Customer Reviews

Persona Non Grata: A Novel of the Roman Empire

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Ruth Downie returns with the third book in her Ruso the Medicus series. Ruso is a military doctor in the Roman army who was introduced to readers a couple years ago while serving Brittania in Medicus: A Novel of the Roman Empire. In this volume, fans get to meet the family we have heard about from a distance as it were. Ruso is recalled by an urgent letter from his brother - or so it seems.

Ruso arrives (with his `barbarian' lover Tilla in tow) to find his family fortune in shambles. When their chief creditor drops dead (apparently from poisoning) during a visit to Ruso's home, suspicion quickly focuses on Ruso. The rest of the book is spent unraveling that mystery and reinstating the family fortunes.

Along the way the reader learns a bit about Roman life, law, politics, and entertainment. Tilla pointedly questions who are the real barbarians, when part of the `games' sponsored by a local politician include the standard execution of criminal by tying the thief to post and letting wild animals eat them for dinner. Tilla also has a brush with the group of Christos and her attempts to understand this god who is everywhere and knows everything are fun.

As with the first two books, Downie uses light touch to combine a mystery with some history. Fans of historical mysteries, especially Roman ones like Steven Saylor's The Triumph of Caesar: A Novel of Ancient Rome (Roma Sub Rosa), will enjoy Persona Non Grata: A Novel of the Roman Empire. Recommended.

Normally when I read a historical fiction novel the book is set in Medieval England, but a few months ago I found a series set in England (Britannia back then) during the Roman occupation. I read the first two in a matter of weeks but was not sure I would read the third; the second seemed a little bit of a disappointment. As fate would have it, I won a copy of the third from the publisher and just finished it this morning. I would have finished it last night had my eyes not finally given out.

Persona Non Grata is Ruth Downie's finest installment of her Gaius Petrius Ruso series to date. Ruso is a medic (before there were proper doctors and surgeons we had medics) working with the Roman military.

Downie's writing skills have sharpened since her first novel The Medicus. Here in Persona Non Grata we get fully fleshed out secondary characters, a great plot line and some really great scenes. My favorite scene involves Tilla leading a prayer at a secret Christos meeting. I almost laughed till I cried. We get to meet Ruso's family including his ex-wife Claudia. The characters are all well written and often just as interesting as Ruso and Tilla. I came away understanding why Ruso would travel to the barbaric world of Britannia; with his family I would have too!
This time the mystery hits very close to home and so it made perfect sense as to why Ruso would investigate it. I applaud Downie for having written evil characters that mirror some of our own Wall Street swindlers (though I admit I do not know of any wall street swindlers that have committed murder...yet). I get sick of bad guys who are so far gone that they do not seem in any way plausible. Many authors forget that even the bad guys have to connect with the reader on some level. Here though the characters are mere shadows and not fully fleshed out they are understandable. Greed turns many men bad.

The only complaint I have with this series is the relationship between Ruso and Tilla his slave/girlfriend. I have written about this before but it bares repeating. The relationship just does not work for me. Downie does not work on the chemistry between the two. I know Ruso is really attracted to Tilla for her beauty but other than that I see no reason why these two are together. Fans of the series will be happy with the outcome of this book but it left me wondering why Downie did not spend a little more time developing chemistry between the two. Without giving too much away, I would have liked to have seen at least one sappy moment between the two or at least a scene in which Ruso finally figures out that he loves Tilla and tells her so. This would have made the ending all that much more satisfying and leaving this reader wanting more.

I hope Downie continues to write as I look forward to watching her evolve as a writer. If you have not yet read this series you are missing out. I highly recommend it to everyone who likes historical fiction.

Persona Non Grata by Ruth Downie

An officer in the Roman army, stationed in Britain, receives an urgent summons home. He finagles a questionable medical leave and returns to Italy with his "barbarian" girl friend. Once home he discovers that very little is clear and things have changed for the worse while he was away.

The main characters are quite clearly portrayed. I think some of the more minor characters could have been fleshed out a bit more. I found my mouth dry in the description of the desiccated travel. Downie provides a good story line and provides an entertaining mystery set in a truly ancient time. What is surprising is the similarities to current events with money manipulations, attorneys and painful consequences. Her history and setting were quite accurate from the hazy recollections I have of my two years of Latin.

I recommend the book.

Third in the Russo series, this story has the Medicus and Tilla returning to Rome. The family has called him home, but the welcome is not warm, especially for the barbarian woman. The estate is in chaos and mysteries abound.

I enjoyed reading this, and though I had not read the previous books, I did not feel lost or disconnected in the narrative. Ruth Downie has a nice way of making the characters in her book both interesting and understandable. She also does a good job of setting the place for the story. Without much effort, I simply fell in along with the characters in their travels and activities. At times the story became slow, but towards the end the pace was lively. As for the mystery, I think she did a pretty good job. Certain aspects took me by surprise and I never felt cheated in the reveal.

