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kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
Sixth in the Gaius Petreius Ruso historical mystery series revolving around a Roman army medic and his British wife. This story is set in the fort at Parva in Britain.
My Take
I like this one better than the last, Semper Fidelis, 5, and it seems to be heading back towards what I enjoyed about Downie’s earlier stories, even if that landslide is the introduction and a metaphor for how things progress in this story, all downhill.
For all the worry rebellion seems to cause the Romans, they don’t do much to be nice. They want to build a wall? No problem. Throw people’s furnishings and household goods out of their homes and tell them they can’t have their farm anymore. Looking for a missing soldier? No problem. Invade people’s homes and burn those homes down if the Romans think they’re lying. Conn certainly has a lot to say about Roman actions, and you can’t help but laugh and agree.
Poor Ruso. He’s got all these entanglements because of Tilla, and he’s starting to see the British side of things. He loves her, I still can’t see why. But he sure does jump through the hoops for her. It doesn’t help that he sends troops hunting for his lost clerk, and they have no care for local sensibilities. Worse, he’s still thinking with his heart instead of his brain, although it is what makes him the man he is.
It’s interesting to note what the Roman army will punish and what it accepts. In some ways it seems very civilized, and in others, oh boy. Makes ya grateful for the Bill of Rights and the Geneva Convention. It’s disheartening as well to see how much we haven’t changed. Abusive men, trigger-quick tongues, leaping to conclusions, gossip… We still refuse to acknowledge the culture of others as Rome does when faced with a British poet.
Senecio being a poet is not what it seems. He's more bard, librarian, and the memories of his people. And one of the first people the Romans should have spoken with when they arrived. Instead, they dismissed him as crazy.
It’s an eye-opening time for Tilla as she learns the negative side of being a mother, learns more than she could imagine about her family, sees the rightness on both sides, and finally realizes the harm she’s been doing. Those medical books Tilla is reading are eye-opening as well as they haven’t much basis in normal people’s lives, and they make me think of those meal-planning diet guides that tell you to have a different juice or drink and bread for each breakfast and lunch. How can you expect to store all those different foods and use ‘em up fast enough?
Why would Ruso think his discovery could possibly clear Daminius? It does just the opposite!
Why don’t Piso and Lupus just tell the truth? They’ve already been caught in lies that will mean trouble for them?
I don’t get it. Ruso has been given a level of authority in looking for the boy by the tribune himself. Why hasn’t he taken advantage of this? He could have ordered up a few men to go with him?
At the end, what started up the ruckus? Why did they think Ruso was the child snatcher?
The natives will be celebrating Samain in this story, and Downie includes a few of its myths and legends.
The Story
It starts with an amputation dangling on dangerous ground and continues to slide downwards with rumors of a body in the wall, kidnapped children, and local anger over that wall being built across farmsteads.
A man who knew Tilla’s mother offers to bless their union, which gives Tilla a brief warmth of family until a young boy goes missing in a most disruptive way, fanning the embers of rebellion.
The Characters
Medical Officer Gaius Petreius Ruso is a Roman medicus for the Twentieth and has gained a reputation for solving mysteries. He's recently married the outspoken Tilla, a.k.a., Darlughdacha, a British native who received her Roman citizenship in Semper Fidelis, 5. She's been learning the medical arts and practices on the natives. The tactless, clueless Virana is a pregnant native Tilla took in and is currently working for Ria to pay the rent. Another tactless one with a mouth that won't stop, Aemilia is Tilla's cousin and married to a brewer, Rianorix, whom Tilla should have married.
Albanus is a friend and his former clerk, does Ruso ever miss him! He's sent his annoying nephew, Legionary Candidus, a.k.a., Perky, to Ruso to aid him in a career. Grata was the woman Albanus was going to marry.
The British natives
Senecio of the Corionotatae is the head of a native family who are incredibly angry at the Romans. He's also a poet who sings to trees. Enica is his wife. Branan is his youngest son. Conn is his oldest, a hothead, and a leader during the troubles. The Romans have a thick file on him. Dubnus was the middle son, killed during the last rebellion by a legion from the Twentieth.
