Author Steven Saylor's acclaimed Roma Sub Rosa historical mystery series, set during the years when the Roman Republic was bloodily evolving into the Roman Empire, has now reached its crux. What a challenge for any author: to maintain suspense and reader interest while portraying one of the most famous murders of all times, the assassination of Julius Caesar on the Ides of Martius, 44 BCE.
Most readers interested enough to read Saylor's book are already going to know the salient facts of Caesar's murder: the who, what, where and the ostensible why. Saylor brilliantly builds the tension by using the reader's foreknowledge as a foil for the efforts of Gordianus to discover and prevent any plot against the Dictator's life at what was the apogee of his power. Saylor delivers a gripping "Ground Zero" account of one of the seminal events of ancient times.
If you haven't read Saylors' series, I recommend you start at the beginning, with Roman Blood (1991), and follow Gordianus the Finder full circle, through the thirteen previous novels and two collections of short stories.
Click HERE to read the review from Publishers Weekly.
Click HERE to read the review from Kirkus Reviews.
Click HERE to read the review from Open Letters Review.com
Click HERE to find a brief biographical note and bibliography of Steven Saylor from Wikipedia
No comments:
Post a Comment