Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
32 used & new from £1.23
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Roman Blood (Gordianus the Finder 1)
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book

Roman Blood (Gordianus the Finder 1) (Paperback)

by Steven Saylor (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
RRP: £6.99
Price: £5.49 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £1.50 (21%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Wednesday, July 15? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
18 new from £3.66 14 used from £1.23
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover (First) 7 used & new from £31.70
Paperback 44 used & new from £0.01
Mass Market Paperback (1st Ballantine Books Ed) 18 used & new from £1.48
Poster Order it used

Frequently Bought Together

Roman Blood (Gordianus the Finder 1) + Arms of Nemesis (Gordianus the Finder) (Gordianus the Finder 2) + The House of the Vestals (Gordianus the Finder 6)
Price For All Three: £16.47

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Arms of Nemesis (Gordianus the Finder) (Gordianus the Finder 2)

Arms of Nemesis (Gordianus the Finder) (Gordianus the Finder 2)

by Steven Saylor
4.7 out of 5 stars (10)  £5.49
The House of the Vestals (Gordianus the Finder 6)

The House of the Vestals (Gordianus the Finder 6)

by Steven Saylor
4.5 out of 5 stars (6)  £5.49
Catilina's Riddle

Catilina's Riddle

by Steven Saylor
4.2 out of 5 stars (15)  £5.49
The Venus Throw (Gordianus the Finder 4)

The Venus Throw (Gordianus the Finder 4)

by Steven Saylor
4.3 out of 5 stars (9)  £5.99
A Murder on the Appian Way (Gordianus the Finder 5)

A Murder on the Appian Way (Gordianus the Finder 5)

by Steven Saylor
4.1 out of 5 stars (10)  £5.99
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Robinson Publishing (16 Jun 2005)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1845292480
  • ISBN-13: 978-1845292485
  • Product Dimensions: 17.6 x 11 x 4.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 13,522 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

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

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Review
"Saylor's scholarship is breathtaking, his writing enthrals." Ruth Rendell "Engrossing... Simmering with eroticism... An absorbing brew of Rome's decay." Publishers Weekly on The Venus Throw "How wonderful, to have a scholar write about ancient Rome; how comforting, to feel instant confidence in the historical accuracy of a novel." Sunday Times"

Product Description
Steven Saylor's historical mysteries set in ancient Rome and featuring investigator Gordianus the Finder enjoy a widespread following in America. Over the next two years, Robinson will publish the whole series - five novels to date - in the UK. We begin on 25 September with three titles: Roman Blood and Arms of Nemesis in paperback and the most recent title, A Murder on the Appian Way, in hardback. Vivid historical fact, a completely believable world and keen plotting are the hallmarks of Saylor's novels. In Roman Blood Gordianus the Finder - the large, eccentric, philosophical investigator whose famed skills and integrity have made him much sought after in Rome - is hired by the young Cicero to acquit or convict a man accused of murdering his own father, an ugly, delicate case that soon produces dangerous fireworks.

See all Product Description
Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below
(2)
(1)
See all 3 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Roman Blood (Gordianus the Finder 1)
78% buy the item featured on this page:
Roman Blood (Gordianus the Finder 1) 4.6 out of 5 stars (19)
£5.49
Arms of Nemesis (Gordianus the Finder) (Gordianus the Finder 2)
8% buy
Arms of Nemesis (Gordianus the Finder) (Gordianus the Finder 2) 4.7 out of 5 stars (10)
£5.49
Roma
5% buy
Roma 3.5 out of 5 stars (22)
£5.99
A Gladiator Dies Only Once (Gordianus the Finder 11)
5% buy
A Gladiator Dies Only Once (Gordianus the Finder 11) 4.0 out of 5 stars (3)
£5.49
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

