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Product Description
From Booklist
Saylor serves up a collection of short stories designed to fill in some of the gaps that have piqued the curiosity of devoted fans of his popular Roma Sub Rosa series. Set between the years 80 and 72 B.C., these nine tales document some of the early adventures of Gordianus the Finder. During the course of these cases, Gordianus establishes firm and tender relationships with Eco, his adopted son; Bethesda, his Jewish-Egyptian concubine; Belbo, his loyal manservant and bodyguard; and Lucius Claudius, his generous patron. While each brief mystery presented is a gem in and of itself, readers will delight in the informational overview provided by the collection as a whole. As usual, Saylor does a superb job of seamlessly incorporating the tumultuous history of the Roman Republic into the narrative flow. A welcome addition to the ever fascinating chronicles of Gordianus the Finder. Margaret Flanagan
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From Kirkus Reviews
It's no wonder Gordianus the Finder solves so many of these nine cases in a single flash of insight. Most of the mysteries aren't very mysterious; even Gordianus' slave (and future wife) Bethesda picks out the thief of his friend Lucius Claudius' silver the minute she hears the story. Still, three groups of readers will find these stories irresistible: history buffs who appreciate Saylor's careful research into Roman politics and Roman mores; fans of his five novels (A Murder on the Appian Way, 1996, etc.) who want to find out how he first became Lucius Claudius' friend, or how he acquired his faithful slave Belbo; and anyone who enjoys leisurely, literate storytelling. Though none of the stories is more than five years old, nearly half (``A Will Is a Way,'' ``The Lemures,'' ``King Bee and Honey,'' ``The Alexandrian Cat'') have already been anthologized. All the others could well follow. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
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First Sentence
"ECO," I SAID, "do you mean to tell me that you have never seen a play?" Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
"ECO," I SAID, "do you mean to tell me that you have never seen a play?" Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
The personal history of Gordianus,
By
This review is from: The House of the Vestals: The Investigations of Gordianus the Finder (Mass Market Paperback)
Saylor's book is a collection of short stories the outline the personal history of Gordianus through some of his cases. The perfect light reading before bed; not too much excitement and little suspense.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Even his short fiction in this series shines!,
By TammyJo Eckhart "TammyJo Eckhart" (Bloomington, Indiana United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The House of the Vestals: The Investigations of Gordianus the Finder (Mass Market Paperback)
I've loved Steven W. Saylor's work even before he published under this name and his Gordianus series is better by far. This is actually a collection of 9 short stories, all of which were previously published in mystery magazines. All of the stories are good solid character pieces with mysterious happenings and detective work that makes sense for the time period involved (90-73 BCE). Several of the stories are told as stories by one character to another though several are also the ongoing investigations of the finder himself. Historians may cringe a bit but frankly, in this ancient historian's opinion, Saylor's series is about the best I have ever read particularly his portrayal of slavery, a human institution often misunderstood and misrepresented by modern Americans.
4.0 out of 5 stars
breezy, enjoyable stories; consider them Saylor-Light,
By lazza (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The House of the Vestals: The Investigations of Gordianus the Finder (Mass Market Paperback)
The House Of The Vestals is very enjoyable collage of ancient Roman mystery stories loosely based on either real history or ancient folklore. And somehow Saylor's irrepressable private eye, Gordianus, winds up being a bit like Forrest Gump - he always finds himself in the middle of this historic events. All the stories are rather trifling and forgettable, but somehow very readable and enjoyable. Saylor has a very light and breezy style to his prose. And unlike his other Gordianus novels, this collection of short stories does not get bogged down with explanations of Roman history ... and so even folks who might have found Saylor's other works to be a bit dry will like The House Of The Vestals.Bottom line: perfectly enjoyable Roman fluff. Recommended.
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