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Libertus Mystery of Roman Britain #4
The Chariots of Calyx
Libertus is in Londinium, at the invitation of the Roman Governor, when news arrives of the brutal murder of Caius Monnius, the city's chief corn-officer. Still reeling from the shock of catching sight of the wife he lost to slavery 20 years earlier, only to lose her again, the ever-inquisitive Libertus is, for once, uninterested in unmasking the murderer. But when the Roman Governor asks you to investigate, you can't say no. The dead man's mother is convinced that the truth behind the killing lies with Fortunatus, a celebrated charioteer with whom Monnius' wife was having an affair. But with the discovery of a second corpse, it soon becomes clear that this case is more complex—and more sinister—than anyone ever expected.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
24 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
Rosemary Rowe
23 books44 followersA pseudonym used by Rosemary Aitken
Series:
* Libertus Mystery of Roman Britain
Series:
* Libertus Mystery of Roman Britain
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
December 26, 2021
Read this book in 2012, and its the 4th volume of the wonderful "Libertus" series.
This tale will see Libertus in Londinium at the invitation of the Roman Governor, and while there he will soon hear the news of the murder of, Caius Monnius, the chief corn-officer.
At first this case does not interest him, for sightings of his long lost wife, 20-years, has his most interest but after losing sight of her again, he has no other option than to start to investigate this case of murder.
But who can be the culprit of this murder, keeper of the granaries, Calyx or Glaucus of the chariot racing-team, or even Fortunatus, who's having an affair with the dead man's wife.
Only after a second corpse is found will Libertus to understand the connections behind these murders, and what they will mean for his investigations.
What is to follow is an amazing Roman mystery, in which Libertus will excel in his clever thinking and decisive actions, after some twists and turns, followed by an excellent executed plot will Libertus be able to reveal the perpetrator behind these murders.
Highly recommended, for this is another magnificent addition to this astonishing series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Fabulous Libertus Mystery"!
This tale will see Libertus in Londinium at the invitation of the Roman Governor, and while there he will soon hear the news of the murder of, Caius Monnius, the chief corn-officer.
At first this case does not interest him, for sightings of his long lost wife, 20-years, has his most interest but after losing sight of her again, he has no other option than to start to investigate this case of murder.
But who can be the culprit of this murder, keeper of the granaries, Calyx or Glaucus of the chariot racing-team, or even Fortunatus, who's having an affair with the dead man's wife.
Only after a second corpse is found will Libertus to understand the connections behind these murders, and what they will mean for his investigations.
What is to follow is an amazing Roman mystery, in which Libertus will excel in his clever thinking and decisive actions, after some twists and turns, followed by an excellent executed plot will Libertus be able to reveal the perpetrator behind these murders.
Highly recommended, for this is another magnificent addition to this astonishing series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Fabulous Libertus Mystery"!
January 11, 2022
Rosemary Rowe has done a very good job bringing ancient British Roman culture to life with great characters and plotting in beautifully described scenes and settings that lend authenticity. The author's notes introducing the story are generous and helpful and the action in this book brings our main man and his servant into perilous and challenging adventures.
In this story we get a taste of chariot racing as well as detailed customs surrounding Roman death rituals.
One female character in this story is unforgettably audacious (a mother-in-law, of course), adding great color to the story. Even Libertus benefits from her herbal knowledge when she aids in his recovery from a devil of a beating.
I have enjoyed the first four books in this series to date, but this is a triumphant and satisfying addition. I see now there are many more books to enjoy.
In this story we get a taste of chariot racing as well as detailed customs surrounding Roman death rituals.
One female character in this story is unforgettably audacious (a mother-in-law, of course), adding great color to the story. Even Libertus benefits from her herbal knowledge when she aids in his recovery from a devil of a beating.
I have enjoyed the first four books in this series to date, but this is a triumphant and satisfying addition. I see now there are many more books to enjoy.
August 5, 2023
Libertus almost dies.
