lot more detail than this author this book is not without its charm. Compare it to a cosy mystery book rather than a gritty violent crime novel, that's how it comes off to me the emphasis is more on the characters and their relationships with each other and those they come into contact with. I enjoyed it i see books like these as a palate cleanser something light you don't have to think too hard about although the ending is quite tragic..............
December 11, 2019
This is a very accurate Roman mystery with a believable protagonist. Not some informer or rich dilettante detective, Severus is a Roman judge tasked with solving a crime by the urban prefect. Such things must have happened with great regularity, although not necessarily in this way. The functioning of the Roman legal system is probably the most interesting part of this book. Formal Roman justice is not something we often witness outside the grand public trials of the Republic, and it makes for an interestingly new angle. Some parts seemed very questionable. I doubt in the strongest terms that they had official police artists. For the most part though, the book sticks to the facts and includes frequent references to imperial laws and judicial torture.
If I don’t rank the book higher it’s because the character work needs... work. I know nothing more about Marcus Severus leaving than I did going in. Who is he? What is his sense of justice? What is his relationship to his children? These questions and more get no real answer. Other characters are a little better developed. Severus’ two assistants, Straton the ex-slave and Vulso the brutal former centurion, at least have distinct personalities and skills. But at the end of the day we don’t know much about them either. And we never really feel for them or get involved in their stories. Also, the book is short and the ending intentionally unsatisfying. Unsatisfying and morally ambiguous endings are great, but you really need to justify them thematically. This one never landed at full force.
If I don’t rank the book higher it’s because the character work needs... work. I know nothing more about Marcus Severus leaving than I did going in. Who is he? What is his sense of justice? What is his relationship to his children? These questions and more get no real answer. Other characters are a little better developed. Severus’ two assistants, Straton the ex-slave and Vulso the brutal former centurion, at least have distinct personalities and skills. But at the end of the day we don’t know much about them either. And we never really feel for them or get involved in their stories. Also, the book is short and the ending intentionally unsatisfying. Unsatisfying and morally ambiguous endings are great, but you really need to justify them thematically. This one never landed at full force.
June 7, 2019
Interesting novel with this "detective", a judge in the Roman court system, aided by his support staff and two officers of the court, a centurion and a tesserarius. The wife of a senator disappears and a man's dead body is discovered on the steps of the temple to Mars the Avenger. The judge, Marcus Flavius Severus, is tasked with solving the mystery by the Urban Prefect. As the novel progresses it grows more and more complicated, stretching from the senator's villa to the slums of the Subura. An amulet with a strange engraving of a queen and a fisherman and a wax tablet with the same drawing tie the senator's wife and the dead man together. Judge Severus sends his staff on legwork, and we learn a lot about Roman law of that period--that of Antoninus Pius in the 2nd century A.D.. Severus does face a moral dilemma when it comes to naming the culprit or culprits and is torn between two possible solutions. In several places in the novel he sets down his reflections: "To Himself", anticipating Marcus Aurelius' MEDITATIONS by a few years. :) We also see his domestic life and family.
This was a promising beginning to a new series [to me, at least]. I learned a lot about the law and court system; the author is a former Assistant District Attorney in NY County and criminal lawyer with a keen interest in ancient Rome. So I imagine that is pretty accurate. In the last few pages though, Severus mentions he got an award from the emperor: "The Privileges of the Father of Three Children"; there was no mention of a third child or even a pregnancy and childbirth; in this book he and his wife only had a son and a daughter. Did I miss something? I couldn't imaging Artemisia, Severus' wife, schlepping herself to the chariot races heavily pregnant. I did like the last few paragraphs; Severus in remorse over the judicial decision finally reached and its gruesome outcome, really did something extremely admirable for his slave-secretary, Alexander.
This was a promising beginning to a new series [to me, at least]. I learned a lot about the law and court system; the author is a former Assistant District Attorney in NY County and criminal lawyer with a keen interest in ancient Rome. So I imagine that is pretty accurate. In the last few pages though, Severus mentions he got an award from the emperor: "The Privileges of the Father of Three Children"; there was no mention of a third child or even a pregnancy and childbirth; in this book he and his wife only had a son and a daughter. Did I miss something? I couldn't imaging Artemisia, Severus' wife, schlepping herself to the chariot races heavily pregnant. I did like the last few paragraphs; Severus in remorse over the judicial decision finally reached and its gruesome outcome, really did something extremely admirable for his slave-secretary, Alexander.
