Customer Reviews

In at the Death (Marcus Corvinus Mysteries)

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I'm a mystery buff, not necessarily historical mysteries, although those folks who really know the period make them worth the read - particularly the authors who specialize in ancient Rome. I also appreciate a little humor and an effort to break the unrelenting misery that (in real life) was the lot of most people. I like Lindsey Davis, John Maddox Roberts, Steven Saylor (when he isn't being too serious,) and have become fond of David Wishart. All know the period and the information is accurate - which matters to me. His books haven't been available in the U.S. until recently, so I've purchased most of the ones I've read from England.

Unlike a previous reviewer, I like having the people talk in modern syntax in books set in historical times. Frankly, we have no clue how people spoke to each other outside of literature - and until the 20th century, literary language and spoken language were not the same thing. On a daily basis, people spoke to each other pretty much the way we do - given language differences and phrasing, and so forth. Writing the spoken word as if it were translated straight from ancient Latin would be tedious at best!

The hardest part about Wishart books is keeping track of the characters - the names are so different from ours and there are so many characters that I find myself referring to the list of characters frequently. I like his use of characters and descriptions of people in terms that show that folks were folks and politicians were politicians and greedy grubbers were greedy grubbers, no matter how many centuries separate us. This is Wishart's strength and I appreciate it.

The one thing I've noticed is that I normally don't need to reread Wishart's books. For a good mystery, this is unusual for me - I own all of Lindsey Davis and John Maddox Roberts for example. However, I would definitley recommend reading his books - they are enjoyable.

I've bought a number of them from England, and paid the (gasp) high exchange and postage - so did think it was worthwhile.

An entertaining ancient Rome mystery. One of Wishart's better ones. The characters are humorous, the plot had twists, and the story goes by quickly. Once you get used to the main character's use of slang and curses, it's fun.

I tried very hard to plow through this book, but the mediocre plot is not worth having to suffer through the annoying writing. The author makes his ancient Roman protagonist sound like a contemporary London tough. This book reads more like a script for a '40s film noir, complete with choppy dialogue full of corny, stilted phrases. I finally gave up about half-way through the book; the "mystery" was not compelling enough for me to bother continuing with it. Anyone who has read a really excellent Roman mystery - such as the series about Gordianus the Finder by Steven Saylor - will be greatly disappointed by this talentless copycat.

Here's another Lindsey Davis wannabee of a mystery novel, set in ancient Rome, this one about a suspicious suicide that turns out to have been a murder. The detective who's the main character uses the word "Yeah" far too much, and throws "f-ck" around with abandon, both of which make him sound more like a Londoner or a New York detective of the 20th century than anybody in the 1st century AD. The author tries for Lindsey Davis's droll humor, but doesn't succeed. The side story of the huge, hairy, smelly, ill-behaved dog is one that the author obviously thought was endearing. I thought it (and the dog) were utterly disgusting. The book was a waste of money.

My Daddy used to say that people who constantly swear show their lack of intelligence. David Wishart proves his point. Substandard mystery, unsympathetic characters, stilted dialog, and an unromantic romance make this a boring read. However, I loved the dog. All in all, John Maddox Roberts, Saylor, Davis,and Rowe are infinately preferable.