Customer Reviews

Search the Seven Hills (The Quirinal Hill Affair)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The "Quirinal Hill Affair" was reissued under this new title "Search the Seven Hills". Actually, the title the author wanted was "The Babyeaters", because that is how non-Christians viewed this new religion--when they even differentiated between Christians and Jews! Impeccably researched mystery set in ancient Rome, a young man searches for the kidnapper of his feisty girlfriend. Fascinating glimpse of this time period and a great story that is still searching for a memorable title.

Marcus is the misfit middle son of a disfunctional Roman family circa 118 AD, he insists on studying philosophy of all things! He's also in love with Tullia, who just happens to be the daughter of one of his father's numerous enemies, and worse still is engaged to be married to a rich, vulgar Syrian merchant. Then Tullia is kidnapped, literally before his eyes, and the only clue is a silver fish talisman - emblem of the secret and sinister cult of Christians. Horrified Marcus knows he must rescue her quickly before she's forced to take part in their abhorrent rites. Aided by Sixtus Julianus, an eccentric and aristocratic old recluse and expert on exotic cults, Marcus becomes intimately acquainted with the seamy underside of Roman society and discovers Christians aren't quite what he thought they were. Though she's carefully researched Roman etiquette and customs and early Christian heresies Hambly makes some very elementary mistakes about Roman names but other than that 'Search the Seven Hills' is very authentic. I just *loved* Sixtus, and the cynical Praetor Arrius, not to mention the endlessly bickering Christians.

Brilliant ! Worth every penny (and it does cost a lot of them). I am amazed that so early in her career you can see all the wonderful elements that light up her later Benjamin January and vampire mystery books. Dark, disillusioning, full of very bad people and protagonists who aren't exactly perfect either. All godd books require a good mystery, and Hambly's mysteries are the very best of the good books out there. They may never reprint this (given how easily offended some Christians get), so sink the money and buy a classic!

Not quite as good as the Benjamin January books but not bad as a standalone story. Helps if you like tales of ancient Rome (as I do).

I've had this book for a long time. Its interesting, especially for the detail about life in Rome in the time after Nero was emperor.

The story itself isn't very deep though. The kidnapping of Tertullia which starts the search which gives the book its title ends up being an attempt to generate a red herring allowing a corrupt politican to eliminate an accountant who would have revealed the extent of his corruption and embezellment.

Still its a godo story and worth reading for the amount of historical detail.

I have to admit that I don't remember if this is the same book as the title, but I believe this may be a murder mystery set in ancient Rome - similar to the Falco mystery series by Lindsey Davis. If this is that book, then I highly recommend it. A young philosopher and his love seek a murderer. And how is the head of that strange new Christian religion, the Pope, involved? It has been seven years since I checked-out a much-battered book by Barbara Hambly from a library, but if this is that same book I wish she would try writing this style again.