Hardcover, 629 pages
English language
Published June 20, 2007 by Thorndike Press.
An interesting and layered book - slow paced and funny like a cozy, but set in Britain in the time of Hadrian with heart-breakingly realistic depictions of the fragility of life, the vulnerability of women of the time, the brutality of slavery and the sex trade.
How disappointing! Really, I can't buy a book about the evils of slavery and human trafficking-- and that was undeniably the point of the brothel characters-- when the main character has a slave who learns to love him and stand by his side.
I came across this series here on Goodreads. I'm really surprised I hadn't heard of it before that because it's just as good as the series by [a:Steven Saylor|42919|Steven Saylor|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1394768071p2/42919.jpg] and [a:Lindsey Davis|24844|Lindsey Davis|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1269886022p2/24844.jpg].
Gaius Petreius Ruso is a doctor who has joined the Roman army after a nasty divorce and the death of his father, who left the family in debt. Ruso is the main support of his stepmother, two half-sisters, a younger brother, his brother's wife, and their two children. Ruso transfers to the 20th Legion in the British port of Deva (present-day Chester). Ruso has to deal with the Roman bureaucracy, filthy and noisy living quarters, and an endless number of dogs (they seem to be more numerous than the mice!). Then there is the injured and possibly dying slave girl, Tilla, that he buys to rescue her from her abusive master. To further complicate matters, he …
I came across this series here on Goodreads. I'm really surprised I hadn't heard of it before that because it's just as good as the series by [a:Steven Saylor|42919|Steven Saylor|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1394768071p2/42919.jpg] and [a:Lindsey Davis|24844|Lindsey Davis|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1269886022p2/24844.jpg].
Gaius Petreius Ruso is a doctor who has joined the Roman army after a nasty divorce and the death of his father, who left the family in debt. Ruso is the main support of his stepmother, two half-sisters, a younger brother, his brother's wife, and their two children. Ruso transfers to the 20th Legion in the British port of Deva (present-day Chester). Ruso has to deal with the Roman bureaucracy, filthy and noisy living quarters, and an endless number of dogs (they seem to be more numerous than the mice!). Then there is the injured and possibly dying slave girl, Tilla, that he buys to rescue her from her abusive master. To further complicate matters, he is called upon to examine the body of a young woman who is believed to have drowned. However, Ruso discovers that her neck was broken and there is bruising on her throat. This was definitely not an accidental or natural death. Ruso becomes a reluctant detective, all the while trying to do his job, send money home, and tend to Tilla, who is not the most cooperative or grateful patient.
This reads more like a historical novel with a touch of mystery than a historical mystery novel. The characters and the background are well drawn and interesting. Downie does an excellent job of portraying Roman Britain. She really makes it come to life. My father retired from the Air Force, so the military bureaucracy in [b:Medicus|2728224|Medicus (Gaius Petreius Ruso #1)|Ruth Downie|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389994066s/2728224.jpg|2209850] is very familiar to me. Some things never change. Ruso is world weary with a dry sense of humor. I found myself laughing several times. The book has its serious moments, though. Downie doesn't flinch from showing how brutal life could be back then, especially for young women without protectors.
This is definitely a series worth checking out. I've already started the second book, [b:Terra Incognita: A Novel of the Roman Empire|6797020|Terra Incognita A Novel of the Roman Empire (Gaius Petreius Ruso, #2)|Ruth Downie|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328772532s/6797020.jpg|1631028], and it's promising to be just as good as this one.
