Discount Price: $6.99
Price fluctuation possible.
How soon does it ship: Normal ship time within one day
Shipping? Absolutely FREE if you qualify for Super Saver Shipping.
Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN num: 9780312971182
ISBN number: 0312971184
Label: St. Martin's Minotaur
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Minotaur
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 320
Printing Date: September 15, 2000
Publishing house: St. Martin's Minotaur
Sale Popularity Level: 36733
Studio: St. Martin's Minotaur
Other books you might be interested in perusing:
Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
As Caesar marches on Rome and panic erupts in the city, Gordianus the Finder discovers, in his own home, the body of Pompey's favorite cousin. Before fleeing the city, Pompey exacts a terrible bargain from the finder of secrets-to unearth the killer, or sacrifice his own son-in-law to service in Pompey's legions, and certain death. Amid the city's sordid underbelly, Gordianus learns that the murdered man was a dangerous spy. Now, as he follows a trail of intrigue, betrayal, and ferocious battles on land and sea, the Finder is caught between the chaos of war and the terrible truth he must finally reveal.
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
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
-
In Rubicon, Steven Saylour reveals the diversity of his tales of Gordianus. From the clever investigations of Roman Blood, through the psychological thriller of Catilina's Riddle, to the political struggle of Murder on the Appian Way, Saylour writes "novels of Ancient Rome (not just detective stories). Rubicon presents a very different puzzle.
Rubicon is a story with many levels: the military struggle between Caesar and Pompey, the strife between Pompey and Gordianus concerning the death of Numerius Pompey, the tension in Gordianus' family over the drafting of Davus and the long absence of Gordianus, and the struggle with Tiro during the long trip through Italy. Although the main plot appears to be the search for the killer of Numerius Pompey, it is the characters and their struggles that enhance this book.
Rubicon has very strong characterization. Pompey is a strong leader who is impatient, proud, and very stubborn. Pompey seems to live off the reputation of earlier campaigns. Caesar appears almost infallible. He is a dynamic leader with the unquestioned loyalty of this troops. His army is so disciplined that every one of his more than thirty eight thousand soldiers knows his job and does it without being told. Caesar is also human. He is generous with his friends and shows mercy to his enemies. Tiro, who in earlier stories was the cautious slave of Cicero, has grown into a confident and driven freedman. He often masquerades as Soscarides, a traveling philosopher.
The details of the military campaigns are impressive. The battle scenes are very realistic. As a former military engineer I marveled at the accomplishments of Vitruvius, Caesar's military engineer, who builds blockades and battle towers in the bay. Although actually floating on the water these devices are stable, unyielding as barricades, and effective fighting platforms.
Rubicon is a masterful novel. It is accurate history and vivid description. If you like history, if you enjoy suspense, if you revel in visualizing humanity in realistic situations, you must read this.
Rated by buyers 
-
All of Saylor's books are really good reads. They are set in ancient Rome and are written so as to make the reader feel that they are in ancient Rome. It's as if you can even smell the air in the markets. Saylour is really a scholar of Ancient Rome, but also an excellent story teller. I highly recommend.
Rated by buyers -
Saylour never disappoints, and his Roma Sub Rosa series never fails to surprise. I absolutely love this series, and this book is probably the most shocking so far. We get to see a side of Gordianus that we've never seen before, as well as Saylor's viewpoint of what happened when Caesar crossed the Rubicon, and placed Rome into civil war. Gordianus is drawn into the interior politics when a relative of Pompey is murdered in his own garden. Pompey charges him with finding out who the killer was, and while Gordianus is searching we find that the man who was killed was a spy as well as a blackmailer. Gordianus goes into Southern Italy after Pompey and the hostage that Pompey has taken. We see the battle of Brundisiam as it happened. Saylour puts us front and centre in that as well as showing a truly dark side of steady and honest Gordianus. this series is not be missed.
Rated by buyers -
This book is good fun for anyone who has the slightest interest in Ancient Rome. The focus is on Julius Caesar and Pompey as seen through the eyes of a middle aged Roman of the Plebian class.
The politics are interesting as is the personal story of Gordianus the Finder. He is a kind of private detective but they don't have that term at that time.
All the books in this series are good and you don't have to have a lifetime commitment to Roman history. Anyone can pick it up, enjoy it, and perhap learn a bit about the past. But this is not a didactic tome in any way. It is a good story and that is always fun.
Rated by buyers -
Steven Saylour keeps surprising me. This sixth novel in the sub rosa mystery series is somewhat different from the previous volumes. In RUBICON Saylour seems determined to keep things moving. The emphasis this time is on the mystery, and an unconventional mystery it is. A young man has been garroted in Gordianus's garden and there is no way anyone could have gotten over the wall, committed the murder and then climbed back over the wall within only a few minutes. There are no suspects. The victim's cousin just happens to be Pompey, who commands Gordianus to find the murderer or else. He takes Gordianus's son-in-law as a hostage as he prepares for battle with Caesar. On top of this, Gordianus keeps hearing gossip that his son Meto is the bed partner of Julius Caesar. Gordianus suspects that it may be true. There are other rumors of a secret conspiracy against Caesar's life. Blackmail is featured heavily in this story. This story has several disturbing elements. But there are also the fascinating tidbits like how the Romans performed abortions and some of the ingenious ways they hid and passed secret messages. All in all, this was a very entertaining reading experience. And I certainly did not guess who the killer was.
Probably the major overhanging argument of this novel is "when is killing justified?" I'd like to write more about this, but it would necessitate spoilers. This is an interesting and extremely entertaining novel. It could probably be enjoyed without reading the others first, but if you are already familiar with the characters it will mean a lot more to you.
Find other books like this one:
