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Marcus Corvinus #5
Old Bones
When Marcus Corvinus hears that his father-in-law, Priscus, has been accused of murder, it doesn't take Marcus long to get Priscus off the hook—but finding the real culprit proves tricky. Marcus uncovers a major wine-making fraud as well as a sorry tale of treachery, deceit, and betrayal.
356 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
24 people are currently reading
106 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 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 6, 2022
Read this book in 2008, and its the 5th volume of the great "Marcus Corvinus" mystery series.
In this tale Marcus Corvinus is in Tuscany with his lovely and intelligent wife, Perilla, and rest of the family, sampling wine and other pleasures.
When his stepfather is accused of murder, Corvinus will get him soon enough off the hook, but this case has certainly piqued his interest.
And so Corvinus sets off to solve this murder, but it will be much trickier than expected, for he will not only discover wine-making fraud but also infidelity, deceit and treachery, and in this environment Corvinus must find the killer.
What is to follow is a mystery that is roots in myth and history, and to solve this case Corvinus has to dig deep to reveal the old bones of this case, and so bring justice by presenting the real killer in this tale of betrayal and death.
Highly recommended, for this is another marvellous addition to this excellent series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Fabulous Old Bones Mystery"!
In this tale Marcus Corvinus is in Tuscany with his lovely and intelligent wife, Perilla, and rest of the family, sampling wine and other pleasures.
When his stepfather is accused of murder, Corvinus will get him soon enough off the hook, but this case has certainly piqued his interest.
And so Corvinus sets off to solve this murder, but it will be much trickier than expected, for he will not only discover wine-making fraud but also infidelity, deceit and treachery, and in this environment Corvinus must find the killer.
What is to follow is a mystery that is roots in myth and history, and to solve this case Corvinus has to dig deep to reveal the old bones of this case, and so bring justice by presenting the real killer in this tale of betrayal and death.
Highly recommended, for this is another marvellous addition to this excellent series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Fabulous Old Bones Mystery"!
June 15, 2023
On what a convoluted take we have here. Marcus Cove jus his wife Perilla and adopted daughter Marilla are on holiday along with his mother and stepfather. Fortunately for Marcus s sanity he was able to procure accommodation for his small family separate from his mother and her husband ....... You can after all have too much of a good thing.......... On their second day Priscus ( his stepfather) is found standing over a dead body with a knife in his hand, obviously he is innocent but Marcus is going to have to prove it. He has barely begun his investigation when someone else is murdered and what's worse there is absolutely no connection between the victims apart from Priscus .............. Getting to the bottom of this case will require every bit of guile Marcus has and we'll as a whole lot of luck...............
July 14, 2015
Oh, of course I couldn't guess 'whodunnit' as usual, but this was a very enjoyable early Marcus Corvinus mystery. Marcus and family are on vacation in a small country town; after a murder Priscus, Marcus' stepfather, is accused of the crime. Marcus feels strongly the befuddled old man is innocent, although standing over the corpse with knife in hand is pretty damning. Marcus sets out to prove Priscus' innocence, then that of another suspect picked up by the authorities on Marcus' jumping to conclusions and, shall we say, overeagerness to point his finger and offer a solution... The story is tightly woven together: three more bodies, leads and several scams. One really red herring after another presented itself. The conclusion was a surprise to me but was perfectly logical. I'm enjoying these earlier mysteries; I find out how such-and-such a character first appears, then joins the ongoing cast. We have Marcus' familiar insouciance [except his doggedness in sleuthing], Perilla's quickwittedness, and his same long-suffering family and domestic staff. The section on different styles of viticulture back in those days was fascinating.
March 18, 2022
Excellent, as usual.
February 8, 2014
I found this book at the library, translated in Italian - but it seemed a very good translation - and I really found it enjoyable, as friends from my GR group told in the past weeks. I haven't been completely satisfied because it is the #5 book in the series, so I haven't been able to understand references about things happened in the 4 past books.
The strangest thing is that the lady at the library told me that this one is the only Wishart book ever translated in Italian. Now, I understand the publisher's caution to translate just the one book to evaluate how the readers would like it, but why the #5!? Go figure.
The strangest thing is that the lady at the library told me that this one is the only Wishart book ever translated in Italian. Now, I understand the publisher's caution to translate just the one book to evaluate how the readers would like it, but why the #5!? Go figure.