I wouldn't know about the historical accuracy, but after reading some comments by the author, I felt that she was not only trying to be accurate, but also trying to make the historical aspect real for us, rather than some far off storyland. She did a good job of that. As a Christian, I have to say that her scenes of the people of Christos interacting with the Pagans were delightful. One can see how they were perceived as being ridiculous, without them being so, and the misunderstandings that arose from some of the preposterous things they said, which could only be understood correctly by those in the Christos group. Still true today. My favorite scene in the book was the barbarian, Tilla, attending a Christos meeting. Very well done.

All in all, I liked this story well enough to seek out the earlier tales and look for more in the future.

"Persona Non Grata" continues the mystery adventures of Roman Army doctor (medicus), Gaius Petreius Ruso, this time taking him back to his family home in southern Gaul (region of Nime, France). His better half, Tilla the Briton, who was originally a rescued slave, has become something closer to a confidante/helpmate/fiance and accompanies Ruso on the trip. The home leave is taken in response to a note signed by Ruso's brother citing a family emergency. When Ruso finally arrives from Britain, he finds his sizable family in a more dysfunctional state than usual, with financial ruin close at hand. The murder of the family's chief creditor follows quickly. Most of the rest of the novel is a Roman-era police procedural that expands to include Ruso's shrewish ex-wife and ex-father-in-law, a clutch of early Christians, a reluctant neophyte gladiator and assorted other characters. A little slow on the uptake at times, Ruso is backed by his sharper "Dr. Watson"--Tilla

The story line and the characters in "Persona Non Grata" are well drawn and the book moves forward entertainingly toward an ending which is, frankly, less creative than the rest of the book. The reader interested in the historic period (the reign of the emperor Hadrian) might wish for a bit more detail about the politics and social structure and life of the time. Nevertheless, this is an engaging and well done novel and fans of author Ruth Downie and the whole Medicus series will not be disappointed.

Gaius Petreius Ruso thought he had problems back when he was a doctor assigned to a Roman legion stationed in Britannia. But that was before he returned to Gaul to find that his brother Lucius and their stepmother, who have been managing the family farm, are on the verge of bankruptcy.

As the legal heir to his late father's estate in Narbonensis (modern-day Languedoc and Provence, France), Ruso is determined to set things right. But that won't be easy. Unscrupulous creditors are trying to swindle Ruso's clan, and just when he thinks he's worked out a deal with their agent, Severus, the man is poisoned and drops dead.

Severus, who is married to Ruso's ex-wife Claudia, dies while holed up with Ruso in the latter's study. So Ruso quickly emerges as the prime suspect in the killing because he had means (a doctor's familiarity with poisons), opportunity (time alone with Severus) and motive (revenge for Severus' attempt to destroy Ruso and his family).

Ruso didn't do it, of course, but to prove his innocence he must find the murderer.

As if all that isn't bad enough, domestic problems abound. Justinus, the brother of Ruso's sister-in-law, is missing and presumed drowned at sea. Ruso's immature half-sisters, Marcia and Flora, are begging him to provide them with dowries. His stepmother hopes to marry him off to the wealthy widow next door. And Ruso's British lover, Tilla, who accompanied him to Gaul, is not being well-received by his relatives, who view her as a barbarian.

This tangled jungle of financial chicanery, unexplained deaths and family infighting takes place in 119 A.D., during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian, one of the so-called five good emperors. But "Persona Non Grata" has a somewhat contemporary feel, as Ruth Downie reminds us that human nature has changed little over the last 2,000 years or so.

The third book in Downie's Ruso series, "Persona Non Grata" is the first in which the protagonist travels outside Britannia. Downie's fine sense of humor is on display once again as the sardonic Ruso tries to ignore the more idiotic affectations of his impoverished, social-climbing relatives, as well as the antics of their household staff.

When Ruso tries to question the family cook about what kind of beverage Severus drank before he died, for example, the defensive cook gesticulates wildly with a knife, ignoring Ruso's requests that he put it down. That leaves Ruso wondering if the man "was genuinely deranged or just an out-of work actor."

Later, Ruso spots a skinny kid "whose tunic was so big that he looked as though he had shrunk in the wash." A seedy bar in a nearby town is so disreputable that "nobody bothered to sweep up the cockroaches after they squashed them."

Tilla, meanwhile, must come to terms with being a confused stranger in a very strange land, a place where Roman "games" claim human lives and the disciples of "Christos" are making inroads with a relatively new religion that Tilla finds appealing. Her blond hair, exotic looks and heavy woolen clothing set her apart as a novelty who alternately fascinates and frightens the Romans of Gaul.

"Can she talk?" Ruso's nieces and nephews ask when Ruso introduces them to Tilla. "Can we touch her?" "Is she fierce?"