Aedic is a young boy whose life has changed too much, leaving him with a sore heart. Petta is his uncaring stepmother, the woman who threw Conn aside. Lucano and Matto are brothers and bullies. Inam is a neighbor and friend of Branan's. Cata is a local girl seeing an abusive Roman soldier.
Ria is Ruso and Tilla's landlady and part owner of the local snack bar. Her husband is a baker and not averse to slipping Tilla free pastries in thanks.
The Twentieth Legion
Accius is the tribune and in overall command. Fabius is the local centurion, Ruso's superior (in name only, sigh), an absolute joke with an obsession for his health. It does pander to his need for drink, sleep, and laziness, *eye roll* Regulus is a plumber attacked by natives. Mallius is one of the quarrymen. Optio Daminius is a very honorable junior officer and Fabius' deputy — he's the only reason the camp runs as well as it does — with his hand in the cookie jar.
Peregrinus is a century of Fabius' and causing a ruckus at Regulus' door. Olennius is a builder who's found something.
The hospital
Doctor Valens is an old friend and a medicus as well; Serena is his wife. Prefect Pertinax is Serena's father, was a mentor to Ruso, and now simply terrifies them all. Gallús is Ruso's deputy. Nisus is the closemouthed pharmacist. Gracilis is the huge clerk come to take Candidus' place.
Larentia is a girl with that mole in the right place. Lupus is a slave dealer; Piso is his agent. Susanna is an old friend of Ruso's in Coria. Centurion Silvanus is in the next fort up the line, Magnis. The kitchen maid is the problem, as she belongs in every way to Fabius. Agelastus was a slave falsely accused of rape, he says.
Deva is where the legion will winter. The threefold death is a ritual sacrifice involving breath, blood, and food.
The Cover
The cover is odd. I do associate the grays and reds with Rome, but I’m not sure what the stone sculpture of a man’s back, his head tilted down, and his hands clasped behind his back means in relation to this story. Unless it’s meant to portray Ruso with all his worries.
The title is what Hadrian’s Wall becomes, a Tabula Rasa, in memoriam.
My Take
I like this one better than the last, Semper Fidelis, 5, and it seems to be heading back towards what I enjoyed about Downie’s earlier stories, even if that landslide is the introduction and a metaphor for how things progress in this story, all downhill.
For all the worry rebellion seems to cause the Romans, they don’t do much to be nice. They want to build a wall? No problem. Throw people’s furnishings and household goods out of their homes and tell them they can’t have their farm anymore. Looking for a missing soldier? No problem. Invade people’s homes and burn those homes down if the Romans think they’re lying. Conn certainly has a lot to say about Roman actions, and you can’t help but laugh and agree.
”We’ll help you round up all your men and beat them … You always think it works on us.”
Poor Ruso. He’s got all these entanglements because of Tilla, and he’s starting to see the British side of things. He loves her, I still can’t see why. But he sure does jump through the hoops for her. It doesn’t help that he sends troops hunting for his lost clerk, and they have no care for local sensibilities. Worse, he’s still thinking with his heart instead of his brain, although it is what makes him the man he is.
It’s interesting to note what the Roman army will punish and what it accepts. In some ways it seems very civilized, and in others, oh boy. Makes ya grateful for the Bill of Rights and the Geneva Convention. It’s disheartening as well to see how much we haven’t changed. Abusive men, trigger-quick tongues, leaping to conclusions, gossip… We still refuse to acknowledge the culture of others as Rome does when faced with a British poet.
Senecio being a poet is not what it seems. He's more bard, librarian, and the memories of his people. And one of the first people the Romans should have spoken with when they arrived. Instead, they dismissed him as crazy.
It’s an eye-opening time for Tilla as she learns the negative side of being a mother, learns more than she could imagine about her family, sees the rightness on both sides, and finally realizes the harm she’s been doing. Those medical books Tilla is reading are eye-opening as well as they haven’t much basis in normal people’s lives, and they make me think of those meal-planning diet guides that tell you to have a different juice or drink and bread for each breakfast and lunch. How can you expect to store all those different foods and use ‘em up fast enough?
Why would Ruso think his discovery could possibly clear Daminius? It does just the opposite!
