Search - Roman Blood

First in the Gordianus the Finder historical mystery series set in 80 B.C. Rome. Gordianus is approached by a new, young advocate (lawyer) who is representing a man accused of killing his father, an almost unheard of crime at the time. Cicero is certain he's innocent and hires Gordianus to investigate. Within a short time, attempts are made on Gordianus' life, his home is ransacked, and a major political plot involving the deputy of the emperor Sulla begins to unfold. Enjoyable and well-done book with a gritty, realistic approach to the historical aspects; Saylor makes no move to cover up the hellish side of living in a slave-driven society. There was a bit of pre-occupation with sex in this book, but I was able to overlook that and enjoy the book anyway. LOL Looking forward to the next.

This is the third novel I've read by this author and the first in his Gordianus the Finder series. He really is able to bring the Pre-Roman Empire era to life with his careful and crafty way of weaving historical figures into his writing. This was a great, fun read.

The writing is excellent and combines history with mystery resulting in an engrossing story. The main character is witty and likeable as he "finds" or solves the mystery. I really enjoyed this book!