Libertus is not a young man, close to fifty and with twenty of those years spent as a slave, so the years have been hard.on him. Yet he soldiers on, working in his small workshop designing mosaic pavements with the help of.his slave boy Junio and attending hi patron Marcus when called upon. In the last book Libertus came.to the attention of the Roman governor of Brittania, Pertinax, who as a boon to Libertus (for preventing an uprising) promised to take him to Emberacuium so he could follow the trail.left by the slavers who has his wife Gkenna. Libertus has not.seen Glenna since the.night the.slavers stole into their.roundhouse and captured them separating them. The Governor has made it as far as Londinium and being fulfilling his.duties before moving on to Emberacuium,. He sends for Libertus, he has need of his services, there has been a murder. The official responsible for the storage and distribution of the corn (an extremely important job in Roman times) has been found murdered and there is a large amount of money missing along with some.papers, which may be important. Pertinax needs answers quickly he must know if this murder is.political, if it is meant to destabilise region. To this end he gives Libertus free reign to question anyone he needs to and go anywhere he sees fit issuing a warrant giving Libertus his full authority.............. All well and good but in trying to get the answers Pertinax wants Libertus will.run across some disreputable types for whom a governor warrant means little.........
Libertus is not a young man, close to fifty and with twenty of those years spent as a slave, so the years have been hard.on him. Yet he soldiers on, working in his small workshop designing mosaic pavements with the help of.his slave boy Junio and attending hi patron Marcus when called upon. In the last book Libertus came.to the attention of the Roman governor of Brittania, Pertinax, who as a boon to Libertus (for preventing an uprising) promised to take him to Emberacuium so he could follow the trail.left by the slavers who has his wife Gkenna. Libertus has not.seen Glenna since the.night the.slavers stole into their.roundhouse and captured them separating them. The Governor has made it as far as Londinium and being fulfilling his.duties before moving on to Emberacuium,. He sends for Libertus, he has need of his services, there has been a murder. The official responsible for the storage and distribution of the corn (an extremely important job in Roman times) has been found murdered and there is a large amount of money missing along with some.papers, which may be important. Pertinax needs answers quickly he must know if this murder is.political, if it is meant to destabilise region. To this end he gives Libertus free reign to question anyone he needs to and go anywhere he sees fit issuing a warrant giving Libertus his full authority.............. All well and good but in trying to get the answers Pertinax wants Libertus will.run across some disreputable types for whom a governor warrant means little.........
September 27, 2012
I'm a sucker for the Roman Empire and am reading several series featuring Roman sleuths. I had hoped to start with the first in the series ("The Germanicus Mosaic"), but it is unavailable at either of the two libraries I can use, as are the second and third. Not available for my Nook e-reader from Barnes and Noble, either. This series features a British former slave Libertus, about 50 years of age. The mystery was interesting and I liked the main character. I thought the other characters were well done. I plan to try others in this series.
May 23, 2025
The ending is sweet.
Also, this shade of purple is my favourite colour. It may imply royalty. I have only read three or four books from Cornwall before, but it seems like a nice place with a low crime rate. (Like maybe this series.)
I googled the Cornwall crime rate is 68% lower than the national average, while the West Chester crime rate is 27% lower than the national average.
I acknowledge that the national averages of the UK and the US are different...
The US currently I pulled up a 363.8 per 100,000 people rate according to my Google-ese and the UK 89.7 per 1,000 people rate, which is technically a smidgeon higher when you put your thinking cap on and meditate about it. I have read the words before "not statistically significant" and I think those are probably the right ones to label that difference.
Gee. It makes me think of the Monty Python sketch with the guys all dressed up in drag beating each other up with their purses.
ANYWAY, I found this murder mystery fun and extremely low stress as far as crime dramas go.
Also, this shade of purple is my favourite colour. It may imply royalty. I have only read three or four books from Cornwall before, but it seems like a nice place with a low crime rate. (Like maybe this series.)
I googled the Cornwall crime rate is 68% lower than the national average, while the West Chester crime rate is 27% lower than the national average.
I acknowledge that the national averages of the UK and the US are different...
