Marcus Corvinus is already restless after a couple of days in the Alban Hills, where he’s visiting his stepdaughter, Marilla; a regular seat at Pontius’ wine shop is all very well, but bucolic leisure has its limits. So when Corvinus is asked to investigate the brutal slaying of Vettius Bolanus, one of two candidates for the forthcoming censor’s elections, he jumps at the chance. Corvinus feels certain there’s a political motive for the murder, and the obvious suspect is Concordius, the rival candidate. But as he pursues his investigation, the obvious solution becomes less and less likely. There are two more violent deaths, plus a near miss for himself, before Corvinus (tipped off, as usual, by his brainy wife, Perilla) uncovers an elaborate nationalist conspiracy. Once again, David Wishart delves deep into classical history to provide a rich backdrop to an intricate tale of murder and betrayal.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Taut thrillers in which Ancient Rome springs to life.” -- The Times
About the Author
David Wishart studied Classics at Edinburgh University. He then taught Latin and Greek in school for four years and after this retrained as a teacher of EFL. He lived and worked abroad for eleven years, working in Kuwait, Greece and Saudi Arabia, and now lives with his wife and family in Scotland.
--This text refers to the
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loss to a sheep aside...another fine offering,
By ilmk "ilmk" (UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Vote for Murder (The Marcus Corvinus Roman Mysteries) (Hardcover)
The title of Marcus Valerius Messala Corvinus' latest mystery appears to indicate a mystery inextricably linked to the Roman tribal voting centuries, but this proves somewhat erroneous as we plunge into the murky politics of Latium and the apparent bad feeling between the Latins and the Romans (portrayed as decidedly one-sided). Marcus and Perilla are off to Castrimoenium to visit Marcus' stepdaughter, Marilla, indulge in a wine-tasting contest at Pontius' against a sheep, explore the gneral environs, oh, and solve a couple of murders along the way. Shortly after their arrival one of the two candidates for the local censorship- Vettius Bolanus, ex-fiance of Sulpicia, is found murdered in his own loggia (Concordius being the other candidate) and Marcus is called in by Libianus to solve the case before the potentially inflammatory Latin Festival. What results is Marcus having to understand the complex relationships between a corona civis decorated ex-centurion Spurius, his son-in-law Rufinius, the aedile Ruso, the property dealer Decidius and the anti-Roman Flacchus. Thow in a particularly nasty butcher, Euxperius and the Alban Brotherhood and you develop a severe case of things escalating out of control.Marcus' habitual case-sleuthing with Perilla drops off compared the the last two novels and this is no bad thing though he manages to replace it somewhat with Marcia Fulvina's thoughts, the elderly aunt of the current senior consul, Persicus, the latter to whom Wishart approportions buffoon-esque tendencies. There are multiple plot threads running through Wishart's latest but he manages to tie them all in neatly and plausibly, sending us down many dead ends. A case of many motives for the first murder but no realistic suspect being the culprits. The characterisation is delightful, from the Boudicca-esque Sulpicia, to the inexperienced but knowledgeable Flacchus, to the dour old veteran Spurius and the action moves along at a good clip until Marcus eventually works out the threads, discovers the plot and in the final denouement in an abandoned villa, confronts the culprits and barely escapes with his life. Humor abounds, no more so than when Marcus indulges in a wine-tasting competition - Wishart has built him up to be somewhat of a connoisseur (without degenerating to drunkenness) over the preceding episodes - and loses to his ovine relative. The two preceding offerings - 'Last Rites' and 'White Murder' had slipped slightly compared to the previous but Wishart has served another fine offering with this current book. It is not often you find a series where you want the adventures to continue for a very long time. Lindsey Davis' Falco is one, Saylor's Gordianus another....you must add Wishart's Corvinus to those two peers for 'A Vote for Murder' further proves Marcus Corvinus' deserved place in the Roman Murder Mystery genre. Highly recommended.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Political Intrigue in Ancient Rome,
By
This review is from: A Vote for Murder (Marcus Corvinus Mysteries) (Paperback)
David Wishart produces great Roman mysteries from a part of Europe Rome never reached - just north of Hadrian's Wall. A Vote for Murder is one book in Wishart's series about Marcus Corvinus, a young patrician, set during the reign of Tiberius.The interplay among Corvinus and the recurring supporting cast is one of the strengths of Wishart's series. Perilla (his wife), Marcia Fulvina (her aunt) and Marilla (his and Perilla's adopted daughter) are all well developed characters and each contributes to this book, which is set in the Alban hills at Marcia's villa. Merton (Corvinus' chef) and Bathyllus (his somewhat surly, opinionated and insubordinate major-domo) play a major role in this book as well. The mystery itself is well plotted and the book is well written, as are all in this series. A local election provides the backdrop for the mystery, though the interplay among Merton, a sheep and Marilla is also of note. I look forward to each installment in the series, as I do to those of Steven Saylor, Lindsey Davis and Rosemary Rowe.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loss to a sheep aside...another fine effort,
By ilmk "ilmk" (UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Vote for Murder (The Marcus Corvinus Roman Mysteries) (Hardcover)
The title of Marcus Valerius Messala Corvinus' latest mystery appears to indicate a mystery inextricably linked to the Roman tribal voting centuries, but this proves somewhat erroneous as we plunge into the murky politics of Latium and the apparent bad feeling between the Latins and the Romans (portrayed as decidedly one-sided). Marcus and Perilla are off to Castrimoenium to visit Marcus' stepdaughter, Marilla, indulge in a wine-tasting contest at Pontius' against a sheep, explore the gneral environs, oh, and solve a couple of murders along the way. Shortly after their arrival one of the two candidates for the local censorship- Vettius Bolanus, ex-fiance of Sulpicia, is found murdered in his own loggia (Concordius being the other candidate) and Marcus is called in by Libianus to solve the case before the potentially inflammatory Latin Festival. What results is Marcus having to understand the complex relationships between a corona civis decorated ex-centurion Spurius, his son-in-law Rufinius, the aedile Ruso, the property dealer Decidius and the anti-Roman Flacchus. Thow in a particularly nasty butcher, Euxperius and the Alban Brotherhood and you develop a severe case of things escalating out of control.Marcus' habitual case-reminiscing with Perilla drops off compared the the last two novels and this is no bad thing though he manages to replace it somewhat with Marcia Fulvina's thoughts, the elderly aunt of the current senior consul, Persicus, the latter to whom Wishart approportions buffoon-esque tendencies. There are multiple plot threads running through Wishart's latest but he manages to tie them all in neatly and plausibly, sending us down many dead ends. A case of many motives for the first murder but no realistic suspect being the culprits. The characterisation is delightful, from the Boudicca-esque Sulpicia, to the inexperienced but knowledgeable Flacchus, to the dour old veteran Spurius and the action moves along at a good clip until Marcus eventually works out the threads, discovers the plot and in the final denouement in an abandoned villa, confronts the culprits and barely escapes with his life. Humor abounds, no more so than when Marcus indulges in a wine-tasting competition - Wishart has built him up to be somewhat of a connoisseur (without degenerating to drunkenness) over the preceding episodes - and loses to his ovine relative. The two preceding offerings - `Last Rites' and `White Murder' had slipped slightly compared to the previous but Wishart has served another fine offering with this current book. It is not often you find a series where you want the adventures to continue for a very long time. Lindsey Davis' Falco is one, Saylor's Gordianus another....you must add Wishart's Corvinus to those two peers for 'A Vote for Murder' further proves Marcus Corvinus' deserved place in the Roman Murder Mystery genre. Highly recommended.
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