January 26, 2018
Not quite up to Wishart's normal high standard, but enjoyable nonetheless. There were rather too many lines of speculation about 'whodunnit', involving too many characters, to be able to keep up comfortably. But the surprise-in-the-tail was well worth it!
February 3, 2019
Old Bones is another "independent" Corvinus mystery, and forms a good entry point to the series. It's a cozy-style, country-side mystery with a body count that wouldn't shame Tiberius, in the inimitable Corvinus style.
What to Expect
Back in Italy (but not in Rome), Corvinus is vacationing in Etruria. When dead bodies start piling up daily, Corvinus is forced to examine the ancient wine trade (it was only a matter of time, considering his love of wine consumption), real estate scams, and ancient treasures. Expect the usual Corvinus style, with plenty of wisecracks, twists, theories, wine guzzling, and the occasional bash on the head as Marcus tries to find the murderer.
Although this is book 5 of the series and there is some continuity from past books (recurring characters), because events are not related to the previous novels it can form a good entry point to the series.
What I liked
Wishart's research of the period is top notch, as usual. The Roman countryside is brought to life, with the Etruscan roots tenaciously hold on under the 'modern' Roman empire rule. The mystery itself is in the style of traditional cozies, with a small, out of the way village and distinctly colourful characters. It harkens back to legends 600 years back (two and half millennia go) that still thrill history lovers.
Wishart knowingly diverges from the common view on some of those real events for the sake of the story (as he notes in the afterword), but as he doesn't contradict the main facts it just makes for a pleasant interpretation for a rich background. One has to love the trivia of the Roman era and characters, masterfully brought to life.
Stylistically, 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 reading for lovers of those genres.
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
The novel was a pleasure to read. If you liked Roman-era mysteries by Lindsey Davis, Steven Saylor, Ruth Downie and the like, you really need to read Wishart 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
Back in Italy (but not in Rome), Corvinus is vacationing in Etruria. When dead bodies start piling up daily, Corvinus is forced to examine the ancient wine trade (it was only a matter of time, considering his love of wine consumption), real estate scams, and ancient treasures. Expect the usual Corvinus style, with plenty of wisecracks, twists, theories, wine guzzling, and the occasional bash on the head as Marcus tries to find the murderer.
Although this is book 5 of the series and there is some continuity from past books (recurring characters), because events are not related to the previous novels it can form a good entry point to the series.
What I liked
Wishart's research of the period is top notch, as usual. The Roman countryside is brought to life, with the Etruscan roots tenaciously hold on under the 'modern' Roman empire rule. The mystery itself is in the style of traditional cozies, with a small, out of the way village and distinctly colourful characters. It harkens back to legends 600 years back (two and half millennia go) that still thrill history lovers.
Wishart knowingly diverges from the common view on some of those real events for the sake of the story (as he notes in the afterword), but as he doesn't contradict the main facts it just makes for a pleasant interpretation for a rich background. One has to love the trivia of the Roman era and characters, masterfully brought to life.
Stylistically, 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 reading for lovers of those genres.
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
The novel was a pleasure to read. If you liked Roman-era mysteries by Lindsey Davis, Steven Saylor, Ruth Downie and the like, you really need to read Wishart 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.
August 19, 2022
This is the first of this series I've read & it may have been the wrong one to start with as I didn't like it much. I found Marcus' constant "jolly" observations & snarky witticisms extremely irritating. I did laugh at his response to his stepfather's pulling the knife out, though. I had to keep putting it down & read something else, so it's taken me a couple of weeks to finish. A fairly good tale, I suppose, but I don't think I'll bother with others in the series.
March 26, 2020
I really enjoyed this instalment in the series and what could be more fitting that our wine-lover discovering a wine-making scam whilst on holiday as well as helping to solve the local murder. Despite the huge cast of suspects and characters I found the plot easier to follow that some of the others. As always this was an amusing and enjoyable read.
February 17, 2020
Too much snarkiness from Marcus Corvinus. I didn't finish this one and have given up on this series.
August 22, 2024
Love a good Tarquinius Superbus name check.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2025
One of the best of this generally excellent series of ancient Roman mysteries.
October 17, 2012
Marcus Corvinus is a narrow-striper noble on holiday at a freinds villa near Vetuliscum in the Etruscan hills. He's a wine-loving, easy-going wastrel ... apparently.