December 2, 2023
This is a good mystery set in ancient Rome. It has been thoroughly researched so that the reader gets a good picture of what life in Ancient Rome was like.
October 20, 2013
Mars the Avenger is a pleasant read, even one with some heft to it in its ponderings on justice versus morality, but I assign it only three stars. The author never weaves a world that the reader feels, sees, hears and tastes. I personally like to be immersed in a world, not told about it. On the first page an alarm sounded in me when the author speaks of the scent of a freshly scrubbed marble floor. Marble has no scent, so any scent would come from what it was scrubbed with. The author didn’t mention what the scent was. Although Running the Roman Home mentions only water used in washing marble floors and mentions no additives, if he needed a scent he could have mint leaves or thyme in the water. That would at least clue the reader as to what the sensory experience was.
The novel is modeled in the Sherlock Holmes fashion of mystery in which the climatic scene is the solving of the murder through the acumen of the detective. He notices something others don’t. As such the experience for the reader is an intellectual one, not a visceral one. That method of structuring a who-done-it is widely used. But I am not overly fond of that formula.
It was a pleasant read, but a bit thin in providing an experience for the reader. And isn’t that what it’s all about? To experience other lives, other worlds? Isn’t that why we take time from our lives to read fiction?
The novel is modeled in the Sherlock Holmes fashion of mystery in which the climatic scene is the solving of the murder through the acumen of the detective. He notices something others don’t. As such the experience for the reader is an intellectual one, not a visceral one. That method of structuring a who-done-it is widely used. But I am not overly fond of that formula.
It was a pleasant read, but a bit thin in providing an experience for the reader. And isn’t that what it’s all about? To experience other lives, other worlds? Isn’t that why we take time from our lives to read fiction?
December 30, 2014
While I enjoyed the book's plot, the book suffers from some what wooden dialogue. To my mind, the dialogue seemed a bit too formal and it is hard to imagine real people actually talking that way.
Although the book is primary a mystery, it provides a good background (and a lot of nice speculation) on Roman law and philosophy during the reign of the "Good Emperors." The protagonist, Judge M. Flavius Severus, is a judge and an intellectual. He thinks quite a bit about the relationship between ethical decisions and the law. As happens in many stories in the Roman Mystery sub-genere, slaves are suspected of murder which could potentially lead to a death sentence for all slaves in the household.
Despite my concerns about the dialogue, I liked the characters. The story is not just built around the detection of the main character; the third person narrator shows us the actions of Severus and all of his associates. The contrast in characters is quite interesting. I look forward to reading the next book in the series to see how the author develops.
Although the book is primary a mystery, it provides a good background (and a lot of nice speculation) on Roman law and philosophy during the reign of the "Good Emperors." The protagonist, Judge M. Flavius Severus, is a judge and an intellectual. He thinks quite a bit about the relationship between ethical decisions and the law. As happens in many stories in the Roman Mystery sub-genere, slaves are suspected of murder which could potentially lead to a death sentence for all slaves in the household.
Despite my concerns about the dialogue, I liked the characters. The story is not just built around the detection of the main character; the third person narrator shows us the actions of Severus and all of his associates. The contrast in characters is quite interesting. I look forward to reading the next book in the series to see how the author develops.
May 27, 2020
I tried really hard to like this book. Seriously. I do enjoy a good detective story, and a good central character.
And as a follower of the books by Steven Saylor (Gordianus the Finder is very cool!!), this series about Judge Marcus Flavius Severus by Alan Scribner was recommended, but I just couldn’t finish it.
It was lacking in something I really couldn’t put my finger on to start with, but by the time I put it down, rolling my eyes, I came to the conclusion that it was just addressed in far too modern terms for a story set in the Roman Empire.
I kept seeing Columbo in a Toga, and that wasn’t a particularly pretty image.
And as a follower of the books by Steven Saylor (Gordianus the Finder is very cool!!), this series about Judge Marcus Flavius Severus by Alan Scribner was recommended, but I just couldn’t finish it.
It was lacking in something I really couldn’t put my finger on to start with, but by the time I put it down, rolling my eyes, I came to the conclusion that it was just addressed in far too modern terms for a story set in the Roman Empire.
I kept seeing Columbo in a Toga, and that wasn’t a particularly pretty image.
November 27, 2023
A decent mystery, set in a sort of Rome. There are a lot of non historical things such as language and technology, but the author does do a good job with the mindset and worldviews of Romans at the time. A fair amount of time is spent in short discussions of judicial concepts and stoic philosophy but not in a way that distracts or bores.
