Intrigue, murder and lots of mayhem in ancient Rome #thethroneofcaesar @StevenSaylorAuthor @MinotaurBooks #caesarassaination #theideaofmarch #ancientrome #historicalfiction @NetGalley @absltmom

“Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot. Take thou what course thou wilt.”

44 AD was not a good time to be Julius Caesar. It was his fate to be viciously murdered on the foretold Ides of March. “Beware the ides of March.” There would be no escaping the fate the gods had in store for him. Yet, Gordianus the Finder, a man who has solved many a crime in and around Rome, is tasked to discover if there is a plot afoot to murder Caesar. Hired by Cicero, Gordianus is also slated because of his adopted son’s closeness to Caesar, to become an esteemed senator. Seems like a monumental task and considering the outcome we all know it was mission impossible.

However, weaving a tale of all the major players in this drama, and throwing out possible scenarios, Steven Saylor created a highly readable and enjoyable book that makes you wonder at all the possibilities.

This is my first Saylor book, and I felt at first a bit behind the curve at the start. Later, however, I was able to pick up the thread while learning a bit about a poet named Cinna. (totally disreputable man with a penchant for macabre poetry), Brutus (not high on the ethics list…“Et tu, Brute?”), Antony (exactly what if any part did he play? “My heart is there in the coffin with Caesar”) and Fulvia (a lady who definitely had all her ducks in a row). This book was enjoyable and entertaining, one that people interested in ancient Rome and its delightful citizens might enjoy.

and here’s the author:

Steven Saylor is the author of the long running Roma Sub Rosa series featuring Gordianus the Finder, as well as the New York Times bestselling novel, Roma and its follow-up, Empire. He has appeared as an on-air expert on Roman history and life on The History Channel.

Saylor was born in Texas and graduated with high honors from The University of Texas at Austin, where he studied history and classics. He divides his time between Berkeley, California, and Austin, Texas.

Thank you to Steven Saylor, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for a copy of this wonderfully done historical fiction book. Onto more of these for this reader!