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Last Seen in Massilia: A Novel of Ancient Rome
 
 
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Last Seen in Massilia: A Novel of Ancient Rome (Mass Market Paperback)

by Steven Saylor (Author) "Madness!" I muttered ..." (more)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
Price: CDN$ 9.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over CDN$ 39. Details
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There are those who say that Steven Saylor's stunningly atmospheric novels featuring an ancient Roman sleuth are the last word in this particular genre. But there are also those who say that Lindsey Davis's Falco (in her own series of Roman mysteries) is every inch the equal of Saylor's Gordianus the Finder. Actually, it doesn't matter a damn who does this kind of thing best: both writers are such masters of their craft, that readers should be grateful two such adroit practitioners are working at the height of their powers. The latest in Saylor's Roma sub Rosa series, Last Seen in Massilia, is probably his most compelling yet, and his wry hero's first-person narration again pulls off the brilliant sleight-of-hand of transplanting a modern sensibility into a denizen of the ancient world, while always avoiding anachronism. As a guide through the bloody back alleys of Rome and the decadent splendours of its Senatorial palaces, Gordianus is non-pareil: the perfect cynical survivor.

The Roman world is torn apart by a civil war, and Caesar and Pompey struggle for ascendancy. But life goes on pretty much as normal for Gordianus, who receives an anonymous message telling him that his son is dead. Meto was playing the dangerous game of acting as a double agent for Caesar, and as Gordianus tries to find who is behind the murder, he finds himself in the blockaded seaport of Massilia, with famine and bloodshed an ever-present threat. And as he pursues what seems an impossible quest, Gordianus' only friend in the city has been chosen by the corrupt officials to die for the sins of a populace and stave off catastrophe. And then there is the young woman Gordianus has seen fall from the Sacrifice Rock outside the city.

Saylor's plotting remains as deliriously convoluted as ever, while his grasp of historical detail never falters. The reader, while transfixed by the narrative, is continually aware of the sights and smells of the eternal city when it was the centre of the civilised world. One reads each new Gordianus novel thinking, "Is this the one in which Saylor loses that golden touch?" But so far, it hasn't happened--the burnish the author gives his work still dazzles.

--Barry Forshaw --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.



From Publishers Weekly

In Saylor's latest and stellar historical (after Rubicon), the Roman world is still embroiled in civil war between rival generals Pompey and Julius Caesar. Caught in the morass of conflicting loyalties, Gordianus the Finder travels to the independent city-state of Massilia (present-day Marseilles) to investigate a rumor that his son, Meto, has been killed there. Gordianus finds Massilia under siege, but thanks to an odd stroke of luck that brings disaster to the besieging army, he's able to slip into the city. There he meets Hieronymus, whom the priests have selected as the scapegoat who will throw himself off the harbor's Sacrifice Rock to appease the gods and bring relief to the city. Gordianus later witnesses what looks like murder: a cloaked woman falls from Sacrifice Rock, perhaps assisted by a man dressed in the armor of a Massilian soldier. The leader of Massilia, Apollonides, promises to investigate, but when a Gaulish merchant named Arausio believes his daughter, Rindel, was the cloaked woman who fell, Gordianus begins his own queries. In the meantime, he continues to search for information about his missing son. Is Meto alive and playing some treacherous game on Caesar's behalf? Or did he die in an attempt to escape from Pompey's minions in Massilia? Saylor presents a vivid tableau of an ancient city under siege and an empire riven by internecine strife. Readers will impatiently long for the next book in what stands as one of today's finest historical mystery series. Author tour; U.K. rights sold. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews

25 Reviews
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4.4 out of 5 stars (25 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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4.0 out of 5 stars Another Delightful Trip to Antiquity, Nov 10 2003
By jrmspnc (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews
Last Seen in Massilia confirms what readers of Rubicon suspected: Saylor has given up writing mysteries in favor of straight historical dramas. True, there's lip service paid to mystery here, as Gordianus is asked to find out the truth behind a missing woman, but the mystery is secondary - even tertiary - Gordianus' own relationship with his son Meto and the fate of a city under siege by Julius Caesar's forces.

As historical fiction, Last Seen in Massilia is a worthy successor to Rubicon and all the Gordianus books that came before it. Saylor's prose has become simpler over the years, and Last Seen in Massilia can be read almost as quickly as a Robert B. Parker novel, with every bit as much pleasure. Saylor has taken the siege of Massilia, a footnote in Caesar's career, and made it the backdrop of a gripping tale of intrigue and relationships gone sour.

Fans of Saylor will not be disappointed, and those reading Saylor for the first time will be pleased. One truly does not have to have read the preceeding books to enjoy this one.

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1.0 out of 5 stars A mess in Massilia, Sep 17 2003
By Rune Isene (Norway) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This is neither a good historical novel nor a good mystery. The set pieces are mildly interesting, but the author has to stretch the contrived plot far beyond believability to get his protagonists moving around between the set pieces and the historical characters. All the characters are unconvincing to the extreme; they talk in cliches and behave implausibly. Avoid! For a good historical mystery, try Iain Pears' An Instance of the Fingerpost.
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5.0 out of 5 stars One of Gordianus' Best, Feb 1 2003
This is one of my favorite in the Roman Sub Rosa series. The focus is mainly on Gordianus and his son-in-law Davus, and the answers to the mystery in which they are involved and the surprise ending which results is quite satisfying and unexpected. You'll find yourself racing through this one!
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 		 Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely a Page-Turner!
Saylor doesn't disappoint in his eighth addition to his Roma Sub Rosa series. I've read every book and have thoroughly enjoyed following the life of Gordianus the Finder. Read more
Published on Dec 25 2002 by Danny Hobson, II

4.0 out of 5 stars Still too far from the mystery
Again Saylor's latest book lets us into the character Gordianus and his father more but doesn't fit strongly into the mystery category. Read more
Published on Nov 15 2002 by TammyJo Eckhart

4.0 out of 5 stars my review
A father travels to Massilia (modern Marseille, France) to find his lost son. In 49 B.C. while Ceasar is trying to conquer the city. Read more
Published on Jun 3 2002 by Ana Maria Barrenechea

4.0 out of 5 stars an unusual yet enjoyable Roma Sub Rosa novel...
In his latest Roma Sub Rosa mystery series entry starring Gordianus the Finder the author has departed from his proven formula of "heavy on mystery, heavy on history"... Read more
Published on April 17 2002 by lazza

4.0 out of 5 stars Impressive as ever
After reading this excellent continuation of the Sub Rosa series I cannot help feel that it was intended as a stop gap, a passing lengthy short story before the series gains a... Read more
Published on Dec 30 2001 by ilmk

4.0 out of 5 stars He's done it again!
I have long been a fan of Steven Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa series, and it seems every book is better than the last - not an easy feat! Read more
Published on Nov 2 2001 by Brenda

5.0 out of 5 stars Action, mystery, and unease about a declining republic
The seventh novel and eighth volume in the Roma Sub Rosa series, provides plenty of entertainment, some gripping and surprising action, more than a little horror, and much to... Read more
Published on Nov 1 2001 by Stephen O. Murray

5.0 out of 5 stars Head and Toga Above the Rest
Saylor has written another brillant evocation of ancient Rome, with a hero, Gordianus the Finder, who just gets better with age. Read more
Published on Oct 13 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars Gordianus and the scapegoat
The Roma Sub Rosa series of books gets better with every installment. Gordianus the Finder is a detective, like Marcus Didius Falco in his books, but Gordianus is from an earlier... Read more
Published on Sep 21 2001 by Frank J. Konopka

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific--a real page-turner!
This one kept me reading till I finished it at 3:00 a.m. It's an excellent follow-up to "Rubicon. Read more
Published on Sep 5 2001 by Kathleen E. Kelly

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