The US currently I pulled up a 363.8 per 100,000 people rate according to my Google-ese and the UK 89.7 per 1,000 people rate, which is technically a smidgeon higher when you put your thinking cap on and meditate about it. I have read the words before "not statistically significant" and I think those are probably the right ones to label that difference.
Gee. It makes me think of the Monty Python sketch with the guys all dressed up in drag beating each other up with their purses.
ANYWAY, I found this murder mystery fun and extremely low stress as far as crime dramas go.
April 24, 2018
Hallelujah!
We go to Londinium and there we find at long last the missing wife. Hooray! It took quicker than I thought but very welcome. An exciting story with chunky charioteers, doting fans, crooked gamblers, rotten grain. A great plot and our poor hero gets tortured. But all is well when he is reunited with his wife . Now the stories can expand. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
We go to Londinium and there we find at long last the missing wife. Hooray! It took quicker than I thought but very welcome. An exciting story with chunky charioteers, doting fans, crooked gamblers, rotten grain. A great plot and our poor hero gets tortured. But all is well when he is reunited with his wife . Now the stories can expand. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
October 27, 2019
Having distinguished himself in a previous investigation, Libertus is invited to Londinium by the governor. His plans to continue searching for his wife, Gwellia, are squelched when one of the officers of his host’s household is murdered. As promised in the title, the story does feature chariot racing.
June 27, 2023
A Great Read
This is a very clever mystery with really memorable characters! If you ever had any questions about chariot racing or Roman funerary rites, you'll find the answers here seamlessly included in an engaging plot. As a special bonus there is a surprising happy ending!
This is a very clever mystery with really memorable characters! If you ever had any questions about chariot racing or Roman funerary rites, you'll find the answers here seamlessly included in an engaging plot. As a special bonus there is a surprising happy ending!
January 28, 2018
An excellent book
A really good read, I really enjoyed it. It brings to life what it was like in the Roman period.
A really good read, I really enjoyed it. It brings to life what it was like in the Roman period.
May 18, 2018
Workmanlike, it didn't reach the heights but was sturdy and readable. I picked this up while waiting for the next in the Medicus series by Downie.
July 31, 2018
Libertus is in Londinium at the invitation of the Roman Governor and is asked by the Governor to investigate the murder of the chief corn officer. The story is fast paced and engaging.
March 8, 2017
The first I've read in this series set in Roman Britain, but I enjoyed it.
September 12, 2014
The fourth book in the Libertus series, this follows the whole 'Libertus is unwillingly dragged into a mystery again'. After the third book, where he caught a glimpse of his lost wife, he's especially unwilling to investigate.
But, Libertus is accompanying the Roman Governer (of what was then Britain), so he has no choice but to investigate the death of Caius, the chief corn-officer - a pretty important guy in Roman times. Caius' mother is insistent that the murderers are his young wife and her lover, the charioteer Fortunas. But, his first wife and son still live in the same household, and they all have a pretty strong motive for murder. When Libertus gets beaten up and another body is found, it's clear that there's more to this case than what everyone first thought.
As always, there's a twist in this story that I did not see coming. In fact, I have yet to find a story in this series where I could predict the murderer. I guess I'm losing my touch. I had to re-read the ending of the book a few times before I even saw all the clues.
The characterisation here doesn't move forward very much. Most of the book is wrapped up in the mystery. The only surprise came at the end, because Libertus' search for his wife made a huge huge jump. I'm not saying anymore because that would be a spoiler, but suffice to say, if you're interested in this particular subplot, then this book is a key turning point. Extremely important turning point.
I'm still loving this series. I hope I can find a used copy one day and get the whole collection.
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
But, Libertus is accompanying the Roman Governer (of what was then Britain), so he has no choice but to investigate the death of Caius, the chief corn-officer - a pretty important guy in Roman times. Caius' mother is insistent that the murderers are his young wife and her lover, the charioteer Fortunas. But, his first wife and son still live in the same household, and they all have a pretty strong motive for murder. When Libertus gets beaten up and another body is found, it's clear that there's more to this case than what everyone first thought.
