Rubicon (Gordianus the Finder 7) [Paperback]

Steven Saylor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 8, 2005 | Series: Gordianus the Finder 7

Caesar is marching on Rome: his intent, civil war. Pompey and the terrified Senate prepare to flee the city. The murder of a visitor to the house of Gordianus the Finder could not occur at a worse time - especially since the dead man is Pompey's favourite cousin and may have been a very dangerous spy. Pompey commands Gordianus to find the killer, threatening terrible penalties for failure. Amid the chaos overtaking Rome, through the worsening conflict, torn himself by conflicting loyalties, Gordianus must pursue the trail on a deadly journey into the thick of war - although what he finds will shake his sense of right and wrong to the core. Steven Saylor recreates a world without certainties, an empire destroyed by intrigue and internecine war, where murder and espionage pollute the ways of power and the towering figures of history are also the engineers of the empire's destruction.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Steven Saylor's seventh installment in his Roma Sub Rosa series begins with a character saying, "Pompey will be mightily pissed." Scholars might argue that there is no evidence of this particular synonym for anger ever being used in 49 B.C., but the author would no doubt respond that poetic license includes doing whatever it takes to bridge the gap for modern audiences. And indeed, the head of the Roman Senate is mightily pissed. Rome is on the verge of another civil war, and the forces of Julius Caesar and Mark Antony have crossed the Rubicon River and are marching toward the capital. To top it all off, one of Pompey's favorite cousins has been garroted to death.

Before Pompey flees the city, he asks Rome's greatest detective, Gordianus the Finder, to solve the murder. But Pompey has reason to distrust Gordianus, who may have an allegiance with Caesar. To force his loyalty, Pompey seizes the detective's son-in-law, and makes him join his household army. By doing so, he ensures that Gordianus's involvement in the coming conflict will be a very personal one. Confused and troubled, Gordianus walks through Rome toward the house of his former friend and mentor, the poet Cicero. "All around me, I felt the uneasiness of the city, like a sleeper in the throes of a nightmare." Awakening from the nightmare, surviving the chaos, and solving this whodunit will be the Finder's toughest battle yet. --Dick Adler --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Even readers not drawn to historical settings should explore Saylor's impressive series (Murder on the Appian Way, etc.) set in ancient Rome. Saylor's protagonist, Gordianus the Finder, whom Cicero characterizes as "the most honest man in Rome," is an astute citizen and a detective for the Senate. An independent thinker, Gordianus has freed his slaves, marrying one, and adopted several orphans whom he has raised as his own sons. But at 61, the wily Gordianus finds his survival instincts pushed to the utmost, for Rome is on the verge of civil war and all must be careful with their alliances. Caesar has crossed the Rubicon with his army, and his rival, Pompey, the head of the Roman Senate, is about to abandon the city, leaving its citizens without laws and protection. In the midst of this turmoil, Pompey's favorite cousin and trusted courier is murdered in Gordianus's garden. Infuriated, Pompey orders the sleuth to find the killer, insuring his loyalty by impressing one of Gordianus's relatives into his own army. While Gordianus copes with this treacherous mix of family and politics, a heightened frenzy overtakes Rome as it awaits Caesar's possible invasion. Saylor writes about ancient Rome as naturally and comfortably as if he had lived there, capturing both its glory and brutality. Finely shadowed characters and an action-packed finale make this a praiseworthy addition to a series that deserves wide attention. Agent, Alan Nevins; author tour.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Robinson Publishing (September 8, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1845292448
• ISBN-13: 978-1845292447
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,594,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Steven Saylor is the author of EMPIRE: THE NOVEL OF IMPERIAL ROME, a follow-up to the international bestseller ROMA: THE NOVEL OF ANCIENT ROME. These two epic novels comprise a multi-generational saga that spans the first 1200 years of the city, from Iron Age trading post to the height of empire under Hadrian.

Steven is also the author of the ROMA SUB ROSA series of historical mysteries featuring Gordianus the Finder, set in the ancient Rome of Cicero, Caesar, and Cleopatra. To read the series in chronological order, begin with ROMAN BLOOD, then THE HOUSE OF THE VESTALS (short stories), A GLADIATOR DIES ONLY ONCE (short stories), ARMS OF NEMESIS , CATILINA'S RIDDLE, THE VENUS THROW, A MURDER ON THE APPIAN WAY, RUBICON, LAST SEEN IN MASSILIA, A MIST OF PROPHECIES, THE JUDGMENT OF CAESAR, and THE TRIUMPH OF CAESAR.

The next book in the Roma Sub Rosa series will be a prequel that follows the 18-year-old Gordianus on his journey to the Seven Wonders of the World; publication of THE SEVEN WONDERS is scheduled for June 2012.

Outside the Roman books are two novels set in Steven's native Texas. A TWIST AT THE END is based on America's first recorded serial murders, which terrorized Austin, Texas in 1885. The chief protagonist is young Will Porter, who later became famous as O. Henry. HAVE YOU SEEN DAWN? is a contemporary thriller set in a small Texas town not unlike the one where Steven grew up.

Steven's books have been published in 21 languages, and book tours have taken him across the United States, England, and Europe. He has appeared as an expert on Roman life on The History Channel, and has spoken at numerous college campuses, The Getty Villa, and the International Conference on the Ancient Novel.

Steven was born in Texas in 1956 and graduated with high honors from the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied history and Classics. He divides his time between homes in Berkeley, California, and Austin, Texas. When not using his brain, he likes to keep in shape running, swimming, and lifting weights.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fans of the Roma Sub Rosa books will be genuinely surprised., July 21, 1999

By 

Bruce Trinque (Amston, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rubicon: A Novel of Ancient Rome (Hardcover)

I have been reading all of Steven Saylor's "Roma Sub Rosa" novels (featuring the First Century BC detective Gordianus the Finder) since he began publishing them nearly a decade ago. The historical background for the series is superbly researched, and the reader inevitably learns much about Ancient Rome. Moreover, the plots and characters are intricate and compelling. With "Rubicon" Saylor has reached a new level, delving deeper into Gordianus's soul than he has ever done before. And Saylor has done something which is very difficult for the author of a series to accomplish -- in "Rubicon" he genuinely surprises the reader.

I would urge people, however, to first read the other novels in the "Roma Sub Rosa" cycle before approaching "Rubicon," so that they better understand Gordianus and his family.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Saylor skillfully brings history to life, May 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Rubicon: A Novel of Ancient Rome (Hardcover)

In RUBICON, Steven Saylor plunges the reader into the chaos and intrigue of the Roman Republic's last civil war. Less a whodunnit than a vivid, panoramic historical novel with mystery elements, RUBICON nonetheless features all the trademarks of Saylor's "Roma Sub Rosa" series -- vivid characters, polished writing, and brilliantly unexpected plot twists. The siege of the Italian port city of Brundisium is masterfully rendered, as are the terrors of traveling through a countryside ravaged by war and poisoned by suspicion and fear. Fast-paced, well researched, and exciting, RUBICON offers all that any reader of historical fiction could ask for. It's one of Saylor's best.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not his best, yet better than others, January 3, 2000

By 

P Kuijt "Pieter" (Leiden Netherlands) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Rubicon: A Novel of Ancient Rome (Hardcover)

This is certainly not the best work in the Gordanius serie. Yet it has all the historical precision that is absent in the writings of authors like Lindsey Davis. In those books you feel like you're reading about a 21st century mind which accidently ended up in the body of an ancient hero. Not with Saylor, who always succeeds in convincing you that the novel characters are true Romans (even though that can't be true). So even not at his best, Steven Saylor is superior to every ancient suspense writer