Why don’t Piso and Lupus just tell the truth? They’ve already been caught in lies that will mean trouble for them?
I don’t get it. Ruso has been given a level of authority in looking for the boy by the tribune himself. Why hasn’t he taken advantage of this? He could have ordered up a few men to go with him?
At the end, what started up the ruckus? Why did they think Ruso was the child snatcher?
The natives will be celebrating Samain in this story, and Downie includes a few of its myths and legends.
The Story
It starts with an amputation dangling on dangerous ground and continues to slide downwards with rumors of a body in the wall, kidnapped children, and local anger over that wall being built across farmsteads.
A man who knew Tilla’s mother offers to bless their union, which gives Tilla a brief warmth of family until a young boy goes missing in a most disruptive way, fanning the embers of rebellion.
The Characters
Medical Officer Gaius Petreius Ruso is a Roman medicus for the Twentieth and has gained a reputation for solving mysteries. He's recently married the outspoken Tilla, a.k.a., Darlughdacha, a British native who received her Roman citizenship in Semper Fidelis, 5. She's been learning the medical arts and practices on the natives. The tactless, clueless Virana is a pregnant native Tilla took in and is currently working for Ria to pay the rent. Another tactless one with a mouth that won't stop, Aemilia is Tilla's cousin and married to a brewer, Rianorix, whom Tilla should have married.
Albanus is a friend and his former clerk, does Ruso ever miss him! He's sent his annoying nephew, Legionary Candidus, a.k.a., Perky, to Ruso to aid him in a career. Grata was the woman Albanus was going to marry.
The British natives
Senecio of the Corionotatae is the head of a native family who are incredibly angry at the Romans. He's also a poet who sings to trees. Enica is his wife. Branan is his youngest son. Conn is his oldest, a hothead, and a leader during the troubles. The Romans have a thick file on him. Dubnus was the middle son, killed during the last rebellion by a legion from the Twentieth.
Aedic is a young boy whose life has changed too much, leaving him with a sore heart. Petta is his uncaring stepmother, the woman who threw Conn aside. Lucano and Matto are brothers and bullies. Inam is a neighbor and friend of Branan's. Cata is a local girl seeing an abusive Roman soldier.
Ria is Ruso and Tilla's landlady and part owner of the local snack bar. Her husband is a baker and not averse to slipping Tilla free pastries in thanks.
The Twentieth Legion
Accius is the tribune and in overall command. Fabius is the local centurion, Ruso's superior (in name only, sigh), an absolute joke with an obsession for his health. It does pander to his need for drink, sleep, and laziness, *eye roll* Regulus is a plumber attacked by natives. Mallius is one of the quarrymen. Optio Daminius is a very honorable junior officer and Fabius' deputy — he's the only reason the camp runs as well as it does — with his hand in the cookie jar.
Peregrinus is a century of Fabius' and causing a ruckus at Regulus' door. Olennius is a builder who's found something.
The hospital
Doctor Valens is an old friend and a medicus as well; Serena is his wife. Prefect Pertinax is Serena's father, was a mentor to Ruso, and now simply terrifies them all. Gallús is Ruso's deputy. Nisus is the closemouthed pharmacist. Gracilis is the huge clerk come to take Candidus' place.
Larentia is a girl with that mole in the right place. Lupus is a slave dealer; Piso is his agent. Susanna is an old friend of Ruso's in Coria. Centurion Silvanus is in the next fort up the line, Magnis. The kitchen maid is the problem, as she belongs in every way to Fabius. Agelastus was a slave falsely accused of rape, he says.
Deva is where the legion will winter. The threefold death is a ritual sacrifice involving breath, blood, and food.
The Cover
The cover is odd. I do associate the grays and reds with Rome, but I’m not sure what the stone sculpture of a man’s back, his head tilted down, and his hands clasped behind his back means in relation to this story. Unless it’s meant to portray Ruso with all his worries.
