10/7/2023 0 Comments Ruth downie authorThat’s all you need to know plot-wise, really. Ruso’s best buddy’s wife has been murdered he, Valens, is the top suspect, and not without good reason as it turns out (no – not necessarily a spoiler). Among her many strengths as a writer, Ruth Downie really does do physical jeopardy superbly.Īquae Sulis – Bath to us – AD 143. Though I was, I must say – hurrah! – back in cheerleader mode well before it concluded. But what I will say is – Yes, please do read Ruso and Tilla’s tales, but don’t start with Memento mori (start at the beginning, of course, with Medicus). This could well have been down to the medium I don’t care what you say, it’s different. I made enough progress that there was no turning back, even though I’d found myself a bit less entranced than of yore. So when I had to take my partner for an evening hospital appointment and because of the Covid restrictions in place had to hang around waiting for her in the half-light of a semi-deserted hospital car park, the Kindle text had its moment to shine. I’d tried a few times and not got very far, what with all the ‘real’ books available to me. But between library laxity and a publisher’s cock-up I had to purchase Memento mori for myself, to read on the iPad Kindle app, a medium I’m not that keen on. I’m a big fan – as you’ll see if you put her into that little search box top right – she’s such an enjoyable, intelligent read. These ingenious tales of a Roman medicus-cum-reluctant detective and Tilla, his native North British wife, have at their heart one of the great double acts in contemporary crime and any other fiction. Given the context, shame about the title. To hear Simon Vance reading part of the story, visit the Tantor Media website.I suppose I should thank Covid indirectly for my finally getting round to read Ruth Downie‘s Memento mori: a crime novel of the Roman Empire (2018), the 8th in the splendid Gaius Petreius Ruso sequence of novels. The author has created a beautiful array of characters and a lovely setting, the perfect foil to Ruso.” – Carly SilverĬlick here to read the start of MEMENTO MORI “…a genuinely thrilling action sequence towards the end of the book makes for heart-pounding reading. “Downie is masterful at depicting life in ancient Rome, and the setting of Aquae Sulis (still open to tourists) is a crime scene coup. The inclusion of a map, period quotations, and a cast of characters not only aids armchair detectives, but enhances authenticity.” – Kirkus Reviews “As usual, Downie can be relied on for crisp, balanced prose and a sharp eye for historic detail. ![]() Could Ruso’s friend really be guilty as charged? Ruso and Tilla do their best to help, but it’s difficult to get anyone-even Valens himself-to reveal what really happened. If Valens turns up to face trial, he will risk execution. But the dead woman’s father is demanding justice, and he’s accusing Valens of murder. Fearing the wrath of the goddess and the ruin of the tourist trade, the temple officials are keen to cover up what’s happened. The wife of Ruso’s best friend, Valens, has been found dead in the sacred hot spring, stabbed through the heart. ![]() “Yes, but it never really mattered before.”Ī scandal is threatening to engulf the popular spa town of Aquae Sulis (modern-day Bath). I’m his oldest friend, we came all this way, and he lied to me.”
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