Dark Omens

Libertus Mystery of Roman Britain #14

by Rosemary Rowe

Libertus accepts a contract to install a pavement for Genialis, a self-important citizen from a nearby town, in the house of the customer's intended but unwilling and young bride, Silvia. However, the winter is exceptionally severe, and although the mosaic is laid in time to earn the promised bonus, Genialis goes missing in the snow before payment can be made.Meanwhile, at an important feast, the sacrifice is spoiled as an aged priest lets go of the sacrificial ram – and when news arrives that the Emperor is dead, it seems that these dark omens are being realised. The subsequent discovery of not one, but two mutilated corpses only adds to this. Who holds the answer to the mysteries? Everyone had motive; Libertus attempts to solve the mystery against a backdrop of superstitious fear of auguries, and public riots following the confirmation of the Emperor's death.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Roman, Historical, Fiction, Ebooks, Crime

239 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2013

About the author

A pseudonym used by Rosemary Aitken

Series:
* Libertus Mystery of Roman Britain

Reviews

[Mary Heron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a book.where Libertus.is not.in danger. It is January and freezing, Libertus and Junio are.in town for the.first religious ceremony of the year (one.which all.citizens must attend) it all.goes wrong when the.officiating priest loses hold of the sacrifice and the.animal.bolts. It's caught quickly but is.announced to be an unsuitable sacrifice causing a replacement.to be sent.for. Before that can happen however a.messenger arrives with the.news.of the death of Emperor Commodus. Bedlam ensues, the populace is convinced this is all an evil omen and that's disaster is on the way........... Then a major blizzard blows in isolating Libertus and Junio in town away from their families, it is over a week before the roads begin to open up.again and the two men can make it home. Peace and quiet are not to be however as a high ranking official.from a nearby town has gone.missing, Libertus has actually had dealings with the man and found him to be truly unpleasant. Curious.himself though.it.doesn't take.much persuading for Libertus to involve himself.in the.search for the.missing man but then things take an unexpected turn when they do find a body (more than one actually) but it's not the.missing man............................. When you read of the hardships and deprivation s of some slaves and poor locals it's a wonder more didn't die horribly and it's no wonder the Roman society as a whole has such a casual attitude to violence and death.........

[Judy Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Libertus seems to have more commissions in this Rosemary Rowe historical mystery than he can likely handle. Well, if you believe that it can only be because you haven't read any of the other novels in this series. Rowe does such a good job of showing the reader the full spectrum of life in Roman Britain with all the obstacles of living under the rule of conquerors, but we also see the benefits when someone such as Libertus has a patron as powerful as Marcus Septimus Aurelius.

The news comes from Rome that Emperor Commodus is dead and Marcus plans to travel there in the depth of winter to stand by his patron and friend Pertinax as he is proclaimed the successor to the throne. As always, Marcus has sleuthing he wants Libertus to do. It's the new year and things aren't going too well with bad omens seeming to be everywhere. Two dead bodies don't help matters either. How can Libertus fulfill a commission he took on in time to be paid the double fee but still help his neighbor who has had the most appalling bad luck lately?

I enjoy these novels by Rosemary Rowe because she melds the history with the fiction in such a way that it's hard to tell when you are reading something that actually happened in Roman times. Her mysteries are always challenging to solve and it is a pleasure to be back in the households of Libertus, his adopted son, his patron and his friends and neighbors.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

It did take me a while to sort out the names and the hierarchy of the times, but that was mostly just unfamiliarity. I raced through the book eager to find out who the murderer was. Justice was served in many respects.

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This very exciting mystery tale is the 14th volume of the delightful "Libertus" series by the author Rosemary Rowe.
As always the historical author's foreword is very well researched and explained in a very clear fashion and thus making every detail concerning this tale very understandable.
Story-telling is once more of a top-notch quality, for the author has the ability to keep you attracted and spellbound to these very likeable Libertus mysteries from start to finish.
As in the other books and so likewise in this book all the characters come vividly to life within this exciting and gripping Roman mystery tale.
The story begins on New Year's day of the year AD 193 and it's situated in Glevum (Roman Gloucester), like so many others of this fine series.
The story itself is also set against the backdrop of Roman Britain in turmoil after the death of the Emperor, Commodus, and in these turbulent times Libertus accepts a contract to install a pavement for Genialis at his Glevum house, but when Libertus waits for his promised bonus for laying the mosaic in time Genialis goes missing in the snow.
So what will follow is another thrilling murder mystery, in which two mutilated corpses are found and a sacrifice goes wrong, and against these circumstances and superstition after the confirmation of Emperor Commodus's death, Libertus sets out to find the truth behind all these mysteries and solve these crimes in the end, and thus stop the Dark Omens at the same time.
Really recommended, for this is another superb Roman mystery by this lovely author, and one in which "Our Libertus Thrills Again"!

[Josephine (Jo) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another adventure for Libertus the ex-slave, now a Roman citizen. Libertus lives the English town of Glevum (now Gloucester) under the rule of the Romans. He has a great talent for solving mysteries and somehow they seem to just pop up wherever he goes. In this story, he investigates the disappearance of a Roman Citizen Genialis, a far from genial chap. The story is easy to read and I love all the everyday detail of life in England as a Roman colonia. Set in the year AD 193 with the new Roman ruler Pertinax things are changing in Glevum, it is a bitterly cold winter and this makes looking for the missing man on foot and on horseback a slow and painstaking affair. An interesting and accurate tale of England under Roman occupation.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is set in January, presided over by Janus, the two-faced god of entrances and exits. Sylvia’s husband, who was the owner of a lucrative warehouse business, has died. She has come under the questionable protection of his brother Genialis, who plans on marrying her, even though he is much more interested in her Syrian slave boy. His plan is to sell her property to pay his gambling debts. When Genialis disappears, Marcus, the influential patron of Libertus, takes over as her protector. He commissions Libertus to investigate the business that Sylvia has inherited with a view to investment. Life was often not much fun for women in the Roman empire, whatever their class. Not the strongest entry in the series.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an enjoyable series!

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the other books in her Libertus series, Rowe places her story firmly in Roman Britain in the late second century. In this case, to be specific, January 192. The date is significant since the death of the emperor Commodus and a harsh cold British winter have a lot to do with the plot. Readers of other Ancient Roman Mystery writers like Saylor and Roberts may have wondered what life was like for the "Client" of a Patrician. I'd say Libertus, a mosaic maker, has a "Client"-like relationship with his Patron Marcus. That is, he's a Roman citizen at Marcus' beck and call, but receives enhanced status and backing because of the relationship. One thought for people who avoid reading series because they don't like coming into the middle of things: although characters and their relationships have a history shown in previous novels, it's not necessary to have read them in order to enjoy this one. That's true for the entire series.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

So very glad I received this book for a review from Netgalley. I must go back and look at the series to find when Libertus rejoined his captive wife, as his family life adds a fine dimension to the series.

Rosemary Rowe's descriptions of Roman Britain and those who lived there are superb and historically possible, at least in my estimation. The darkness of the period is hinted at but seldom overwhelms. Libertus is an increasingly cheerful character despite his earlier history as captive and slave.

Characters are very well developed and humorously portrayed, if a bit modern in their thought processes.

The mystery in Dark Omens weaves religion and class structure in a very entertaining and intriguing tale of murder and exile. A complicating blizzard grinds the Empire to a halt with exciting consequences. Recommended for historical mystery fans as well as this who enjoy this ancient period.

[jammaster_mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 14 in the Libertus Mystery series of Roman Britain. The main character is an ex-slave granted citizenship with his freedom. He is a "pavement maker" which is a maker of mosaics. He is also called upon by his patron, the most powerful citizen in Glevum, to occasionally investigate mysteries that occur.

This particular story deals with the issue of guardianship of a woman and her property. At the time a woman was considered to always need a male guardian no matter her station or age. There is also quite a bit about Roman superstitions and sacrifices.

This series is very well written and full of details of the period. At times the pace is on the slower side but I think fans of historical fiction will enjoy all the added details the author has put in the story. I have to say that I find myself left with a great desire to go and take a class on Roman Britain after reading one of these books!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always good to return to Roman Gloucester, this time in the grip of a severe winter storm, and mosaic pavement-maker Libertus. The murder mystery plot isn't Rowe's strongest but the historical setting and characterisation are second to none, pushing this up to 4 stars. This is quite possibly the most convincing depiction of living and working in Roman Britain that I've read; the story is almost secondary.

[Abra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really more of a three-and-a-half star (or even 3 and 1/4 star) story. The plot is okay, but the writing is plodding and it's somehow boring. I'll read almost anything about Roman Britain, apparently. Ruth Downie's Gaius Petraius Ruso series (about a legionary doctor married to a native Briton) is much better, but she writes -- or publishes -- more slowly.

[Tchipakkan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really got into this one since he was dealing with snow and ice, and being old and creaky, and we were dealing with snow as I read, and am creaky. As usual, great characters, fun plot twists, convincing setting.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, as I do all or Rowe's.

[Gary Allen, PhD · Rating 1 out of 5]

Z-z-z-z-z-z-z, that is about as eloquent as I can get regarding this book.