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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN num: 9780312385293
ISBN number: 0312385293
Label: St. Martin's Minotaur
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Minotaur
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 528
Printing Date: November 11, 2008
Publishing house: St. Martin's Minotaur
Release Date: November 11, 2008
Sale Popularity Level: 161080
Studio: St. Martin's Minotaur
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'Saylour rivals Robert Graves in his knack for making the classical world come alive.' --(ortland) Oregonian 'Engrossing...Ironic and satisfying.' -- San Francisco Chronicle The third in Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa novels featuring Gordianus the Finder. Gordianus, disillusioned by the corruption of Rome circa 63 B.C., has fled the city with his family to live on a farm in the Etruscan countryside. But this bucolic life is disrupted by the machinations and murderous plots of two politicians: Roman consul Cicero, Gordianus's longtime patron, and populist senator Catilina, Cicero's political rival and a candidate to replace him in the annual elections for consul. Claiming that Catilina plans an uprising if he loses the race, Cicero asks Gordianus to keep a watchful eye on the radical. Although he distrusts both men, Gordianus is forced into the center of the power struggle when his six-year-old daughter Diana finds a headless corpse in their stable. Shrewdly depicting deadly political maneuverings, this addictive mystery also displays the author's firm grasp of history and human character. On very first publication back in 1994, Catilina's Riddle was a finalist for the Hammet Award.
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Rated by buyers 
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Catilina's Riddle is an excellent and very different historical novel. As a former history major and student of Latin who loves detective novels, I found Catilina's Riddle compelling.
This novel appears to be another investigation of Gordianus the Finder but it is so much more. The real inquiry in Catilina's Riddle is psychological rather than legal. It presents the historical, political and sociological tussle between the forces of Cicero, noted advocate and orator, and Catilina, a charismatic rebel who seeks control of the Roman republic. The struggles portrayed in the book are carefully researched and written. Saylour mined the speeches of Cicero and Catilina and analyzed many ancient writings of the period to uncover minute details of the events. Most of the activity takes place at or near Gordianus' rural estate, but the events transform the Roman state.
In this novel Gordianus grows in wisdom and self-awareness. His major mission is to function as a host for Catilina and a spy for Cicero. His primary task, however, is learning to understand the elusive Catilina, abide his contentious neighbors, and tolerate members of his own household. Gordianus grapples with his own inward anxieties.
He relocated to an Etruscan farm to escape the pressures and chaos of Rome only to have the struggles follow him. Having uprooted his family he confronts their difficulties adapting to a new culture. City breed, Gordianus anguishes with the administration of a farm.
For a lover of history this is one of the most researched and footnoted historical novels ever written. For those who enjoy mysteries Catilina's Riddle is subtle but engrossing. For anyone who likes studying people and personalities, Saylor's descriptions of characters is intriguing. For people who love puzzles this novel is full of baffling perplexities.
Rated by buyers -
I found this book quite disturbing in a thought-provoking way. The motivations of the voting public in choosing a candidate are described very pessimistically. Voters choose candidates that make them feel good about their personal choices (or perceived personal choices -- the more hypocrital the public, the more effective this campaign strategy is) over what might be good for the republic. While reading this book, I felt the tragic inevitability of republic descending into dictatorship, and then into empire.
Rated by buyers 
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What did the other reviewer say? "Could have done without the history lesson"?? If that is the case why would you ever read a mystery about ancient Rome when you could read Raymond Chandler and a mystery about Los Angeles ? Personally I want to learn about history as I devour the story of ROME (and Greece) No history = no good, in my perspective. So Saylour gets 5 stars if you are in a hammock or on a plane sipping a Mai Tai. That way you can fall asleep and pick up where you left off when you wake up with no real expenditure of brain power. Nothing wrong with that. At least you are reading. But, if like me, you are putting the Roman jigsaw puzzle together you can skip all of Saylor's books and proceed directly to Dando-Collins.... Michael Curtis Ford.... or Colleen McCullough.
Oh, a review of this book? THE FINDER retires to the country, Cataline stays with him once in a while before he is denounced by Cicero, there is a murder or two, THE FINDER solves the mystery...cue the Perry Mason music and take another sip of that ole' Mai Tai. See you after you read CICERO by Anthony Everett.
Rated by buyers -
This was my introduction to this series and it was good enough to make me want to read others, but I hope they aren't quite so heavy on the history lessons. Huge sections of the book slow to a crawl while the author innundates us with minutae of Roman politics and history. If I *were* interested in those topics, I'd read a non-fiction book!
When the book focuses on the the main characters, it proves to be extremely interesting. I liked Gordianus the "Finder" and his family and think Saylour is a particularly fine wordsmith. I am encouraged by several of the reviews to hope that other entries in the series deal more with everyday life in Rome than with the political intriques of the day.
As a fan of historical fiction, this ranks higher than most (although for ancient Rome, I prefer the Marcus Didius Falco Mystery series by Lindsey Davis, and Kate Sedley's "Chapman" series retains its status as favorite among all historical fiction).
Rated by buyers -
Steven Saylor's fascination with Ancient Rome began at an early age. A history graduate and former newspaper and magazine editor, he lives in Berkeley, California. His series of books about Ancient Rome and featuring Gordianus the Finder are extremely popular both here in England and also in America. Anyone who is a fan of Lindsey Davis will love these books too. Steven Saylour brings Ancient Rome to life, so much so that the reader can lose himself in the sights and sounds of the ancient city.
Gordianus the Finder, the investigator of crimes, a man whose skill and integrity have made him much sought after by some of the most important men in Rome. Men who may need a secret to be kept, men who need to know that when Gordianus is working for them he will be discreet and not susceptible to bribery.
The year is 63 BC and Gordianus has been left every Roman's dream, a farm in the Etruscan countryside. He immediately decides to up sticks and get his family out of the city that is becoming more decadent with every passing day. He is more than happy to escape all the politics and intrigue that surround him. But is anything as simple as that?
Cicero, a man he has worked for before want to hire him to gain evidence against the popular politician Catilina. The politician is a charismatic man, but also a very dangerous one and Gordianus is no longer interested in putting himself and his family at risk, that is until the very first headless corpse is found down his well . . .
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