The title is what Hadrian’s Wall becomes, a Tabula Rasa, in memoriam.
ljstrain28's review against another edition
3.0
That was fun! I love how Ruso sort of bumbles through a mystery without really bumbling; he's just so...I can't find a good word. Almost unflappable, to me, and yet, maybe he's just tired all the time. And I love Tilla! What a great strong personality. Fun read!
assaphmehr's review against another edition
5.0
Finally we get to look at Roman Britain's most famous architectural marvel - Hadrian's Wall. Out in the northern extreme of the Roman empire, Ruso is managing the hospitals for the twentieth legions. Between building accidents, tense natives, and touchy centurions, it's only a matter of time till murders - rumoured and real - start dragging at Ruso.
What to Expect
Complex and engaging plot, with all characters being fully-fleshed people with their own agendas. Ruso has to navigate between all of them, trying to perform his duties while untangling murders based on sketchy details from reluctant witnesses.
As usual, Downie's research about Roman life in the Roman frontier under Hadrian is top-notch. We get a glimpse of what life must have been like to those soldiers who were busy building that lasting monument.
The POV of view alternates between Ruso and his (British) wife Tilla, and Downie does an excellent job in describing how these two very different people view the world. We also get a lot more exposure to native Briton life, and its ambivalent relations with the conquering Romans.
What I liked
This goes for the whole series.
The absolute charm of the writing. All characters are fully fleshed, believable, with their own motivations. The writing is witty, the setting is rich, the plot thought-out, and the mysteries engaging.
These are the kind of books where you care for the characters. Downie has a knack to depict the world-views of the characters realistically, switching viewpoints from a Roman medical officer to a British peasant woman. It is clear that each character - from main to support cast - is a fully realised person, with their own agendas and biases.
The plot of the stories grips you till can't put the book down. Downie is masterfully building up the investigations through sub-plots, distractions, daily lives, grand events - till you just have to know what happens next. Ruso may be a reluctant investigator, but he has that nagging voice in his head when things don't quite fit well, and it keeps him following and digging for the truth. Tilla has her own sense of fairness, and views on what makes the world tick.
Downie locates each book in a different town, mostly around Roman Britain
(with only two exceptions). She has clearly done her research for each location and they all come alive, with the latest modern archaeological understanding of life there seeping through her writing.
What to be aware of
These aren't the noir mysteries I normally read and recommend. While there are certainly some gruesome bits (did I mention construction accidents?), these aren't your typical first-person hard-boiled detective. Rather, the stories are told in a lighter vein, in third person perspective from either Ruso or Tilla's POV. Happily, Tilla gets a lot of page-time in this novel.
Ms Downie has experience with archaeology and Latin history, and it shows in her writing. She has elected to translate most Latin terms into modern English (e.g. calling a master 'my lord' rather then 'domine', or using 'doctor' for physician), which may sound a tad weird to those used to Latin terms from similar series.
Be aware that while it's not strictly necessary to read the books in order, it certainly helps.
Summary
I absolutely love this series. I have no idea why it took me so long to get back to it, but I am glad I did. If you've read the previous books, this is a great continuation. If not, go back to book one (Medicus) and start reading today!
--
[a:Assaph Mehr|14422472|Assaph Mehr|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1445823325p2/14422472.jpg], author of [b:Murder In Absentia|29500700|Murder In Absentia (Felix the Fox, #1)|Assaph Mehr|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1457914061s/29500700.jpg|46845657]: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
What to Expect
Complex and engaging plot, with all characters being fully-fleshed people with their own agendas. Ruso has to navigate between all of them, trying to perform his duties while untangling murders based on sketchy details from reluctant witnesses.
As usual, Downie's research about Roman life in the Roman frontier under Hadrian is top-notch. We get a glimpse of what life must have been like to those soldiers who were busy building that lasting monument.
The POV of view alternates between Ruso and his (British) wife Tilla, and Downie does an excellent job in describing how these two very different people view the world. We also get a lot more exposure to native Briton life, and its ambivalent relations with the conquering Romans.
What I liked
This goes for the whole series.
The absolute charm of the writing. All characters are fully fleshed, believable, with their own motivations. The writing is witty, the setting is rich, the plot thought-out, and the mysteries engaging.
These are the kind of books where you care for the characters. Downie has a knack to depict the world-views of the characters realistically, switching viewpoints from a Roman medical officer to a British peasant woman. It is clear that each character - from main to support cast - is a fully realised person, with their own agendas and biases.