As always, there's a twist in this story that I did not see coming. In fact, I have yet to find a story in this series where I could predict the murderer. I guess I'm losing my touch. I had to re-read the ending of the book a few times before I even saw all the clues.
The characterisation here doesn't move forward very much. Most of the book is wrapped up in the mystery. The only surprise came at the end, because Libertus' search for his wife made a huge huge jump. I'm not saying anymore because that would be a spoiler, but suffice to say, if you're interested in this particular subplot, then this book is a key turning point. Extremely important turning point.
I'm still loving this series. I hope I can find a used copy one day and get the whole collection.
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
June 11, 2012
I like this series a lot, mainly because of the Roman Britain setting which *always* intrigues my little history-loving heart. This particular one is somewhat "meh" but still a worthwhile read. The main character is Libertus, an ex-slave now turned private investigator, and instead of being a studly strapping young buck, he's a middle-aged paunchy non-descript ordinary guy, which aids him considerably in crime solving among the decadent corrupt Roman aristocracy of the time period. A series that deserves to be better known than it is.
July 9, 2023
Picked this up at a used bookstore in Rhode Island and Providence Plantations while on vacation there. The genre of mysteries set in ancient Rome is, by now, a familiar one, and one I enjoy quite a bit, so I thought I would give it a try. I was not disappointed - although the author makes a few historical errors along the way, they are mostly minor and do not interfere with the enjoyment of the narrative. I picked up a couple more of these at the same time, and I look forward to those. If I like them, maybe I can find the rest of the series somewhere . . .
September 23, 2012
Book 4 in the series.
Enjoyable insight into Roman Britain, as Libertus accompanies Governor Pertinax on his farewell tour of Britain. While in Londinium he is asked to investigate what could be a seriously political murder of Monnius, a major corn factor and patron of the Blues Chariot racers. London is a dangerous place with corruption in corn distribution and chariot racing. There is also an unusual family set-up producing undercurrents and tensions.
Enjoyable insight into Roman Britain, as Libertus accompanies Governor Pertinax on his farewell tour of Britain. While in Londinium he is asked to investigate what could be a seriously political murder of Monnius, a major corn factor and patron of the Blues Chariot racers. London is a dangerous place with corruption in corn distribution and chariot racing. There is also an unusual family set-up producing undercurrents and tensions.
September 18, 2007
Set in 187AD Roman Britain. Libertus, the pavement-maker is a guest of the Roman governor in London. The governor asks him to investigate the murder of the corn official. The case quickly becomes more complicated as Libertus tracks down people and seeks information. He nearly loses his life during the investigation as he deals with various characters seeking to unravel the murder.
January 31, 2016
Enjoyable, easy reads, the Libertus series. This time a husband is murdered, his wife is ultimately proven to be the murderer, but she herself was murdered by the previous wife. Complicated! In this adventure Libertus is tortured, but he is also reunited with his Celtic wife, after two decades.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2008
This is a great series of books.
March 12, 2009
I originally came across this author's work in a book entitled "The Germanicus Mosaic" also from the Libertus Mysteries Series, and was published in 1999. Both books were a nice light read.
April 20, 2012
Really nice, and usually I think myself dumb for not seeing whodunnit.. HOWEVER, this time I figured it out with Libertus!Yay for me!
April 23, 2013
I'll definitely add Rosemary Rowe to my list of Roman mystery writers to follow!
January 1, 2014
See my review of "The Germanicus Mosaic" by the same author.
November 1, 2014
A superb read. A quite satisfying denouement!
May 29, 2015
Had so many books waiting, I almost took this back to the library without reading. Very glad I didn't. Quite good, and with an extremely satisfying ending.
January 14, 2021
One of my favorite series but I skip around. This one, I knew, had Libertus reconnecting with his wife after many years and it ended so very nicely.
Very Enjoyable!
ReRead! Still love the ending!
Very Enjoyable!
ReRead! Still love the ending!
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews