White Murder (Marcus Corvinus Mysteries) [Paperback]

David Wishart (Author)

Book Description

Series: Marcus Corvinus Mysteries | Publication Date: September 1, 2002

When Pegasus, racing mega-star and lead driver of the Whites faction, is found stabbed to death in the alleyway, Marcus Corvinus is already on site. Tracking the murderer down takes Marcus deep into the murky world of Roman chariot-racing with all its secrets, skulduggeries, and scams; and his task is not made any easier by the fact that in the process he has a lovesick major-domo, an invisible dagger, and Mount Etna to contend with.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This is an exceptionally well–plotted mystery novel.” -- Mystery News

About the Author

David Wishart studies 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: 624 pages
• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0340771283
• ISBN-13: 978-0340771280
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #689,978 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Corvinus' best, November 8, 2002

By 

ilmk "ilmk" (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: White Murder (Marcus Corvinus Mysteries) (Paperback)

David Wishart's Marcus Corvinus series has developed well. However this latest offering is a little formulaic. There is a tendancy for Marcus to spend a day sleuthing and then to summarise what he's learnt to Perilla - you get the mild impression it's to ensure the reader hasn't missed anything.
The premise of this installment - a murder of the White's chariot first team Leader, Pegasus, right under Marcus' nose - is to enter the murky underworld of Rome's Circus Maximus, chariot racing, racing-throwing and the factions of Green, Red and Blue, White. Wishart creates a credible picture of life at the races, building a suitable tight-lipped and close-bunched set of teams and fans and Corvinus has to pick his way through lot to establish motive. Everyone has one, of course, and it appears that for all the expressions of closed doors each team is more closely interwoven than would be evident at first glance.
Glee clubs, personal feuds, elopement and Bathyllus' love-sick state of mind all provide another fun outing in Marcus Corvinus' Rome.
It is written as well as ever. We are, by now, very comfortable with the main characters, yet the plot and the denouement are, perhaps, not as complex as they could be ; with the result the strong suspicions of who the culprit(s) is/are from the opening chapters end up being confirmed. So, not Marcus' best outing, but, as a series, long may Corvinus continue...

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Long But Entertaining Read, June 15, 2009

By 

Wayne Anderson (Sacramento, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: White Murder (Marcus Corvinus Mysteries) (Paperback)

After a lot of time spent in the literary company of Steven Saylor, Lindsey Davis, Robert Harris and John Maddox Roberts, this is my first encounter with David Wishart's Roman hero. The book was surprisingly long, but I enjoyed most of it, with a few comments.

First, I thought the murder, motivations, and the setting behind it were tightly constructed. While the storytelling itself wasn't nearly as tight, I still enjoyed it (such as the vividly described diversion to Sicily and Mt. Etna) -- mainly because I'm a sucker for period detail and color.

Second, like some others, I was a little put off by the constant, "Yeah, pal," and "How's it going, sunshine?" of Corvinus' dialogue. I understand wanting to create a colloquial, lived-in feel with the language -- but I find it hard to swallow from a "purple-striper." I don't know anyone who calls everybody "pal," and that's one thing I can do without.

On the other hand, Wishart's grasp of the Roman world feels effortless, he creates believable characters quickly and skilfully, and he meshes them together into a colorful reading experience. Everyone has a background, and that background is a colorful and consistent tapestry that holds together well.

Despite the voices of others here, I can easily accept his portrayal of the widely varied treatment of Roman slaves. Some were worked mercilessly to death, as in the mines; others were members of the family, as Bathyllus is in Marcus Corvinus' house; and some became very powerful in the civil service. Many slaves in many situations managed to buy their freedom and even become wealthy -- Trimalchio in Suteonius' Satyricon is one example; numerous gladiators and aurigae (charioteers) did it too.

If I were to apply a single editorial complaint, it would be the looseness of the storytelling. When you apply a strict standard -- "Does this advance the story?" -- you find it could easily be tightened up tremendously, cutting 600 pages to about half that.

Yet I find myself not wanting to complain. I enjoy the Roman world enough that time spent there -- even idle time climbing the slopes of Mt. Etna or relaxing in a wineshop -- is something I can do for a long time. If the excellent SPQR stories by John Maddox Roberts are too short, too tight for your taste, this might be just the thing.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining but Long, July 10, 2006

By 

Richard T. Brooks "Clodius" (Chattanooga, TN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: White Murder (Marcus Corvinus Mysteries) (Paperback)

There are so many Roman Mystery writers out there now: Davis, Saylor, etc. Wishart's characters are a little similar to others and maybe a little more contrived. But the story works and the detail on the racing scene in old Rome seems valid enough. The numerous Roman names serve to confuse the reader so the actual solution to the mystery becomes secondary to finishing the book, which weighs in at about 550 pages.