Life in Ancient Rome

This is book seven of the series. In this story Gaius Petraeus Ruso, his wife Tila and baby daughter Mara, have arrived in Rome from Britain. Former Tribune Accius has offered Ruso the home and medical practice of a Doctor Kleitos. Kleitos has vanished. Horiatis Balbo, a patron of Kleitos’s is convinced someone is trying to poison him and only Kleitos’s mysterious medial prescription will protect him. Balbo suddenly dies. Ruso and Tila are trying to solve the mystery of Kleitos and Balbo.

The book is well written and the move to Rome adds a new excitement to the story. Downie, as always, provides a realistic view of ancient Rome and provides historical insight to the story. The characters feel real, the plot is complex and the suspense builds throughout the story. As with all Downie books there is a subtle dry humor which I enjoy. I am always amazed at the detail of Roman life that Downie works into her story. The squalid conditions and corruption that was Rome is vividly portrayed by Downie.

Simon Vance does an excellent job narrating the story. Vance is a British actor and award winning audiobook narrator.

11 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Thank you for another completely wonderful listen!

I love these books so much I will listen to them again. They transport me to another time as an observer in the midst of the action so clear and colourful is the description of the scenes.
As always, the writing is witty, the characters are now my friends, and the narration is superb! Thank you!

6 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Never disappoints

Downie has been right on since her first Russo. He and his sassy wife are good every time out. Simon Vance is the best narrator on audible books.

3 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

A HERO IS NOT ALWAYS THE WARRIOR

Ruth Downie’s seventh novel Vita Brevis brings a glimpse of Hadrianic Rome and is a wonderful addition to the Medicus series. Ruso and Tilla make great and likeable hero's worth revisiting. Simon Vance is an outstanding narrator. Ruth Downie does a great job mixing her stories with historical events making them real for the reader. If you have enjoyed the previous stories in the series, this one is worth the credit. If you have not tried any of these books, and like believable period historical fiction, with a bit of mystery and detective work, try reading Medicus.

2 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Another great Roman murder mystery.

Ms. Downie just keeps getting better. What a wild ride through the eternal city of Rome. she brings the ancients to life.

2 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

When in Rome . . .

. . .have an unpleasant time with an unsatisfying case.

I still love the main characters, Ruso and Tilla, and the wonderful narrator Simon Vance, but this was my least favorite of the seven Medicus books. Ruso and Tilla are thrown off by Rome and the story is thrown off as well. Their struggles are more tedious this time: caring for the baby, navigating a strange city, and making more errors of judgment than ever before. The story itself was less absorbing than the previous ones. I couldn't wait for Ruso and Tilla to leave Rome. Now I can't wait for the next Medicus book!

1 personne a trouvé cela utile

The series gets better and better.

Set in Rome this time around, it seemed it would be difficult to be as good as all the stories set in Britannia. As good or better. If you haven't read any of this series, you probably could start with this one or any other and enjoy it but you may as well go back to the first book and start there. If you enjoy that one, you'll enjoy them all and each will be that much better for the back story. And then, like me, you'll get to the point I'm at now; trying to be patient as Ms. Downie works her charm and skill into the next book.

1 personne a trouvé cela utile

Enjoy this wonderful tale

I enjoyed this book as much of all the other Medicus takes and I hope you do too

Thoroughly enjoyable

This latest entry in the Medicus series was a very enjoyable read. And Simon Vance, as the narrator did a sterling job.
This time both Ruso and his British wife, Tilla are struggling badly to find a place in Rome, and when his ex-commander finds him a fill-in position as a doctor, nothing goes right from the very start. As usual, they're both very quickly involved in a number of mysteries.
It's great watching the growing strength of their relationship and poor Tilla, struggling in vain, to be a "proper" Roman wife.
Great fun to read.

Sheer delight

I don’t think I can add anything to the other rave reviews for this book and the series. I just love them and am already trying to figure out how to deal with the “withdrawal symptoms” after I listen to Book 8, the last one, hopefully a temporary situation. This episode was even better than some of the others, and I loved every one.