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Marcus Corvinus #11
In at the Death
The sudden suicide of a young man prompts his family to ask veteran sleuth Marcus Corvinus to investigate. As usual, Marcus needs Perilla’s agile brain to untangle the case, which grows more complex by the minute. Eventually the pair realizes that the suicide was actually a murder with political dimensions. Corvinus finds his investigations hampered, however, by his new role as reluctant dog sitter to the misnamed Placida, a Gallic boarhound with a gargantuan appetite and minimal hygiene.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published March 22, 2007
22 people are currently reading
81 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 8, 2022
Read this book in 2007, and its the 11th volume of the wonderful "Marcus Corvinus" Roman mystery series.
In this mystery Marcus Corvinus is called by the family of a young man who has supposedly commit suicide.
The family wants an explanation as to the why, but when Corvinus starts his investigations he will be hampered from different in finding the solution in what now seems must have been a cold blooded murder.
As always by his side is his clever wife with the agile brain, Perilla, who will come up with the right answers towards this complex case, before Corvinus has comprehended that this case has a full political and personal dimension.
What is to follow is an intriguing and tremendous Roman mystery, in which Marcus Corvinus will have to go to any length to get to the bottom of this murder, and when with the valuable help from his wife, Perilla, he's able to solve this case and present the culprit of this horrible murder in his own spectacular fashion.
Highly recommended, for this is another fabulous addition to this magnificent series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "An Incredible Roman Death Mystery"!
In this mystery Marcus Corvinus is called by the family of a young man who has supposedly commit suicide.
The family wants an explanation as to the why, but when Corvinus starts his investigations he will be hampered from different in finding the solution in what now seems must have been a cold blooded murder.
As always by his side is his clever wife with the agile brain, Perilla, who will come up with the right answers towards this complex case, before Corvinus has comprehended that this case has a full political and personal dimension.
What is to follow is an intriguing and tremendous Roman mystery, in which Marcus Corvinus will have to go to any length to get to the bottom of this murder, and when with the valuable help from his wife, Perilla, he's able to solve this case and present the culprit of this horrible murder in his own spectacular fashion.
Highly recommended, for this is another fabulous addition to this magnificent series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "An Incredible Roman Death Mystery"!
July 2, 2023
I defy anyone to work out where this one is going.
A young man has committed suicide, a purple striper, just nineteen on his first commission wanting to make a good impression. For some reason during the course of his duties (inspecting buildings damaged in a great fire which has swept through Rome's suburbs) he jumps out of a sixth floor flat. Natalis, (the owner of the greens facing team who we.met in a previous book) was a close friend of the mother and had been almost a father figure to the.young man Sextus Papinius. Natalis and the boys mother want Corvinus to look into Papinius's life and see what answers he can find as to why the young man would take his own life. Corvinus is not inclined to agree for one things ended badly the last time he and Natalis met and he just plain doesn't like Natalis anyway, but the.man is.offering him fifty thousand silver pieces as incentive, payable no matter the outcome. Now Corvinus is a wealthy man but even he cannot turn down such a sum for such a simple task. Ha, Corvinus should have known better, within twenty four hours he has all the answers. Job done. But................that little spot on the back of his neck that always let's him know when there's a mystery to be solved will not let him stop yet, he's sure there's something more that he just isn't aware of her so he keeps investigating. What he finds will rock him to his core, he does not see it coming and for 95% of the book is floundering for answers but as with so many of these stories he will wish he hadn't pursued the matter as nobody wins............. For great comic relief Corvinus wife Perilla has agreed to babysit a friend's dog (for a few days, a month or a few months) and the animal is a brilliant addition...........
A young man has committed suicide, a purple striper, just nineteen on his first commission wanting to make a good impression. For some reason during the course of his duties (inspecting buildings damaged in a great fire which has swept through Rome's suburbs) he jumps out of a sixth floor flat. Natalis, (the owner of the greens facing team who we.met in a previous book) was a close friend of the mother and had been almost a father figure to the.young man Sextus Papinius. Natalis and the boys mother want Corvinus to look into Papinius's life and see what answers he can find as to why the young man would take his own life. Corvinus is not inclined to agree for one things ended badly the last time he and Natalis met and he just plain doesn't like Natalis anyway, but the.man is.offering him fifty thousand silver pieces as incentive, payable no matter the outcome. Now Corvinus is a wealthy man but even he cannot turn down such a sum for such a simple task. Ha, Corvinus should have known better, within twenty four hours he has all the answers. Job done. But................that little spot on the back of his neck that always let's him know when there's a mystery to be solved will not let him stop yet, he's sure there's something more that he just isn't aware of her so he keeps investigating. What he finds will rock him to his core, he does not see it coming and for 95% of the book is floundering for answers but as with so many of these stories he will wish he hadn't pursued the matter as nobody wins............. For great comic relief Corvinus wife Perilla has agreed to babysit a friend's dog (for a few days, a month or a few months) and the animal is a brilliant addition...........
