In Roman Britain, AD 189, every salve knows his lot in life depends solely on the morals—or lack of morals—of his master. Fortunately for one young Glevum slave, Junio, his owner believes heartily in rewarding years of loyalty and service. Libertus, a former slave turned pavement maker, is to grant Junio his freedom in an elaborate ceremony at the Basilica Law Court where Junio also plans to announce his engagement. But the young couple's happiness is threatened by a terrible omen—the gruesome discovery of a corpse, hastily concealed in a shallow grave. Who is it? And, more importantly, who would go to any lengths to cover up their heinous crime? Determined to solve the mystery before the impending nuptials, Junio joins his mentor Libertus in piecing together an elaborate mosaic of murder.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Rowe's engaging ninth Roman Britain whodunit finds mosaic-maker and occasional detective Longinius Flavius Libertus in the midst of turbulent times. Libertus seizes an opportunity to free his slaves Junio and Cilla and adopt Junio as his son and heir. Meanwhile, his patron and protector, Marcus Septimus, plans a journey to the court of the increasingly insane Emperor Commodus, who has just renamed the ancient city of Rome after himself. The discovery of a hideously beaten corpse whose features have been rendered unrecognizable forces Libertus back into the role of sleuth, as Marcus's travels, an approaching holiday and Junio and Cilla's upcoming wedding impose a difficult deadline. While the villain's identity is fairly obvious to the reader (though convincingly hidden from Libertus), Rowe's skillful recreation of the places, customs and laws of second-century Britain as well as eloquent descriptions of her hero and his compatriots place this among the best in the series. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"A cracking tale with a fast-moving plot." —Conn Iggulden, author, The Gods of War
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A story of greed and murder,
This review is from: A Coin for the Ferryman (Libertus Mystery Series) (Hardcover)
Libertus, the mosaic maker of Glevum, Britannia, must solve a murder on the property of his patron Marcus Aurelius Septimus before the Lemuria, the festival for the souls of the departed, takes place. Mystery builds on mystery. Complicating the matter, the daughter of an an irascible tribal farmer has disappeared at about the same time. As Libertus sets to work, he is constantly belittled by the haughty guest, strange things happen, more bodies are discovered, and Marcus' gatekeeper is murdered, and there seems to be obstruction all around.
As all the novels in this series, this book is written in a rather serious vein. Nonetheless, there is quite a bit to smile about, mostly about the young slaves in both households, especially the eager to please Maximus and Minimus, who are signed over to Libertus while Marcus travels to Rome and tend to finish each others sentences. Life in the villa, town life in Glevum, Libertus' little household, and the hostile British farmers whom Libertus encounters, are believably portrayed. All in all a good book by a dependable author.
6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Impressive detail, less impressive story,
By Blue in Washington "Barry Ballow" (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)
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This review is from: A Coin for the Ferryman (Libertus Mystery Series) (Hardcover)
Rosemary Rowe's exhaustive scholarship on Roman Britain is admirable, but doesn't really make up for a story that is unnecessarily dense and convoluted, overly burdened with mundane dialogue and generally lacking in punch and mystery. This book did not compare favorably with any of the Marcus Didius Falco series by Lindsey Davis or "The Water Thief" by Ben Pastor.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A coin for the Ferryman,
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This review is from: A Coin for the Ferryman (Libertus Mystery Series) (Mass Market Paperback)
Well-written. informative on life in Roman Britain in the later days of R oman occupatiion. Not of the quality of books by Stephen Saylot which to me are the best of this genre.
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