The main character is pretty forgettable and in truth almost all the characters feel very similar and interchangeable. It also doesn't feel very much like Rome, although there is some effort made to create the setting. I find books such as the SPQR series were much more immersive, they felt like almost an alien world.
The main character is pretty forgettable and in truth almost all the characters feel very similar and interchangeable. It also doesn't feel very much like Rome, although there is some effort made to create the setting. I find books such as the SPQR series were much more immersive, they felt like almost an alien world.
June 16, 2019
2.5. 3 stars for storyline, 2 stars for the writing. The writing was very bland for the most part, and included some sentences so bad they made me laugh, eg "He embraced her and they exchanged lustful smiles and began running their hands all over each other on the way out." Particularly at the start, the way he gave information about ancient Rome was far too info-drop-ish, and could have done with being written more organically. I bought this as a kindle ebook for around a dollar, and at that price, I would try the second to see if the writing improves. Otherwise not going to bother.
May 28, 2025
Reminds me of Judge Dee.
This is so refreshing. No bumbling, stupid police. No happy amateur who, followed by an admiring side-kick, flitters around asking questions, catching lies.
Just a very competent judge, with very competent helpers, doing the correct things the first time.
Of course, Roman laws permitted effectivness, such as legal torture...
But then, the Romans weren't nice people. One of the reasons they lasted so long.
Let's be glad we don't live under the Romans.
This is so refreshing. No bumbling, stupid police. No happy amateur who, followed by an admiring side-kick, flitters around asking questions, catching lies.
Just a very competent judge, with very competent helpers, doing the correct things the first time.
Of course, Roman laws permitted effectivness, such as legal torture...
But then, the Romans weren't nice people. One of the reasons they lasted so long.
Let's be glad we don't live under the Romans.
January 31, 2022
Good story about Roman government and the philosopher's point of view
The judge, Severus, has a case involving several murders and his decision of who is guilty. The ending was very confusing and there is practically no sympathy for the victims. I will buy the next book of the series.
The judge, Severus, has a case involving several murders and his decision of who is guilty. The ending was very confusing and there is practically no sympathy for the victims. I will buy the next book of the series.
November 7, 2018
Well plotted and executed book. Satisfying read
Plot is tight. The author, an attorney, presents the reader with a number of ethical and philosophical questions along with the mystery. Characters are likable.
Plot is tight. The author, an attorney, presents the reader with a number of ethical and philosophical questions along with the mystery. Characters are likable.
February 17, 2021
Another addition to the pantheon of Roman fictional sleuths. Good enough story. I only hope Scribner leaves out the huge amount of Latin terms with translation in the next adventure of Marcus Flavius Severus
May 13, 2022
a fun and absorbing read
The author weaves a good mystery and shows a grand depth of knowledge of Roman society in the second century. The book was informative and entertaining. Looking forward to book two in the series.
The author weaves a good mystery and shows a grand depth of knowledge of Roman society in the second century. The book was informative and entertaining. Looking forward to book two in the series.
August 14, 2024
What a treat
I was quite surprised by how much I liked the method of telling this story. For the first few pages I had grave doubts, but it grew on me. The overall effect was quite good. Looking forward to the next tale.
I was quite surprised by how much I liked the method of telling this story. For the first few pages I had grave doubts, but it grew on me. The overall effect was quite good. Looking forward to the next tale.
June 15, 2017
Rough justice
While I understand the reasoning that sorted the guilt, I can't justify the horrifying deaths of the slaves. Thankfully, I don't have to make those decisions.
While I understand the reasoning that sorted the guilt, I can't justify the horrifying deaths of the slaves. Thankfully, I don't have to make those decisions.
June 15, 2019
This series is fun! It is set in ancient Rome, and it is really interesting to travel around at that time.
February 19, 2017
A legal procedural and ethical drama in Rome. A short novel, an easy read yet it still provides a good sense of place and time.
February 16, 2017
OK Roman mystery
One of the themes running through this book deals with the value of philosophy. The Romans liked philosophic discussions for their own sake. There's not much mystery to this mystery. I made it to the end so it isn't awful, but it isn't much good.
One of the themes running through this book deals with the value of philosophy. The Romans liked philosophic discussions for their own sake. There's not much mystery to this mystery. I made it to the end so it isn't awful, but it isn't much good.