Yet in some ways, Tilla is more civilized than the civilizers. While the Romans see themselves as the world's most advanced power, it is Tilla who is appalled when alleged criminals are publicly executed in an amphitheater by a bear that is goaded into attacking its chained victims. By contrast, the Romans in the audience cheer the bear while munching on snacks.

Surveying the Ruso family's home in southern Gaul, with its mosaics and murals and "silly little polished tables with spindly legs," the pragmatic, clear-headed Briton asks herself: "What could you do with things like that? You could not milk them or eat them. They would not keep you warm in winter."

Tilla's reaction to Gaul, and the provincial Romans' attitudes toward her and her homeland, are as captivating as the search for clues to the fates of the ill-starred Severus and Justinus. In Tilla (full name: Darlughdacha of the Corionotatae among the Brigantes) Downie has created a memorable character who is at least as intriguing as Ruso himself.

Ruth Downie just keeps getting better and better, as she relates life along the Roman frontier and in "civilized" southern Gaul (modern Narbonne) to more contemporary trials and tribulations. In this one, there are scenes of dysfunctional family life that could have been inspired by the Bennetts of Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." With Ruso's family on the verge of bankruptcy at the hands of corrupt financiers, his stepmother airily plans dinner parties and home renovations, while his younger half-sisters are as flighty, spoiled and mad for gladiators as the younger Bennetts were mad for soldiers. And none of them know what to make of Tilla, aside from insulting her at every turn. No wonder that Ruso begins to long for the simple life of the frontier, even before a murder puts the family even more in jeopardy.

As with Downie's other novels, I'd enjoy this one just for the characters and dialogue (as others have noted, the scene where Tilla struggles to understand the new god Christos is a gem) as the solution to the mystery is rarely as compelling as Ruso's struggle to keep his head above water, emotionally and financially.

My only quibble is that Tilla continues to seem almost willfully simple-minded at times and fails to grow as a character. Above all, she never seems aware of what Ruso's ongoing protection means to her - or her probable fate without it. Too much of the relationship happens off the page, and while it's not enough to deduct even half a star, I'd like to see it defined as something more than sharing space and an occasional cuddle.

This is the third book by Ruth Downes on the adventures (and misadventures) Gaius Petreus Ruso, an army doctor stationed with his legion in the boondocks of Britannia during Emperor Hadrian's reign. He is a very competent physician but keeps getting involved in unsavory murders, much against his will. He finds Britain cold, wet, and largely incomprehensive, except that he has acquired a native "housekeeper", Tilla, who finds him just as foreign and incomprehensive. There is charm and humor in their point counterpoint relationship. In this particular novel Ruso returns to his family's farm in Gaul after receiving an urgent message, purportedly from his brother. He and Tilla leave misty Britain for the the hot, dry south of France. Needless to say once they get to Ruso's home things unravel, murder happens, and our hero and heroine are sorely tried. The details of life in the second century AD are fascinating and the assorted characters are well fleshed out: Arria, Ruso's stepmom, is a hoot, his stepsisters are a trial and a tribulation, and Tilla's confrontation with "civilization" is a joy to behold.
I'm a fan of historical novels, so I like this particular series. But not as much as I enjoy Lindsay Davis' series set in Vespasian's time and featuring Marcus Didus Falco.

Goodreads freebie (Thanks!) This is the third book in a series about Gaius Ruso. I have not read the others - normally I prefer to read a series in order -- but this one can be read without having read the others.

Gaius Ruso is a medical officer with the Roman Legion serving in Britain when he receives an obscure message ostensibly from his brother, Lucius, demanding that he return to Roma at once. Easier said than done, since the voyage home required more than a month of sea and overland travel. Stranger yet, when he arrives home, his brother denies having sent the message and in fact regrets his arrival since Roman law prohibited seizing the land and property of anyone serving in the army. Lucius had imprudently made some loan and repayment agreements with Serverus who now declares the repayment had never been made and is foreclosing on their property. Ruso, attempts to set things right, but during a meeting with Serverus, the latter falls over dead from poison, claiming "the bitch" has killed him.

Tilla, the barbarian and Ruso's lover, tends to steal the show on occasion, and she is certainly the most interesting character. She appears the more enlightened, hardly the "barbarian," given the Roman predilection for tying people to posts for entertainment and watching wild animals eat them. Nevertheless, we don't see Tilla much -- at least in this book -- in her native surroundings so it's hard to judge.

If I have one complaint, it's that the book did not have enough period detail, something I really like in historical fiction. Many people find it tedious; I do not. On the other hand, little tidbits like, shoving one's feet into "indoor sandals," and "by law, all the household slaves who had been under the same roof as a murdered master should be put to death for failing to save him, even if they could not possibly have helped," and one way to keep a household under control was by executing the relatives. Hmmm, that one has possibilities.

Purchased as a gift, this book arrived promptly and as advertised. A+ condition. A+ delivery. I would not hesitate to order from this vendor in the future.