When his incredibly vague stepfather Priscus, studying tombs in the area, is found knife in hand over the dead body of a local vinegrower everyone can't believe Priscus the killer - as Marcus would say, it'd take him three days to find a knife then end up wondering why he wanted one in the first place.
But the death starts Corvinus investigating - something he's done before, to the risk of his family and his own life. But surely, looking for the killer among this rural community of vintners isn't that hard? I mean, he's on holiday.
The first Corvinus book I ever read, I'll keep returning to it. While I accept Wishart plays loose with historical accuracy and ...er ... keen to bring earthy dialogue to Nero's Rome, he knows how to write a good plot and a genuinely likable protagonist. Marcus Corvinus himself would dismiss any feelings of noble obligation, loyalty or selflessness yet demonstrates these attributes with gruff clarity.
When his incredibly vague stepfather Priscus, studying tombs in the area, is found knife in hand over the dead body of a local vinegrower everyone can't believe Priscus the killer - as Marcus would say, it'd take him three days to find a knife then end up wondering why he wanted one in the first place.
But the death starts Corvinus investigating - something he's done before, to the risk of his family and his own life. But surely, looking for the killer among this rural community of vintners isn't that hard? I mean, he's on holiday.
The first Corvinus book I ever read, I'll keep returning to it. While I accept Wishart plays loose with historical accuracy and ...er ... keen to bring earthy dialogue to Nero's Rome, he knows how to write a good plot and a genuinely likable protagonist. Marcus Corvinus himself would dismiss any feelings of noble obligation, loyalty or selflessness yet demonstrates these attributes with gruff clarity.
September 29, 2008
This is the third book that I have read in the Marcus Corvinus series, but I read it out of sequence and that may have affected my judgment of it. I found it hard to get into. Marcus just seems to me to be a bit of a smartass and, as far as I can tell, there's little reason for him to be. His character is a bit hard for me to warm up to.
The central mystery here (although THAT is a mystery throughout much of the story) is the finding of an ancient tomb and the robbing of said tomb. The proximate mysteries relate to multiple murders including the original one of which Marcus's stepfather, the archaeologist, is briefly accused. That's how Marcus gets involved in the first place.
Through many twists and turns and a whole shipload of red herrings, Marcus doggedly conducts his investigations until he finally unravels the knot. Sort of like a certain donkey featured prominently in the story.
The central mystery here (although THAT is a mystery throughout much of the story) is the finding of an ancient tomb and the robbing of said tomb. The proximate mysteries relate to multiple murders including the original one of which Marcus's stepfather, the archaeologist, is briefly accused. That's how Marcus gets involved in the first place.
Through many twists and turns and a whole shipload of red herrings, Marcus doggedly conducts his investigations until he finally unravels the knot. Sort of like a certain donkey featured prominently in the story.
June 17, 2013
Full of witty conversation, and hilarity of words. I love how the author started the story, which makes you keep on turning the pages. The mystery itself that somebody was murdered in a small town, while Marcus was in a holiday was so challenging for him, especially when his stepfather was the suspected killer. He's willing to proves his innocence by investigating the town, but led on so many red herring before he catches up the murderer.
May 7, 2015
I skipped the Lydian Baker (it is super expensive for used copies) but I don't think I missed much except detail in terms of life in the Corvinus family. Marcus and the family have returned from Athens for a vacation. Oops stepdad stumbles on a body is pinned with the murder. Lots of possible suspects on the scene with various motives as a a small country town is no walk in the park. Neat bit of history manipulated into the story resolution.
July 1, 2011
This is the first of the Marcus Corvinus books that I could not remember if I read or not. It turns out I had read it, but since it was a while ago, I did not remember the specifics. However I am an inveterate re-reader, so even if I had remembered, I would still have enjoyed the book. This was a nice, light read. Corvinus is quite a character.
September 16, 2012
Somehow I couldn't enjoy this book - there was no connection to the characters (I truly love Marcus Corvinus and his wife, Perilla, but there they were also weak written), the storyline/crime/investigation was quite boring, so I didn't enjoyed this book.
Hope the next ones will be much more okay like this.
Hope the next ones will be much more okay like this.
December 7, 2014
This one really keeps you guessing!
July 13, 2014
Nice mystery. Keep me guessing till the end.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews