A great series, and this installment in it is no exception.

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I am listing all the books in Steven Saylor's Rosa sub Roma series except the last one, which is on my wish list! This was a very enjoyable series...well written, educational (at least for me who previously had no interest in ancient Rome) and fun to see the progression of Gordianus the Finder's life.

You may want to order all of them because they're a fast read and, to me anyway, very addictive.

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Gordianus thought he was retired. but he gets involved in detective work again when a seeress dies in his arms in public. We wonder why until we are given some really important reasons later in the book. I won't spoil it for you here.

As you might effect, the death of the seeress has some rather important connections to the current upheaval in Rome and its empire.

I was also shocked at Gordianus' behavior later in the book---actually a behavior which occurred before the book began--- which explained why he became involved in the investigation to begin with. However, his behavior and his solution to the crime helped settle two significant problems in the book, one of which had been troubling him continuously and another which may help his wife. I don't want to say more.

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This is a first-person narrative of Gordianus the Finder (ancient Rome's answer to Kojak) and his attempts to solve the murder of Cassandra, a looney tunes prophetess and his erstwhile lover. Saylor is not lacking in scholarship as the story is sprinkled and seasoned with tasty tidbits of Roman history.

Of particular interest in this story is the inclusion and central role of many of the power players among the women of Rome, including the wife of Julius Caesar, Marc Anthony's wife, Marc Anthony's mistress, etc. reconstructed through what little documentation has survived the years and augmented by Saylor's vivid imagination.

There's never a dull moment in the life of entry-of-C.E. Roman private investigators.

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If you love reading books Lindsey Davis mysteries. You wil enjoy reading Steve Saylor and his character "Gordianus the Finder". This is the 8th book in the series, but a great mystery read.

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