Roman Blood

and join Gordianus the Finder as he hunts through those twisting, winding streets to aid Cicero (yes, that Cicero).

Set in 80 BC, during the dictatorship of Sulla, Gordianus is hired by a young orator named Cicero to investigate a case, Sextus Roscius, a gentleman farmer, is accused of the murder of his father. Gordianus is soon plunged into the not so glamorous side of ancient Rome, a Rome of hired killers, corrupt government, brothels and home invasions. A world where a dying man's screams only cause good citizens to cover their ears and hide behind their barred doors.

The clues to the mystery of this novel are all there for the reader to follow but twist and turn so that it would be a challenge to solve the crime before Gordianus. The real treat to this story is not the mystery, although it is engaging, but rather the glimpse into the ancient world. Even though Gordianus has many of the same concerns of a modern day citizen, (crime in the streets, corruption in government, stretching the income to cover expenses) but he is very much a man of his times. Gordianus must contend with the social niceties of how a free citizen should treat a slave, his own and those belonging to others, finding his way through a city that has no maps, nor even any names on most of the streets, streets where a citizen could be killed at any time by a common thief, in a vendetta with a rival family or even at the request of the government. Saylor's descriptions of the settings and characters are fascinating, they bring this long gone time a place alive in an interesting and entertaining manner.

This is the first of the ROMA SUB ROSA series, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next in the series.

Steven Saylor's novel is aptly named -- a good deal of Roman blood is indeed spilled when Gordianus the Finder agrees to help a young lawyer named Marcus Tullius Cicero with his first case. Cicero has been hired to defend one Sextus Roscius, accused of killing his father, also named Sextus Roscius. The crime of patricide was punishable by death in ancient Rome, and neither Cicero nor Gordianus wants to see an innocent man executed.
Saylor does a good job of bringing Rome to life; he includes many details, including descriptions of the narrow, winding streets, the oppressive heat of summer, and the intricacies of the Roman legal system, that create a sense of place and painlessly educate the reader. There are only a few places where the description intrudes into the story. Since the story is bound up with the political intrigue surrounding the rule of the dictator Sulla (80 BC), a knowledge of Roman history will help the reader keepthe characters and their motivations straight. Saylor does give an explanation of Sulla's rise to power and the atrocities he and his followers committed, but it comes late in the book and drags on for several pages, so this is not as useful as it could be. Readers not familiar with (or uninterested in) Roman history may have trouble getting into the book, but overall the setting is well-done and convincing.
The mystery aspect of the novel was not as interesting as the historical aspect; the story is slow in places, and it was hard to care about the characters, especially since many of them lack redeeming qualities. Also, Saylor has an unfortunate tendencyto overemphasize key plot points, as if he doesn't want the reader to miss the fact that a certain discovery is a clue. Part of the mystery reader's responsibility is to find the clues on her own; it is the mystery author's job to confuse the reader about what is a clue and what is a red herring. Saylor doesn't seem to have mastered that skill. The end of the novel, which includes the requisite court scene with Cicero making his argument on behalf of the accused, seems to take forever to lumber to a conclusion. Read the book for its setting, but don't expect too much in the mystery department.

As always in the case of a (good) historical novel, this is a story about a modern character in pseudo-Ancient grab peeeping at an alien reality and judging it on his own terms. The interest of the story therefore depends on the modern character being intersting enough. Fact is, Gordianus the Finder is a very interesting character, the knowledge of Roman History displayed by the author accurate, and there are vignettes in this book I wouldn't wish to miss (for instance, the account of Gordianus' travel to Ameria). An enormously interesting book, deserves to be read both as a mystery and as a historical novel.

I thoroughly enjoined this book. Most historical fiction of Rome and Greece revolves around only the greatest kings and generals of the age. This novel with its man in the street protagonist however paints a more intimate and realistic picture of Rome.

I found it a little odd that Gordianus has absolutely no familial relations mentioned in this book and no real social relations to speak of either. I felt that Gordianus' familial/social disconnet brought a bit of unbelievability to this book.

As far as I could tell, this novel otherwise appears to free of anachronisms yet completely palpable to the modern reader.

Despite the fact that with the last 100 pages this book suddenly shifted into slow motion (the second visit to Electra, or the tearing down of the charred house, etc. "yawn") all in all, I really enjoyed this book.

Gordianus the Finder is a Roman private eye circa 80 BC, who makes a living gathering evidence for the lengthy court cases so beloved of his era. One hot day, he is called to aid a neophyte advocate named Cicero, who is defending a man charged with that most serious of ancient crimes, parricide. The accused will say little in his own defence and hired killers dog the footsteps of all potential witnesses to the crime. The further Gordianus digs into this complex case, the more layers of "truth" are uncovered -- and the more danger threatens his own household.

The plot is well-planned and reasonably fair to those who are familiar with the milieu. The author is plainly fascinated with the era and has done a lot of homework; but this book is uneasily balanced between the genres of historical fiction and crime fiction. I hesitate to mention genre boundaries because in general I don't believe in them; but in this case the reader should be aware that the book is extremely slow-paced for a mystery, and rather clumsy for a historical novel.