May 9, 2014
This is the first in a series of Roman mysteries, taking place during the reign of Antoninus Pius in 158 CE. The "detective" is Marcus Flavius Severus, a judge. The wife of a Roman senator has disappeared at the same time that a body is discovered on the steps of the Temple of Mars the Avenger. It turns out these two knew each other while the senator and his family were in Ephesus. The book starts with a letter from Severus to himself, and I thought the whole book would be in the first person, but there are only a few of these notes. The mystery was fairly interesting, but Severus himself really isn't. There's lots of descriptions of the city of Rome and what life is like there.
January 7, 2015
My bookstore recommended Falco and now I have stumbled into a whole subgenre I never knew existed Ancient Roman historical crime fiction. Compared to other series there is less Ancient Rome background setting in this book - really the only thing that sets it as Roman is slaves and the consequences of crime. I did enjoy the mystery and I like the characters so far. The whole thing seems a bit underdeveloped - he likes his wife and she has some opinions but no real character thus far for example.
February 19, 2016
Good history, good mystery
Alan Scribner displays a depth of knowledge about classical Roman culture in this mystery novel set in the Second Century C.E., and his sleuthing is done by a Roman Judge. Tightly plotted with great secondary characters, the book is an altogether satisfying read. However there are numerous typos and minor grammatical faux pad. and he doesn't seem to know when to end a sentence with a question mark. Still, it's worth dodging the barbed editing to get to the meat of a good tale of Roman jurisprudence. Recommend you give Mars the Avenger a try.
Alan Scribner displays a depth of knowledge about classical Roman culture in this mystery novel set in the Second Century C.E., and his sleuthing is done by a Roman Judge. Tightly plotted with great secondary characters, the book is an altogether satisfying read. However there are numerous typos and minor grammatical faux pad. and he doesn't seem to know when to end a sentence with a question mark. Still, it's worth dodging the barbed editing to get to the meat of a good tale of Roman jurisprudence. Recommend you give Mars the Avenger a try.
July 30, 2016
First in a series - ancient Rome -158AD - pretty good.
Many of the mysteries I read are told in the first person. This was not. You were given a look at everything that was happening. Took me a while to get used to.
A little rough at times - but I liked it.
Especially the historical side of the story (here Jenkins goes again about the historical setting).
Good attention to detail which adds to the feeling of the story.
The ending was, how shall I say, realistic. Well done.
Ordered the second in the series.
Many of the mysteries I read are told in the first person. This was not. You were given a look at everything that was happening. Took me a while to get used to.
A little rough at times - but I liked it.
Especially the historical side of the story (here Jenkins goes again about the historical setting).
Good attention to detail which adds to the feeling of the story.
The ending was, how shall I say, realistic. Well done.
Ordered the second in the series.
July 8, 2017
This book was short and not particularly complicated, but I have nothing bad to say about it, so I figured that warrants a "4" rating. I liked the tone (murder mystery but not overly serious), and the characters were solid. I'm a sucker for Roman historical fiction, and so what I really appreciate are just the little details of Roman life, in this case namely there judicial system, which (except for perhaps allowing torture), was not that dissimilar from ours.
December 7, 2014
The story started a bit slow, the author was more busy showing his knowledge about ancient Rome and its somewhat peculiar customs than telling the tale. But after the first chapter or two, the story started to be more interesting and more dynamic.
Some of the characters, namely the aides of Severus, could use a bit more of a backstory, and more fleshing out, but they show a lot of promise. In the end, the book was worth reading, and I'm curious about the further development of this series.
Some of the characters, namely the aides of Severus, could use a bit more of a backstory, and more fleshing out, but they show a lot of promise. In the end, the book was worth reading, and I'm curious about the further development of this series.
May 12, 2013
A historical mystery set in the year 158 AD featuring Marcus Flavius Severus, a judge in the court of the Prefect of the City of Rome. While investigating the disappearance of a senator's wife, a body of a murdered man thrown on the steps of the Temple of Mars the Avenger. As the investigation unfolds, the two cases become connected to a love affair seventeen years before in the Roman orient.
January 29, 2014
This novel is kind of "light weight," but it's still a lot of fun for mystery fans and even more for history buffs, well-written even if a little short. I expect it to turn into an excellent series with each individual novel being progressively better as the talented author gains more experience. This is worth reading for the mystery AND the history!
November 5, 2013
Enjoyable. Another good Ancient Roman detective story, with colorful period details.
January 10, 2014
A very nice introduction to the time period. Severus isn't Marcus Didius, but few are. If I could give half stars, this would be 3 1/2.
March 3, 2014
A nice portrayal of empirical Rome. A good example of Roman law. And when it comes down to it, a good, realistic mystery. I would read more of Scribner ' s work.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews