From Publishers Weekly
Aurelia Marcella, the innkeeper heroine of Finnis's second first-century historical set in Roman Britannia (after 2003's Get Out or Die), is engaging enough, though her deductive skills will never threaten Miss Marple. Aurelia's household's preparation for the feast of Saturnalia are disturbed by the unexpected arrival of a large party of nobles, whose family intrigues may have an impact on her own. When a servant is murdered, apparently having been mistaken for his master, the innkeeper and her sister fall under suspicion, and thus have additional motive to identify the killer. Finnis's use of colloquial speech can jar, and her plotting is less complex than that of, say, Steven Saylor in his Roma Sub Rosa series. Finnis also is not Saylor's equal in integrating the history of the time she describes into her plot, but those readers more interested in a fast-paced tale than in becoming drawn into a created world will be satisfied. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Innkeeper Aurelia Marcella, the resourceful heroine featured in Finnis' debut novel, Get Out or Die (2003), returns in another intriguing thriller set in a remote outpost of Roman Britannia in A.D. 95. Busy preparing to celebrate the winter holiday of Saturnalia, Aurelia and her sister, Albia, are surprised by a midnight visit from their brother, Lucius, a well--connected government agent bearing uneasy tidings. It appears someone is trying to smear their good family name, and a group of querulous aristocratic travelers descends upon the inn in search of the runaway heir to the family fortune. When Aurelia realizes the missing man is actually her sister's fiance, murder, mystery, and mayhem ensue. Finnis does a good job of interweaving several plot strands into a suspenseful and authentically detailed historical whodunit. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
"Get Out or Die is an enjoyable, convincing, and at times gripping read, a text where the setting itself shines as its most prominent character. With such a plucky detective and an amazing location...this series may be around for a long time indeed." --Bloomsbury Review
If that gaudy, blood-drenched HBO series "Rome" makes you want to know what everyday life was really like for the Romans who lived in conquered lands such as Britannia, Jane Finnis is the writer for you. Her second period mystery (after the superb "Get Out Or Die") again uses topnotch writing and research to get under the skin of Romans and their increasingly restive Brit charges..." — Dick Adler, Chicago Tribune, September 2005 "Finnis does a good job of interweaving several plot strands into a suspenseful and authentically detailed historical whodunit." — Margaret Flanagan, Booklist
Book Description
In late December 95 AD, Roman settlers in Britannia are preparing to celebrate Saturnalia. Innkeeper Aurelia Marcella's plans for a peaceful holiday are shattered when her brother brings bad news. An enemy in Rome is trying to destroy her family by spreading rumours that they are plotting against Caesar. Her brother has lost his job as a government investigator, the mansio is menaced by a gang of native criminals, and when a party of rich, demanding travelers arrive to stay, their quarrels and violence spill over into Aurelia's household. Then the Saturnalia banquet, highlight of the festival, culminates in tragic death. Aurelia's sister Albia is one of the chief suspects.
This second book in the series takes Aurelia from the quiet countryside to the busy new garrison town of York where she must contend with traitors and crooks, and face personal danger to protect her sister and help her brother. If she fails, her family will lose not just their mansio, but their lives.
This second book in the series takes Aurelia from the quiet countryside to the busy new garrison town of York where she must contend with traitors and crooks, and face personal danger to protect her sister and help her brother. If she fails, her family will lose not just their mansio, but their lives.
About the Author
Jane Finnis has been fascinated by the past ever since as a child she walked the straight Roman roads of East Yorkshire. After reading history at London University, she worked for some years in London as a freelance broadcaster for BBC Radio. Now she is settled in East Yorkshire again with her husband Richard, and spends much of her time researching and writing about the Roman Empire. She also enjoys travelling, gardening, doing occasional radio work, and playing the guitar. Get Out or Die, the start of a series set in Roman York, is her first novel.