Some historical novelists are sketchers, some are watercolor artists, some are oil painters -- Saylor is a creator of mosaics, patiently toiling away forever to create the desired image from thousands of little tiles. He's perfectly capable of devoting several paragraphs to a character getting ready for bed, or a landscape, or the exterior of a house; and not just once per book, but multiple times per chapter. In any other writer, I'd conclude that this was a first-time novelist problem, but in Mr. Saylor's case I think it may be his natural style -- I mean, anyone who reads Sallust and Plutarch for fun can't exactly be a fan of stripped-down prose. This quirk is particularly pronounced in the parts of the book which deal with the political background of the time: not only is there a longish biography of Sulla (which reads exactly like the introduction to a Penguin Classic and really spoils the first-person narration -- why would Gordianus have to explain Sulla to anyone of his own era?), but the author devotes twenty pages to the rhetorical flourishes of both prosecution and defense in the murder trial. Personally, I deplore speeches in a novel; and since I was forced to read Cicero as a child, I felt no compunction about skipping these orations after a cursory skim. In passing, I should mention that there is an unusual amount of sex for a historical mystery, but almost no humor.

In sum, Mr. Saylor's work is intelligent, well researched, deliberate, and written in thoughtful prose. However, it made my spine itch with impatience throughout -- I kept skipping ahead to find some action, and then forcing myself to go back (but only because I was obligated to review the book; otherwise, I would just have skimmed the whole thing). This book is like creamed spinach: it's unclear whether it's really good, or whether you convince yourself it's good because it's so patently good for you.

I had been putting off reading this series, but finally decided to start, and I'm glad I did. The book is a long one, but it is so interesting, and so suspenseful that it kept me turning pages. While I was reading I almost forgot I was reading about Ancient Rome circa 80 B.C. Gordianus the Finder is a strong character, and he definitely moves this book along. There is a whole gamut of stuff going on from parricide to murder, to hired assassins, as well as a whole lot of family secrets. The settiog that Saylor sets is very vivid and realistic. This book is both a good history lesson as well as an excellent mystery. Can't wait to read more. Even though these books are about ancient Rome they are as different from Lindsey Davis' Rome as can be, but still wonderful. Lindsey Davis is one of my very favourite authors, and that is why I was hesitant to begin this series, but the series will have merit in its own right.

Saylor starts off his rollercoaster-ride Roma Sub Rosa mystery series with a bang! Gordianus is called upon by young and ambitious Cicero to help solve a patricide murder case. He is reluctant. But as soon as he starts to peel away layers he finds startling facts about the murder but also puts his life in grave danger! In this fun first entry, Saylor entertains and also seductively educates. Ever present behind the fast-paced story is Ancient Italy - a character unto itself. Civil war looms. Politicians scheme. Roman blood is spilled. Murderers are revealed.

Read the Roma Sub Rosa books in proper order (but get "The House of the Vestal Virgin" next. Its a collection of short stories that take place next chronologically).

Saylor's recreation of a Rome nearly 300 years before the birth of Christ is a treat to the historical lover's eyes. Soaring marble columns, white togas, and references to famous ancients such as Cicero adorn every page. What may not be so appealing in this mystery is the muck of Roman streets, various unclothed Romans engaging in numerous sexual acts, and a several page historical dissertation about the dictator Sulla which has nothing whatsoever to do with the plot. Certain revelations meant to be dismaying are predictable and the detective spends as much time moping around as he does trying to solve the mystery. History purists will also be disappointed that much of the dialogue (excluding exclamations of "by Hercules!) could have been lifted from any of the many crime shows that dot the TV arena.

The first 300+ pages of Roman Blood is a masterpiece of historical mystery writing. It has richly drawn characters, lots of suspense and a strict adherence to historical fact. In short, it is a great read. If Saylor had the judgment to end his novel with the first 300+ pages, I would have given it a 5-star rating without any reservations.
However, such is not the case. The reason is that Saylor either decided to throw in one final plot twist or his editors compelled him to do so. This twist contradicts both established historical facts and also the facts of the case that was laid out in the previous 300+ pages. It is also written in such a way that it literally violates the suspension of disbelief that is vital to any enjoyable escape reading. The reader feels cheated at the end of the novel.
Due to the merits of the first 300+ pages, I still give this a 3 out of 5 star rating, but it could have been a 5 all the way.

'Roman Blood' started Steven Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa series with Gordianus the Finder helping Cicero on his first big case - the parricide Sextus Roscius. Saylor authentically renders the details of life in late Republican Rome (albeit during the interval of Sulla's dictatorship). The reader will meet many real historical figures such as the orator/politician Cicero, his slave Tiro, the dictator Sulla, his enemy Caecilia Metella, the wealthy freedman and Sulla's adherent Chrysogonus and many others.

The story of Sextus centers around the proscription lists (literally lists of death warrants) posted by Sulla in Rome. Anyone on the proscription list is subject to being killed with a reward to the killer. Abuses occurred and the victims' estates were plundered by Sulla and his followers. Sextus the father was a wealthy owner of agricultural estates in Ameria who made his son run the farm while he played in Rome. Sextus senior ends up dead, but who did it and who is going to be held to account for it (not necessarily the same thing)?

Unlike much historical fiction, Saylor has entwined a nice little mystery of his own into 'Roman Blood'. Who really did kill Sextus?

Gordianus also meets the mute boy Eco in this book.

A very enjoyable read and by all accounts quite historically authentic.