A Vote for Murder (Marcus Corvinus Mysteries) [Paperback]

David Wishart (Author)

Book Description

Series: Marcus Corvinus Mysteries | Publication Date: September 1, 2003

Marcus Corvinus is spending a few days in the Alban Hills, while taking a mild interest in the forthcoming consul's elections. Then one of the two candidates is murdered, and Corvinus is all too pleased to put his holiday on hold and help with the investigation. The obvious suspect is the rival political candidate, but needless to say, the obvious solution is not always the right one.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'an entertaining read ... an enjoyable romp.' -- Historical Novels Review Praise for David Wishart: 'Like Chandler's Marlowe, Corvinus wisecracks his way through a weary world of murder and intrigue until he hunts down the truth. A taut thriller in which ancient Rome springs to life' -- The Times 'Innate humour and pace carry one through to the tragi-comic climax' -- Irish Times 'It is evident that Wishart is a fine scholar and perfectly at home in the period' -- Sunday Times 'Wishart creates a pungent, throbbingly vibrant Rome' -- Highland News Group

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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton (September 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0340771305
• ISBN-13: 978-0340771303
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #996,788 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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, May 15, 2003

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, February 15, 2007

By 

Robert Andrews (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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, April 29, 2003

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.