Rubicon
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4.3 • 3 Ratings
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- £1.99
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- £1.99
Publisher Description
A story of murder and duplicity during the Roman civil war featuring Gordianus the Finder.
Caesar and his troops have crossed teh Rubicon and ar marching on Rome. Pompey his rival, is preparing to flee south with his loyal troops, leaving the city unguarded and ungoverned. Before Pompey leaves Rome, however, his cousiin and protege is found dead, garotted in Gordianus's garden. Enraged, Pompey demands that Gordianus discover and name the killer.
With one son a trusted aide of Caesar and his son-in-law held as hostage by Pompey, Gordianus faces a personal crisis: he must learn the secrets of the dead man and reveal a murderer to protect his own family from being crushed by the opposing forces that will forever change the Roman world.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Even readers not drawn to historical settings should explore Saylor's impressive series (Murder on the Appian Way, etc.) set in ancient Rome. Saylor's protagonist, Gordianus the Finder, whom Cicero characterizes as "the most honest man in Rome," is an astute citizen and a detective for the Senate. An independent thinker, Gordianus has freed his slaves, marrying one, and adopted several orphans whom he has raised as his own sons. But at 61, the wily Gordianus finds his survival instincts pushed to the utmost, for Rome is on the verge of civil war and all must be careful with their alliances. Caesar has crossed the Rubicon with his army, and his rival, Pompey, the head of the Roman Senate, is about to abandon the city, leaving its citizens without laws and protection. In the midst of this turmoil, Pompey's favorite cousin and trusted courier is murdered in Gordianus's garden. Infuriated, Pompey orders the sleuth to find the killer, insuring his loyalty by impressing one of Gordianus's relatives into his own army. While Gordianus copes with this treacherous mix of family and politics, a heightened frenzy overtakes Rome as it awaits Caesar's possible invasion. Saylor writes about ancient Rome as naturally and comfortably as if he had lived there, capturing both its glory and brutality. Finely shadowed characters and an action-packed finale make this a praiseworthy addition to a series that deserves wide attention.
