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A review by april_does_feral_sometimes
Catilina's Riddle by Steven Saylor
3.0
If the previous two novels in the Gordianus the Finder series have given you expectations of another interesting mystery set in a vividly imagined ancient Rome based on real maps and stories, or its conquered cities, well, this one has reversed the order of what the previous plots stress. 'Catilina's Riddle' is a lot of ancient Roman history and some family drama and a mystery, in that order.
This particular book is set in 63 B.C., and Gordianus is now 47 years old. He is living on an inherited farm, with his family - Bethesda, his former slave and now wife; Eco, another former, and horribly traumatized, child slave adopted by Gordianus as his legal son, and who is now a grown man and living in Gordianus's old Rome house with his new wife; Meto, another adopted son and ex-slave about to be officially a sixteen-year-old man of Rome and entitled to wearing a ceremonial man's toga; and six-year-old Gordiania (Diana).
Gordianus was at first utterly delighted to be gifted the Etruscan farm by a former client! He had no idea he was in the will of Lucius Claudius. But after taking possession, he discovered that though he had the best farm in the area, he was surrounded by resentful and covetous Claudii cousins of the dead man with much poorer land. Of course, the cousins sued on the grounds that the will was a fraud, but as Lucius died of a heart attack in public, Gordianus is the new owner of a productive farm! He hopes he doesn't wreck it, but since he also inherited the farm's slaves, it probably will be ok.
Mysteriously, a body without a head turns up on his farm. There aren't many clues, but one - the secret riddle Marcus Caelius had left as a sign to recognize messengers sent from Caelius from Rome to the farm:
""I see two bodies...one is thin and wasted, but it has a great head. The other body is big and strong--but it has no head at all!
Marcus Caelius is working with Cicero in Rome, and he is trying to enlist Gordianus as a spy since his farm is near the road Cicero's political enemy, Catilina, rides on his way to see an ex-Roman retired general in a town farther up the road. Caelius wants Gordianus to inform on Catilina's movements and contacts. Apparently, another coup is being plotted amongst different Roman political parties, and as usual, Gordianus knows the common people like him will be ground hamburger no matter whose side wins. He wants nothing to do with any of it, but he owes Cicero for acting as his lawyer during the Claudii fight over his new farm. Reluctantly, he sort of, maybe, agrees. Gordianus hopes the latest political power struggles will pass him by.
Then the headless body turns up. Yikes!
The novel is very interesting for those of us who are fascinated with ancient Roman history, but there is too much history and not enough mystery in this book, in my opinion. I am one of those who enjoys reading about ancient Rome (so many political parallels to America), but I found the mystery thread a bit too secondary. However, as the series is continuing and not entirely stand-alone, this book is a necessary read if one is to continue in the Gordianus series, though, since much happens to the Finder's family and a new direction for the family is indicated.
Anyway, I liked it and I plan to continue reading the series.
This particular book is set in 63 B.C., and Gordianus is now 47 years old. He is living on an inherited farm, with his family - Bethesda, his former slave and now wife; Eco, another former, and horribly traumatized, child slave adopted by Gordianus as his legal son, and who is now a grown man and living in Gordianus's old Rome house with his new wife; Meto, another adopted son and ex-slave about to be officially a sixteen-year-old man of Rome and entitled to wearing a ceremonial man's toga; and six-year-old Gordiania (Diana).
Gordianus was at first utterly delighted to be gifted the Etruscan farm by a former client! He had no idea he was in the will of Lucius Claudius. But after taking possession, he discovered that though he had the best farm in the area, he was surrounded by resentful and covetous Claudii cousins of the dead man with much poorer land. Of course, the cousins sued on the grounds that the will was a fraud, but as Lucius died of a heart attack in public, Gordianus is the new owner of a productive farm! He hopes he doesn't wreck it, but since he also inherited the farm's slaves, it probably will be ok.
Mysteriously, a body without a head turns up on his farm. There aren't many clues, but one - the secret riddle Marcus Caelius had left as a sign to recognize messengers sent from Caelius from Rome to the farm:
""I see two bodies...one is thin and wasted, but it has a great head. The other body is big and strong--but it has no head at all!
Marcus Caelius is working with Cicero in Rome, and he is trying to enlist Gordianus as a spy since his farm is near the road Cicero's political enemy, Catilina, rides on his way to see an ex-Roman retired general in a town farther up the road. Caelius wants Gordianus to inform on Catilina's movements and contacts. Apparently, another coup is being plotted amongst different Roman political parties, and as usual, Gordianus knows the common people like him will be ground hamburger no matter whose side wins. He wants nothing to do with any of it, but he owes Cicero for acting as his lawyer during the Claudii fight over his new farm. Reluctantly, he sort of, maybe, agrees. Gordianus hopes the latest political power struggles will pass him by.
Then the headless body turns up. Yikes!
The novel is very interesting for those of us who are fascinated with ancient Roman history, but there is too much history and not enough mystery in this book, in my opinion. I am one of those who enjoys reading about ancient Rome (so many political parallels to America), but I found the mystery thread a bit too secondary. However, as the series is continuing and not entirely stand-alone, this book is a necessary read if one is to continue in the Gordianus series, though, since much happens to the Finder's family and a new direction for the family is indicated.
Anyway, I liked it and I plan to continue reading the series.