In at the Death (Marcus Corvinus Mysteries)
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Not so long ago, crime novels set in distant periods were something of a novelty -- but now that the genre is bulging with entries, readers have learned to be just as discriminating as they are in other crime fiction fields -- novelty is no longer enough. And that's why writers such as David Wishart are a boon -- his historical crime fiction is always adroitly written. Detractors (if there were any) might say there are no quantum leaps in achievement from book to book, but the sheer reliability pays dividends in Wishart's books.
Take In At the Death, for instance. This latest Marcus Corvinus mystery has all the hallmarks of Wishart's best work.
Ancient Rome. A young man from a good family has, apparently committed suicide. Marcus Corvinus is called in to provide an explanation for the death, and soon uncovers a murder plot. It transpires that the killing has a political element, and while Marcus is struggling with this, things are further completed by his unwilling role as nursemaid to a Gallic boarhound called (with perfect irony) Placida.
This is delightful stuff, with all the requisite historical detail set against the sardonic humour that has long been one of Wishart's specialities. In At the Death is both one for long-time Wishart admirers, and for those deciding to sample his work. --Barry Forshaw.
Review
'David Wishart’s historical crime fiction is always adroitly written. This latest Marcus Corvinus mystery has all the hallmarks of Wishart’s best work . . . This is delightful stuff, with all the requisite historical detail set against the sardonic humour that has long been one of Wishart’s specialities. In At the Death is both one for long-time Wishart admirers and for those deciding to sample his work.' (Barry Forshaw, Amazon )
Praise for A VOTE FOR MURDER: 'Drawn with great dash, and the one-liners are as good as ever. Genius.' (Good Book Guide )
Praise for SEJANUS: 'Like Chandler's Marlowe, Corvinus wisecracks his way through a weary world of murder and intrigue until he hunts down the truth. A taut thriller in which ancient Rome springs to life' (The Times )
Praise for THE LYDIAN BAKER: 'Innate humour and pace carry one through to the tragi-comic climax' (Irish Times )
Praise for A VOTE FOR MURDER: 'Drawn with great dash, and the one-liners are as good as ever. Genius.' (Good Book Guide )
Praise for SEJANUS: 'Like Chandler's Marlowe, Corvinus wisecracks his way through a weary world of murder and intrigue until he hunts down the truth. A taut thriller in which ancient Rome springs to life' (The Times )
Praise for THE LYDIAN BAKER: 'Innate humour and pace carry one through to the tragi-comic climax' (Irish Times )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
On Capri, Tiberius is finally getting close to death. In Rome, a young aristocrat has apparently thrown himself out of an Aventine tenement window for no obvious reason. The racing magnate Natalis is a friend of the boy's mother. He is no friend of Corvinus, but knows that if anyone can find out the truth, our hero can. Corvinus agrees, though he has a problem of his own - a dog Perilla has agreed to look after for a friend.
I'm not a dog person and didn't find the doggy bits very funny- the dog is not the equal of previous comic animals in this series like the mule Corydon and the sheep Dassa. But the politics is as fascinating as ever, and now that Gaius is close to the throne a sombre tinge of approaching danger is creeping in.
I'm not a dog person and didn't find the doggy bits very funny- the dog is not the equal of previous comic animals in this series like the mule Corydon and the sheep Dassa. But the politics is as fascinating as ever, and now that Gaius is close to the throne a sombre tinge of approaching danger is creeping in.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is the first of David Wisharts books I have read and also the first in the Marcus Corvinus Series. This has to be one of the funniest books I have read. I was laughing so hard I almost choked. I didn't think there was anyone to rival Lyndsey Davis in the Roman Mystery genre but I was wrong. David Wishart is up there with the best. Marcus Corvinus is asked to look into the suicide of a young fire investigator who ahs thrown himself from a tenement. It isn't long before he starts to unravel a mystery and realise that it may not be suicide. He is "aided" in his investigations by a dog and I can't say more than that without giving away one of the funniest apsects of the book. I certainly intend to read many more of David Wishart's books now that I have found them. Why 4 stars then, instead of 5. I found it slightly difficult to follow at the end when the political angle came out, but this still did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
David Wishart's Corvinus novels are guaranteed enjoyment. They're well-plotted, the Roman background is evoked with great vigour and conviction, the mysteries are intriguing, the dialogue fast-moving and witty, the characterisation lively and entertaining. This one fully maintains the standard; and a feature that I found most enticing - especially as it holds the promise of more excitement to come in future books - is the unexpectedly sinister political dimension to the mystery, gradually revealed as the story progresses.
AND YET. We know, now, that every Corvinus book is going to be another treat; and we'll keep looking out for them and reading them as they appear. But David Wishart has written other books than the Corvinus series, which have been equally good in different ways: am I the only reader who would like to see more of them? In particular, one of my favourites of all his novels is THE HORSE COIN: a brilliant story of Boudicca's rebellion. According to the Wishart web site, this was planned as the first of a trilogy of novels of Roman Britain; but he put this idea aside. Keep the Corvinus stories coming, Mr Wishart - but could you be persuaded to give us the rest of this trilogy as well?
AND YET. We know, now, that every Corvinus book is going to be another treat; and we'll keep looking out for them and reading them as they appear. But David Wishart has written other books than the Corvinus series, which have been equally good in different ways: am I the only reader who would like to see more of them? In particular, one of my favourites of all his novels is THE HORSE COIN: a brilliant story of Boudicca's rebellion. According to the Wishart web site, this was planned as the first of a trilogy of novels of Roman Britain; but he put this idea aside. Keep the Corvinus stories coming, Mr Wishart - but could you be persuaded to give us the rest of this trilogy as well?
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