The plot of the stories grips you till can't put the book down. Downie is masterfully building up the investigations through sub-plots, distractions, daily lives, grand events - till you just have to know what happens next. Ruso may be a reluctant investigator, but he has that nagging voice in his head when things don't quite fit well, and it keeps him following and digging for the truth. Tilla has her own sense of fairness, and views on what makes the world tick.
Downie locates each book in a different town, mostly around Roman Britain
(with only two exceptions). She has clearly done her research for each location and they all come alive, with the latest modern archaeological understanding of life there seeping through her writing.
What to be aware of
These aren't the noir mysteries I normally read and recommend. While there are certainly some gruesome bits (did I mention construction accidents?), these aren't your typical first-person hard-boiled detective. Rather, the stories are told in a lighter vein, in third person perspective from either Ruso or Tilla's POV. Happily, Tilla gets a lot of page-time in this novel.
Ms Downie has experience with archaeology and Latin history, and it shows in her writing. She has elected to translate most Latin terms into modern English (e.g. calling a master 'my lord' rather then 'domine', or using 'doctor' for physician), which may sound a tad weird to those used to Latin terms from similar series.
Be aware that while it's not strictly necessary to read the books in order, it certainly helps.
Summary
I absolutely love this series. I have no idea why it took me so long to get back to it, but I am glad I did. If you've read the previous books, this is a great continuation. If not, go back to book one (Medicus) and start reading today!
--
[a:Assaph Mehr|14422472|Assaph Mehr|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1445823325p2/14422472.jpg], author of [b:Murder In Absentia|29500700|Murder In Absentia (Felix the Fox, #1)|Assaph Mehr|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1457914061s/29500700.jpg|46845657]: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
colls's review
4.0
This was another good mystery and, as always, I enjoyed the relationship between Ruso and Tilla. Several other familiar characters showed up and the focus on the local families was also interesting.
generalorgana163's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
lyndiane's review against another edition
5.0
Ruth Downie's writing is like the very best imported confection - marvellous, rich and to be savoured at leisure!
Once again she has presented her readers with a literary treasure filled with complex characters, loads of gentle humour and courage aplenty, all laced together with political intrigue that would leave the Roman senate in the dust! Best of all, her plots remain unpredictable, even after 6 novels.
Once again she has presented her readers with a literary treasure filled with complex characters, loads of gentle humour and courage aplenty, all laced together with political intrigue that would leave the Roman senate in the dust! Best of all, her plots remain unpredictable, even after 6 novels.
sharon_geitz's review against another edition
4.0
Brilliantly evoked Roman Britain setting, great mystery and continuing excellent characterisation. One of my favourite crime authors.
jmeston's review against another edition
4.0
Satisfying. Pertinax makes a good terrible patient. Tilla continues to find that her identity is located neither in the community she came from nor with the Romans but in both. Loved all the family developments in every direction. I was wondering what would happen once Virana had her baby...
kukushka's review against another edition
5.0
Ruso and Tilla are back up in northern Britannia where a rumour has it that there's a body buried in Hadrian's wall-in-progress.
Downie's writing is consistently solid, and I really enjoyed this latest addition to the series. It follows the familiar format of Ruso stumbling into the middle of a mystery - helped along by Tilla's meddling. He then proceeds to bumble around for 200 pages until, in the final few pages of the book, the mystery largely solves itself. It makes the series a little less than satisfying as a procedural because there's little to follow on - when I can't guess the answer, it's because all the salient information is being withheld.
There's humour in this format, though. Ruso is building a reputation as a crime solver, and yet he actually does very little. Tilla is the more active agent, and much of the most important comes through her investigations. Beyond that, it is Ruso's reputation that positions him to receive the information he needs for the mystery to be resolved.
The real appeal of the series is the setting, and how beautifully Downie is able to bring it to life. The world of these novels feels populated, and even background characters have tangibility. The world also plays out in our two main characters and how they interact and negotiate each other's cultural differences (and the differences really are cultural, because both are as stubborn and curmudgeonly as each other, much as they might protest otherwise).
I was concerned about how the couple's infertility would play out, and had some concerns that Tilla would suddenly find herself pregnant after receiving the marriage blessing. I shouldn't have worried, not after how deftly Downie handled the issue of religion in Persona Non Grata. She is very deft at navigating fraught themes. Getting a replacement baby from Virana skirted the groaning border, though. The choice to give up her baby isn't contrary to Virana's established character, but it still would have been nice to see a little more build up. As it was, there was really only the mirroring with Conn's fiancée's refusal to do the same. Still, it's easy enough to see how the decision would have made sense to Virana, so I'll accept it. And it'll be interesting to see how the addition of a baby to the family changes the dynamic between Ruso and Tilla.
Overall, I found this to be a fine addition to the series. I actually bought Tabula Rasa when it first came out, but was afraid to read it and no longer have it to look forward to! But with Vita Brevis coming out soon, I took a chance and was not disappointed.
Downie's writing is consistently solid, and I really enjoyed this latest addition to the series. It follows the familiar format of Ruso stumbling into the middle of a mystery - helped along by Tilla's meddling. He then proceeds to bumble around for 200 pages until, in the final few pages of the book, the mystery largely solves itself. It makes the series a little less than satisfying as a procedural because there's little to follow on - when I can't guess the answer, it's because all the salient information is being withheld.
There's humour in this format, though. Ruso is building a reputation as a crime solver, and yet he actually does very little. Tilla is the more active agent, and much of the most important comes through her investigations. Beyond that, it is Ruso's reputation that positions him to receive the information he needs for the mystery to be resolved.
The real appeal of the series is the setting, and how beautifully Downie is able to bring it to life. The world of these novels feels populated, and even background characters have tangibility. The world also plays out in our two main characters and how they interact and negotiate each other's cultural differences (and the differences really are cultural, because both are as stubborn and curmudgeonly as each other, much as they might protest otherwise).
Overall, I found this to be a fine addition to the series. I actually bought Tabula Rasa when it first came out, but was afraid to read it and no longer have it to look forward to! But with Vita Brevis coming out soon, I took a chance and was not disappointed.
archytas's review
4.0
Some crime series start strong, but peter out as none of the subsequant ideas are as good as the others. This is not one of those. This is the sixth outing with Ruso and Dalaghdacha for Downie, and it was a pleasure from start from finish, the atrongest entry yet as Downie's confidence with these characters settles. Downie jas also settled into a style that shifts between absurd humour and pathos much more smoothly, poking fun at her characters while never letting them cartoony or less than heroic.
She works these flaws well in the plot too. Characters as impulsive and sometimes obtuse as these allow a flexibility in driving the action forward. One problem in crime fiction can be that despite our heroes best efforts, things need to get worse in the first half of the book. Downie neatly solves this by having protagonists who believably make things worse, while allowing them to learn, correct course and resolve within genre norms. The tension between them - making it totally believable that they would pursue opposing courses of action - is both great to read and helps this.
Downie' willingness to let her heroes be flawed also extends to allowing them to be reflective of the societies they are from. Many historical crime fiction series rely on a POV hero who reflects largely modern values. Downie eschews that approach, allowing the tensions between different cultures to allow for critique, but acknowleding the uncomfortable reality of social support for slavery, torture as entertainment and rigid gender roles, while allowong her Romans and Britons humanity.
Great example of the genre. Want more!
She works these flaws well in the plot too. Characters as impulsive and sometimes obtuse as these allow a flexibility in driving the action forward. One problem in crime fiction can be that despite our heroes best efforts, things need to get worse in the first half of the book. Downie neatly solves this by having protagonists who believably make things worse, while allowing them to learn, correct course and resolve within genre norms. The tension between them - making it totally believable that they would pursue opposing courses of action - is both great to read and helps this.
Downie' willingness to let her heroes be flawed also extends to allowing them to be reflective of the societies they are from. Many historical crime fiction series rely on a POV hero who reflects largely modern values. Downie eschews that approach, allowing the tensions between different cultures to allow for critique, but acknowleding the uncomfortable reality of social support for slavery, torture as entertainment and rigid gender roles, while allowong her Romans and Britons humanity.
Great example of the genre. Want more!