December 14, 2018
Blargh! I only got as far as I did into this book (60 pages or so) because I remember liking Ovid (the second book of this series). Sadly, somewhere in the dozen or so books between this and that, Wishard has evidently decided that he didn't sound enough like Raymond Chandler. Now he's just over-doing it.
Also the gratuitious anachronisms were really getting to me.
Poodles in early Imperial Rome? Really?
Also the gratuitious anachronisms were really getting to me.
Poodles in early Imperial Rome? Really?
March 21, 2019
Political intrigue in Ancient Rome
I find Cornivus and his team very personable and relatable. I enjoy watching them solve these mysteries... this is the 10th book in the series and I have enjoyed them all
I find Cornivus and his team very personable and relatable. I enjoy watching them solve these mysteries... this is the 10th book in the series and I have enjoyed them all
July 14, 2019
Really enjoyed yet another Marcus Corvinus mystery. This one had the added benefit (at least in the beginning) of Corvinus' interactions with a Gallic boarhound, from my research perhaps an ancient version of the Great Dane. I would have like more "outings" with the boarhound, Placida and Corvinus throughout the novel as it was quiet hilarious picturing these situations in the crowded streets of Rome.
Corvinus is asked to investigate the 'why' of the apparent suicide of a young man with an aristocratic background. Corvinus discovers that there is something bigger at foot than just a simple suicide and the young man was involved in something serious. Once again, Felix, the servant of Prince Caligula, involving Corvinus in the affairs of the imperials . . . Corvinus' favorite activity.
This really was a complicated affair, and even Corvinus admitted to struggling quite a bit in understanding the connections to the case. I think one needs to take into account that Marcus hasn't dealt with the imperials for several novels, instead focusing civil cases, and probably was just as surprised as the readers to be brought back into the affairs of Prince Caligula and the still reigning emperor, Tiberius. I'm quite looking forward to seeing Corvinus interacting with one of the most infamous emperors of Rome.
As with any Marcus Corvinus mystery, would recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction (especially comedic historical fictions), and mysteries.
Corvinus is asked to investigate the 'why' of the apparent suicide of a young man with an aristocratic background. Corvinus discovers that there is something bigger at foot than just a simple suicide and the young man was involved in something serious. Once again, Felix, the servant of Prince Caligula, involving Corvinus in the affairs of the imperials . . . Corvinus' favorite activity.
This really was a complicated affair, and even Corvinus admitted to struggling quite a bit in understanding the connections to the case. I think one needs to take into account that Marcus hasn't dealt with the imperials for several novels, instead focusing civil cases, and probably was just as surprised as the readers to be brought back into the affairs of Prince Caligula and the still reigning emperor, Tiberius. I'm quite looking forward to seeing Corvinus interacting with one of the most infamous emperors of Rome.
As with any Marcus Corvinus mystery, would recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction (especially comedic historical fictions), and mysteries.
December 30, 2018
It took me a while to get into this book as it has been a while since I have read any Corvinus stories, having more recently been reading Saylor's "Gordianus the Finder" series, which whilst it is also a detective series set in ancient Rome, only 100 years earlier, both the context and tone are very different, with this series being more akin to Philip Marlowe in togas. Once I got back into it however it was pure escapist pleasure, with the right combination of humour, gentle exercise for the brain and enough historical detail to send me scuttling off to read more about the period and perhaps re-read Graves "I Claudius", although perhaps after I have read more of this series.
March 6, 2022
A very convoluted story, hard to follow at times, but still good
I have read all of the Corvinus books and this one was worse than some and better than others.If you are a history buff or you have just read both of the previous two books; "Germanicus" and "Serjanus" , you would understand what was going on. Of course it has been a few years since I have read them. Anyway, I do like Corvinus and his wife, Perilla, and also his butler (Bathyllus). The real star of the book is the dog Placida.
I have read all of the Corvinus books and this one was worse than some and better than others.If you are a history buff or you have just read both of the previous two books; "Germanicus" and "Serjanus" , you would understand what was going on. Of course it has been a few years since I have read them. Anyway, I do like Corvinus and his wife, Perilla, and also his butler (Bathyllus). The real star of the book is the dog Placida.
