A Roman Ransom

The blurb says second to Saylor but I like these better than Saylor. I would say second to Lindsey Davis instead. That said, these are books that I buy as hardbacks since I don't want to wait a year for the paperback. History lessons have never been so enjoyable!

After the trite last offering from Rowe she has bounced back with a kidnapping and series of ransom demands that proves her ability to produce a classic Romano-British whodunit. Opening with Libertus recovering from his potential deathbed we find him cracking open an ill eyelid to find his anxious patron, Marcus Septimus, hovering over him having contracted one of Britain's finest medicus', Philades, to nurse him back to health. This case of largesse on his patron's part is not without cost, however, as his encouraged recovery is in order to help Marcus find out who has kidnapped his wife, Julia, and baby son, Marcellinus. The immediate appearance of a ransom note and the disappearance of Myrna, the wet-nurse has our aged sleuth lobbed into a carrier and hot-footed to Marcus' villa in order to manage the ensuing events. However, en route, they are stopped and Marcellinus is returned to Libertus as everyone's attention is elsewhere. This fortunate event is turned on its head as the medicus' Philades, turns nasty on Libertus and accuses him as having a hand in the kidnapping, reeling off one persuasive argument after another to Marcus to convince him that Libertus has a case to answer. After Gwellia also disappears and Myrna is found murdered the circumstantial evidence on Libertus begins to stack up. He is given two days to clear his name and spends much of it interviewing the personal slaves of Julia ascertaining a classic case of people seeing what they expect to see. Having unraveled a tale of family intrigue and swapped babies, shaky inheritances and callous murder he eventually saves Julia, uncovers a medical tale of slavery and paranoia and restores his patron's faith in him. However, our faith in Marcus has taken a severe dent as he is all to ready to believe Libertus could turn on him and cause him personal grief with zero motive. Rowe's Libertus series is a delightful addition to the Roman sleuth genre with the kind of novels you go through in a lazy haze on a sunny afternoon post-Countdown.It is lightweight, but after the hard-hitting Saylor and humorous Davies, this is a refreshing easy on the eyes read that fits in nicely with the rest.

This is the latest from the Libertus stable and once again features the remarkable talents of the 'Pavement' maker. Libertus is on his sick bed recovering from a bout of fever that has laid him low for several days. He drowsily wakes to the imposing figure of his patron, Marcus Septimus, who at no little expense to himself has organised for Libertus to have the luxury of a physician. Libertus finally grasps through his weakness and bouts of delirium that Marcus's young son and wife Julia have disappeared from the villa leaving no trace of their whereabouts. Marcus is the senior magistrate in Britannia and a wealthy man to boot and soon a ransom note demanding money is received. Libertus is well aware that if Marcus gives in to the demands of the kidnappers his reputation for being fair and unmoved by bribery will be severely damaged. Before he has even made a chance to make some sort of recovery Libertus has made an enemy, who strives to embroil him in the plot to take Julia and the child. Can Libertus help his patron and also extricate himself from the false accusations.