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Catilina's Riddle (Paperback)

by Steven Saylor (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
RRP: £6.99
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Price For All Three: £16.97

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Product details

  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Robinson Publishing (16 Jun 2005)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1845292413
  • ISBN-13: 978-1845292416
  • Product Dimensions: 17.2 x 11.2 x 5.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 49,555 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #8 in  Books > Crime, Thrillers & Mystery > Authors, A-Z > S > Saylor, Steven

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Product Description

Review
"A sweeping and marvellously evocative story, with page after page of authentic detail" Booklist "It is Saylor's particular skill to sketch the political intrigues of the time with great authenticity... the sense that murky, terrible things are moving secretly beneath the surface of a fairly benign exterior increases in this brilliant novel" San Francisco Review of Books"

Product Description
Steven Saylor's historical mysteries set in ancient Rome and featuring investigator Gordianus the Finder enjoy a widespread following in America. Robinson is publishing the whole series - five novels to date - in the UK. Following the success of Roman Blood and Arms of Nemesis, Catilina's Riddle is the third novel in the series to be published in Britain in paperback format. Gordianus has washed his hands of politics and moved his family to a farm in Etruria, hoping to get away from the dirt and danger of Rome. But he cannot escape from intrigue so easily. Cicero wants him to work against the dangerous, charismatic populist politician Catilina. Gordianus does not want to know - but then the first headless corpse turns up in his well...Saylor brings the people and the politics of Ancient Rome to convincing life, in the middle of a fast-moving and compelling mystery.

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Catilina's Riddle
70% buy the item featured on this page:
Catilina's Riddle 4.2 out of 5 stars (15)
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Roman Blood (Gordianus the Finder 1)
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Roman Blood (Gordianus the Finder 1) 4.6 out of 5 stars (19)
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Customer Reviews

15 Reviews
5 star:
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4 star:
 (4)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating book for the historically minded reader, 12 May 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: Catilina's Riddle (Paperback)
The entire 'Gordianus' series by Saylor has to be commended as an inspiring blend of very accurate history and captivating murder mysteries. Catilina's Riddle however takes a special place within this series. While all the books deal with important political events in the last years of the decaying Old Republic, featuring all the well known and quite a few of the lesser players of the final Act of Res Publica Romana, the detective element of the books is very much in the foreground.
This makes the series very readable and exciting even for people with no or very little knowledge and interest in Roman history.

Catilina's Riddle however is different. The political upheaval during the year of Cicero's consulship, culminating in the attempted coup de etat by Catilina, takes the centre stage. This will undoubtedly lessen the appeal of this book to the reader for whom Rome and its turbulent history holds little fascination.
But anyone with interest in, let alone knowledge of, Rome in the 1st century BC will be entirely captivated by this splendid work. While the historical events are portrayed with meticulous accuracy, Saylor shows his tremendous insight into the subject matter by his masterful portrayal of Catilina. This enigmatic figure owes much of his posthumous reputation to the pen of his great adversary Cicero, who had ample reason to show him in not too favourably a light. Saylor tries to extract what might have been underneath the smear, so liberally applied by Cicero's brush, while carefully avoiding to invent or distort historical facts. The result is magnificent. Catilina emerges as a fascinating and tragic figure of great charisma, forced by the fates and his ambitions to play out the role history had set aside for him.

Gordianus' character is also further developed from where he was left of in the prequels, facing some trials of his own during the course of the story. The free flowing narrative, the well-drawn characters and the intriguing story line are all making this book anything but a dry historical work.

Comparisons are always difficult to make and controversial at the best of times, but I would venture so far as to say that this is the best Roman themed historical fiction since Robert Graves' 'I, Claudius'.

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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent, Superb, A Masterpiece, 16 Feb 2006
By A Customer
I disagree with the other reviewer. This is actually one of the best in the series. I agree that it starts slowly and it can be difficult to get into it. However, the historial detail is superb and the story ultimately one of the most rewarding of the series.

It is also a very interesting take on a generally reviled figure, Catiline. Over the centuries, the general consensus seems to be that the man was a monster. The characterization of him in this book is delicate, ambiguous, and ultimately more realistic than the usual demonic portrayals.

If you know a bit about the period and are an intelligent reader, you'll enjoy this.

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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Roman Republic comes to life, 15 Mar 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Catilina's Riddle (Paperback)
As a student of ancient Greek and Latin laguage and culture I must simply say that this book is brilliant! Sure, a great mystery novel for any reader, but when you have translated Cicero's speech and Sallustius' "Coniuratio Catilinae" yourself and have studied the history of the Roman Republic, it is a thrill to see it all come to life on these pages by the hand of Steven Saylor! The historic and academic accuracy with which he writes is highly admirable, as is his gripping style of storytelling. All I can say: read this book, especially if you have somewhat studied the Roman Republic, but if you haven't, this is still one of the best mystery books you'll ever have read!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Not quite as good as some of his others, but still good
Perhaps overlong, this is my least favourite of the early Saylor mysteries, as it takes a while really to get going. Read more
Published on 17 May 2007 by John Hopper

5.0 out of 5 stars Third in the Sub Rosa Series

Steven Saylor's fascination with Ancient Rome began at an early age. A history graduate and former newspaper and magazine editor, he lives in Berkeley, California. Read more
Published on 17 May 2007 by J. Chippindale

5.0 out of 5 stars The tale of Catilina
The Roman private detective Gordianus, called the Finder, seeks to flee the dangers and the corruption of Rome and retires with his family to a farm in the Etruscan countryside... Read more
Published on 9 April 2007 by Nadia Yar

5.0 out of 5 stars Third story in the Sub Rosa Series

Steven Saylor's fascination with Ancient Rome began at an early age. A history graduate and former newspaper and magazine editor, he lives in Berkeley, California. Read more
Published on 7 Mar 2007 by J. Chippindale

5.0 out of 5 stars Third in the Sub Rosa Series
Steven Saylor's fascination with Ancient Rome began at an early age. A history graduate and former newspaper and magazine editor, he lives in Berkeley, California. Read more
Published on 18 Dec 2006 by J. Chippindale

1.0 out of 5 stars Buyer beware...
I would have to agreee with both previous reviews on many points, but mainly it is (a) far too long and (b) barely a mystery story. Read more
Published on 10 Mar 2006 by Opus_Seven

5.0 out of 5 stars I, Claudius + Inspector Morse adds up to more than both!
Gordianus hopes that his new farm offers an escape from the intrigues of Rome. But one of the most infamous plots reaches out to draw him in and he and his family are put at dire... Read more
Published on 3 Feb 2002

1.0 out of 5 stars What a disapointment
This is the 3rd of Saylors's novels I have read, and the first 2, Roman Blood and Murder on the Appian Way, both stood in their own right as 'detective' novels in their own... Read more
Published on 11 Dec 2001

4.0 out of 5 stars Dangerous charm turns heads in Rome
Gordianus thinks he can leave Rome and its intrigues behind on his farm, but Rome pursues him there. Read more
Published on 22 Oct 2001

4.0 out of 5 stars A great read!
This, along with all the others in the series, is a really interesting book, that tells so much about all the ins-and-outs of Roman Life.
Published on 23 Sep 2000

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