March 15, 2020
This is one of the ‘political’ mysteries which aren’t my favourite, however this was an enjoyable read. About two thirds of the way through the plot becomes quite complex, with many characters to keep an eye on, but the story does come to a satisfying end. The subplot involves our narrator reluctantly looking after a new pet, who is a massive boarhound! The hilarious scenes that follow are very relatable for dog owners.
March 31, 2018
Excellent historical mystery
Excellent historical mystery set in first century Rome, the characters were engaging including the animal ones. I would heartily recommend it to any one who enjoys the falco novels
Excellent historical mystery set in first century Rome, the characters were engaging including the animal ones. I would heartily recommend it to any one who enjoys the falco novels
February 1, 2016
Fun little adventure
As usual, Marcus Corvinus mysteries mix fact and fiction the later books, however lack any sort of urgency. This is an amusing tale, and a light read, but lacks the true punch of a good mystery. Lots of great historical details make the settings seam real and approachable.
As usual, Marcus Corvinus mysteries mix fact and fiction the later books, however lack any sort of urgency. This is an amusing tale, and a light read, but lacks the true punch of a good mystery. Lots of great historical details make the settings seam real and approachable.
July 3, 2015
Natalis, from the racing book a couple ago, asks Corvinus to look into a friend's son and his suicide. Corvinus of course kicks a hornet's nest. Very interesting author's note how it fits in. This one's comic relief comes from a ridiculous dog. Pretty interesting take on some real events.
March 1, 2017
Whew! very complex.
January 26, 2018
A little disappointing compared to other Corvinus mysteries. The plot was intricate, and the unravelment not always clear. A young nobleman's plunge to death from a high apartment window turns out to have chilling political implications. For me, the misnamed Gallic boarhound Placida stole the show…
April 29, 2019
In at the Death introduces something new for Corvinus: for the first time he is hired to investigate, and what's more it's a suicide rather than a murder.
What to Expect
Corvinus is independently wealthy, and is usually dragged into resolving murders because he somehow got involved when they happened. This time he's asked - hired - to look into the apparent suicide of a young man. Naturally things grow complex as the plot unfolds, and pretty soon - not surprisingly - the suicide is questioned as a possible murder (it's in the blurb, so hardly a spoiler).
As Corvinus tries to untangle why a young man at the very start of his political career might be murdered, or commit suicide for that matter, and follows the young man's life and friends matters seem to constantly escalate until they reach the highest levels of Roman society in the last months of Tiberius' reign. It's another one of those novels that is sparked from an historical anecdote, which Wishart explains in a perfect "it could have been this way" prerogative of the historical-fiction author.
This is book 11 of the series, and is related to the "political" books (rather than the "plain" mysteries). There is some continuity from books one (Ovid) to three (Sejanus), so while it's OK to skip around as most of the series is not overly tied this novel will make more sense if read only after the first 3.
What I liked
As usual, Wishart breathes life into Roman life, with engaging characters and complex plots. His research and anecdotes are always top notch, the writing style fluent and immersive. Corvinus has a most unique voice that is a joy to read (though see note below).
In all this 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 another great volume in the series, but note you should at least read the first 3 books before this one. 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. This is as good a starting point as any.
--
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
Corvinus is independently wealthy, and is usually dragged into resolving murders because he somehow got involved when they happened. This time he's asked - hired - to look into the apparent suicide of a young man. Naturally things grow complex as the plot unfolds, and pretty soon - not surprisingly - the suicide is questioned as a possible murder (it's in the blurb, so hardly a spoiler).
As Corvinus tries to untangle why a young man at the very start of his political career might be murdered, or commit suicide for that matter, and follows the young man's life and friends matters seem to constantly escalate until they reach the highest levels of Roman society in the last months of Tiberius' reign. It's another one of those novels that is sparked from an historical anecdote, which Wishart explains in a perfect "it could have been this way" prerogative of the historical-fiction author.
This is book 11 of the series, and is related to the "political" books (rather than the "plain" mysteries). There is some continuity from books one (Ovid) to three (Sejanus), so while it's OK to skip around as most of the series is not overly tied this novel will make more sense if read only after the first 3.
What I liked
As usual, Wishart breathes life into Roman life, with engaging characters and complex plots. His research and anecdotes are always top notch, the writing style fluent and immersive. Corvinus has a most unique voice that is a joy to read (though see note below).
In all this 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 another great volume in the series, but note you should at least read the first 3 books before this one. 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. This is as good a starting point as any.
--
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews