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The Venus Throw: A Mystery of Ancient Rome
 
 

The Venus Throw: A Mystery of Ancient Rome (Paperback)

by Steven Saylor (Author) "Two visitors at the front door, Master ..." (more)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
List Price: CDN$ 16.95
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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

Saylor (Catilina's Riddle) has established a fine reputation with his mystery novels set in ancient Rome and starring Gordianus the Finder, an early PI. In his fourth adventure, in 56 B.C., Gordianus is visited by Dio, his teacher of Greek philosophy 30 years earlier in Alexandria, who is now on an Egyptian delegation to Rome. Dio, whose fellow delegates are being killed, fears being poisoned; so Gordianus offers him an untainted dinner. Poor Dio dies that night anyway, stabbed and poisoned. Gordianus looks into the doings of his late teacher's companion, the eunuch priest Trygonion, who had accompanied Dio that evening. A beautiful, sex-hungry widow accuses Gordianus's neighbor, a young, loudmouthed lawyer, of murdering Dio, and she hires Gordianus to prove her charges. Saylor gives the widow a gloriously handsome, incest-inclined brother and sets his tale simmering with eroticism, adding engrossing historical filler about Roman law, politics and goddess cults. The result is a talky, absorbing brew of Rome's decay. The title refers to luck at dice.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.


From Library Journal

The author of Catalina's Riddle (LJ 9/15/93) re-creates the corrupt Rome of 56 B.C., when Egypt still remains free. Because several Egyptian envoys have been murdered, the Egyptian ambassador asks series "sleuth" Gordianus the Finder for assistance.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Two visitors at the front door, Master." Read the first page
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The Venus Throw: A Mystery of Ancient Rome
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Customer Reviews

21 Reviews
5 star:
 (8)
4 star:
 (7)
3 star:
 (5)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (21 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most helpful customer reviews

 
1.0 out of 5 stars Where's the Mystery?, Jun 17 2004
By Charles J. Rector (Woodstock, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
The Venus Throw is supposed to be an ancient historical mystery. That is, a mystery novel that is set in ancient history. Problem is that there is no real mystery and the historical detail is faulty. This is a novel in which the characters act like modern day folks instead of authentic Romans.

The novel starts out with the murder of an Egyptian ambassador to Rome. However, the reader can easily figure out just who did it in just the first few chapters. The only thing that the rest of the book does is to provide the "why" in the whodunit. The explanation as to the motives behind the murder is laughable.

Basically, this is a novelette with about 250 pages of padding which makes for dull reading. There is hardly any suspense in this suspense novel. The characters, save for Clodia, are not particularly well drawn and are generally not much more than mere cardboard. There are several historical errors as well that mar the learning experience that you are supposed to have while reading a historical novel.

In sum, The Venus Throw is a novel to avoid.

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5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite within the series, May 17 2004
By C. F Higgins (Warrenville, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I've read almost all of Saylor's Roman mysteries (save for Myst of Prophecies), and I think this one is the best. In this novel, the author turns his attention towards Alexandria, and the instability facing the Ptolemaic dynasty. We will remember from history that an unofficial Alexandrian delegation tried to reach the Roman senate (which included the philosopher Dio), only to be assassinated outside of Rome. Since the delegation was against Ptolemy, he has long been suspected. But Saylor offers a fictional alternative that will surprise most readers.

The Roman poet Catullus is also introduced in this book, and Saylor does a delightful job bringing this character to life. The poet is cyncial and comical, and certainly one of the author's most memorable figures.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Thank you Mr. Saylor, April 12 2004
By Nathan Crabtree "singer" (Hickory, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I really enjoy this series. Saylor has a brilliant way of combining history and mystery. Thank you for your hours of research to teach and tingle your reader, Mr. Saylor! It's hard to believe it while you are reading, but you know that the "Author's Note" is coming to basically say that what you have just read is ALL TRUE!! The fictitious world of Gordianus hooks the reader into the shocking reality of ancient Rome. Saylor finds those great historical incidents and skillfully gets Gordianus and family involved. We get a deeper look into the surprising past of another family member in this volume. I only gave 4 stars just because it's not one of those "one of the best books I've ever read" books, but it is certainly worth reading especially for anyone who has begun the Roman Sub Rosa series. Great book!
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Most recent customer reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars A Roman mystery
A friend recommended Steven Saylor, and since this was the only one I found in my local book store this is the one I bought. Read more
Published on May 11 2003 by Britt Arnhild Lindland

3.0 out of 5 stars A Roman mystery
A friend recommended Steven Saylor, and since this was the only one I found in my local book store this is the one I bought. Read more
Published on May 11 2003 by Britt Arnhild Lindland

3.0 out of 5 stars A Roman mystery
A friend recommended Steven Saylor, and since this was the only one I found in my local book store this is the one I bought. Read more
Published on May 11 2003 by Britt Arnhild Lindland

3.0 out of 5 stars A Roman mystery
A friend recommended Steven Saylor, and since this was the only one I found in my local book store this is the one I bought. Read more
Published on May 11 2003 by Britt Arnhild Lindland

3.0 out of 5 stars A Roman mystery
A friend recommended Steven Saylor, and since this was the only one I found in my local book store this is the one I bought. Read more
Published on May 11 2003 by Britt Arnhild Lindland

4.0 out of 5 stars Ooops....
Although this book is far better written than its predecessors, it is unbalanced. This time the mix between history and whodunit didn't function well, as the "mystery"... Read more
Published on Jan 25 2003 by C. E. R. Mendonça

4.0 out of 5 stars More than I needed to know...
Great fast read. This book surprised me. It was more erotic than the others and had a surprise ending. Wondering where Saylor is taking me next. Can't wait.
Published on Nov 22 2002 by elainaxyz

5.0 out of 5 stars Gordianus is finding out he doesn't know very much in Rome
I've liked Saylor's books in the past because of two principle reasons: the mystery is solved in a plausible way for that period and the dynamics of the institution of slavery are... Read more
Published on Oct 27 2002 by TammyJo Eckhart

4.0 out of 5 stars a very clever twist on a proven theme...
Firstly, readers of this review who have not read any of Saylor's novels should proceed directly to 'Roman Blood', the first of the Gordianus mystery series (set in ancient Rome)... Read more
Published on Feb 11 2002 by lazza

4.0 out of 5 stars Venus Throw - Another Fine Pitch
Saylor lives up to the high standard he set in the earlier Gordianus novels, delivering a novel with fascinating characters and an intricate plot, set against a deteriorating... Read more
Published on Oct 16 2001 by jrmspnc

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