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Last Seen in Massilia (Roma sub Rosa)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
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.
Review
Remarkable.. a stirring blend of history and mystery, well seasoned with conspiracy, passion and intrigue--Publishers Weekly
Will delight readers in virtually every page.... Saylor has acquired the information of a historian but he enjoys the gifts of a born novelist --Boston Globe
Will delight readers in virtually every page.... Saylor has acquired the information of a historian but he enjoys the gifts of a born novelist --Boston Globe
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
"Last Seen in Massilia" is the latest offering of the Roma Sub Rosa series of historical investigative novels featuring down-at-your-heels Sherlockian, Gordianus the Finder. Now I've digressed about Saylor's brilliance many times before, especially in the commencement of the series (particularly the first three novels) and "Last Seen in Massilia" does not fail in achieving a 5-star total breezily, too. It follows the story of Gordianus and his ever persistently loyal son-in-law Davus (first introduced in "A Murder on the Appian Way" as a substitute of sorts for the hulking mass of adoration which was Belbo) travel to the besieged cityship of Massilia, girt by sea as it were, which holds the humiliated exiles of centralized Rome, including Milo. "Last Seen in Massilia" juxtaposes Gordianus and Davus in a series of delightful little escapades in attempting to gain access into this fortified city, as it was last claimed by an anoynymous tipper that his second adopted son (seen originally in "Arms of Nemesis") Meto has been murdered there. Gordianus is terribly frightened of what he may gain in the process of entering the seaborn port of Massilia, but what he finds is even *more* devastating... Davus makes a healthy return as a rather brilliant characterization as he and Gordianus provide alleviated good fun within some of the more dire moments. The wit is one of Saylor's gifts, and he does not prove to deteriorate in that department at all. Neither does he plot-wise. We are introduced to Hieronymous, Gordianus's singular companion, and in doing so we see what it is like for Gordianus to react with someone his own age, for any restricted amount of time (Cicero does not count, his disposition changes, ironically, with the tides). Who is the cowled monk of an abandoned monastery who seems to know much more than *it* is letting on...will Hieronymous achieve his own end, or live to tell the tale?...and what is the mystery with the alleged suicide of the township's citizen, a woman, and one with intriguing heritage?... Gordianus unravels the stitches in this classic whodunnit, which seeps with the palatial grandeur of ancient Rome being eventually obliterated by the Triumvirate. Another more pertinent question arrives: will Gordianus live to tell the truth?
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Another brilliant Gordianus novel and one of the most compelling and touching so far. Transplanted from Rome to the besieged city of Massilia, Gordianus is desperately seeking his son, now rumoured dead and is pitched into the heart of the bloody Roman Civil War. To witness Gordianus' heartbreak and grief is deeply moving and Saylor delivers an ending laden with tragic pathos.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A stimulating read taking us into the besieged city of Massilia (current day Marseilles). The plot line is very strong although with a few improbable twists! I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any-one who has enjoyed the previous books in this series.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Into Massilia....
Having read all of Steven Saylors Roma Sub Rosa series so far my thoughts are that with this novel Saylor at last breaks from capable into brilliant storyteller. Read more
Published on 4 April 2009 by Gerald T. Walford
Quite good, but not as good as the earlier ones
As for Rubicon, I did not find this as diverting as earlier novels in the series, I think perhaps because of the absence of the normal Roman background. Read more
Published on 4 Feb 2009 by John Hopper
A Terrific Series of Books
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 23 May 2007 by J. Chippindale
A Terrific Series of Books
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 23 Dec 2006 by J. Chippindale
worst of a not very good series
sorry to all Saylor fans, but I can't agree: yes, Saylor has read his ancient sources but I don't think there's anything authentically Roman about the atmosphere of his novels. Read more
Published on 21 May 2006 by Roman Clodia
Not up to standard
While an enjoyable read, I couldn't help but feel that the actual crime part of the plot was rather thin: the description of the siege and the local politics seemed to play more of... Read more
Published on 19 April 2002 by James Dominic Cheesman
Roman whodunnit with history notes
This is a great read if you don't want to think to hard. Although the history is nicely researched and the action is vivid, the characters are flat and stereotyped. Read more
Published on 13 Nov 2001 by Adrian J Burrows
enthralling and imaginative ancient mystery novel
Steven Saylor's latest outing with Gordianus The Finder takes Ancient Rome's Philip Marlowe to the besieged city of Massilia (present day Marseilles). Read more
Published on 26 Oct 2001 by Dr. Sn Cottam
Historically enthralling if slightly predictable
One again Saylor immerses the reader in a cocktail of political and historical intrigue as Gordianus the Finder searches for his son who has reportedly been killed. Read more
Published on 12 Feb 2001 by bolty14@fsnet.co.uk
Historically enthralling if slightly predictable
One again Saylor immerses the reader in a cocktail of political and historical intrigue as Gordianus the Finder searches for his son who has reportedly been killed. Read more
Published on 12 Feb 2001 by bolty14@fsnet.co.uk
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