19 Reviews
5 star:
 (13)
4 star:
 (5)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Forsyte Saga set in ancient Rome, 11 Sep 2003
By Michael Wells Glueck "EditAndPublishYourBook.com" (Nantucket, Massachusetts, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: Roman Blood (Paperback)
Roman Blood, the first of Steven Saylor's Sub Rosa series of novels, introduces Gordianus the Finder and his family, fictional characters who become increasingly memorable and claim a hold on our affections and sympathetic concern as they interact throughout the series with many famous historical characters, Julius Caesar, Pompey The Great, Cicero, and Spartacus being the best known. The lawlessness of a great city - Rome - without a police force; the brutal treatment of slaves as chattel; the political intrigues and assassinations - all are faithfully portrayed in historically accurate and authentic detail. But perhaps the most remarkable aspect of these novels is their overlay of modern liberal values represented by the fictional narrator, who manumits (frees) and marries his Egyptian concubine, Bethesda, adopts two slaves as his sons, understands and accepts the independence and sovereignty of women, reveres and serves the truth as much as Diogenes, and evinces a genuine religious piety. The characters are memorably drawn and individuated, and the finder's daughter, whose patronymic name Gordiana is shortened to Diana, is perhaps the most appealing daughter in literature since Cordelia. Like all works of a master spirit, these books provide an edifying education, with recognizable allusions to ancient as well as Elizabethan literature, and they contain flashes of sardonic humor appropriate to the anatomy of the human condition that they reveal. They are among the very best of modern recreations of that peculiar combination of greatness and squalor that was ancient Rome.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Hooked instantly, 1 Jan 2006
By Didier (Ghent, Belgium) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
I stumbled across this book quite by hazard but was hooked from the very first page. Gordianus, 'the last honest man in Rome', is thoroughly believable because - how rare this has become in historical thrillers and novels - he is depicted as a real human being with real emotions (happiness, joy, sadness, jealousy, you name it) instead of a one-dimensional puppet.

The setting is very well drawn and the plot engrossing, the hours you'll spend reading this book will afterwards feel as if you've stepped back in time. What more can one ask for? I for one immediately went after all the other books in the series.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Just buy it and read it..., 20 Jan 2004
By Mr. M. J. Pailing "Marcus Pailing" (Orpington, Kent, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
This review is from: Roman Blood (Paperback)
This is, simply, one of the best historical novels I have read (and I've read a few). There's no point in wasting hundreds of words on it - just read it and enjoy a superb story (based on Cicero's first major trial) with a realistic portrayal of Republican Rome.

Then, when you've done with that, read the other Gordianus books - you won't regret it!

So there!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A Promising Start
I read this shortly after finishing Robert Harris's Imperium which has as its narrator Tiro, Cicero's slave. Read more
Published 8 days ago by Bubo

5.0 out of 5 stars Roman Blood
A combination Miss Marple and Poirot, this story has all the ingredients of an exceptional detective story. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Basilica

5.0 out of 5 stars First Book in an Excellent Series

Steven Saylor's fascination with Ancient Rome began in his childhood. A history graduate and former newspaper and magazine editor, he lives in Berkeley, California. Read more
Published 15 months ago by J. Chippindale

5.0 out of 5 stars First Book in the Series

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

4.0 out of 5 stars First Book in the Series
Steven Saylor's fascination with Ancient Rome began in his childhood. A history graduate and former newspaper and magazine editor, he lives in Berkeley, California. Read more
Published on 31 Jan 2007 by J. Chippindale

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing and no substitute for Falco
Having worked my way through the whole of the excellent Falco series, I was on the look out for another Ancient Roman detective series to fill the gap. Read more
Published on 30 Jan 2007 by nads

5.0 out of 5 stars First of a Great Series
Steven Saylor's fascination with Ancient Rome began in his childhood. A history graduate and former newspaper and magazine editor, he lives in Berkeley, California. Read more
Published on 18 Dec 2006 by J. Chippindale

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent roman who dunnit
I'm not normally a fan of the detective genre but this book is excellently written. Surprisingly Mr Saylor is able to translate an old Cicero mystery into something we can enjoy... Read more
Published on 6 Dec 2006 by Good Books

5.0 out of 5 stars When in Rome.....
Steven Saylor has succeeded in writing a brilliant account of what life might have been like in Ancient Rome. Read more
Published on 6 Dec 2002 by John

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
The first of a great series - excellent mix of history, mystery, adventure and a bit of romance.
Published on 11 Oct 2001

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

Catilina's Riddle

Catilina's Riddle

"A sweeping and marvellously evocative story, with page after page of... Read more
£6.99 £5.49

›Find similar items

 

More From Steven Saylor

The Triumph of...

The Triumph of Caesar by Steven Saylor

The new novel from the internatinal bestselling author of Roma, is set... Read more
£6.99 £4.89

 

A Close Shave

Philips Nivea Coolskin HS8060 Moisturizing Rotary Shaving System
For all types of hair removal, stay smooth with Amazon.co.uk.

›Discover Shaving & Hair Removal

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
4.5 out of 5 stars (74)£3.86
 Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer
4.1 out of 5 stars (462)£6.49
 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
4.1 out of 5 stars (165)£3.99
 The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
4.2 out of 5 stars (81)£3.86

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates