Medicius and the Disappearing Dancing Girls by R.S. Downie

Ruso has just taken up a medical post with the Twentieth Legion in Chester. It is a dark, wet settlement on the very outskirts of the Empire, on the outskirts of the world. Driven to this job by desperate personal circumstances, Ruso is merely surviving. He lives with a colleague who is a regular ladies man and handsome to boot. Added to that he doesn't get on with his boss, a penny pinching bureaucrat who is more interested in how quickly they can treat patients than treating them properly. Then on his way back from a quick drink, Ruso comes across a badly injured slave girl. He buys the girl and tends her in the hope that he can sell her on for a huge profit and solve all his problems. This is never a wise idea, particularly if you find their eyes attractive. Meanwhile girls from the very place he enjoys a quiet drink are turning up dead and Ruso is the only one who cares enough to investigate. It seems as though the Gods aren't smiling on Ruso.

For anyone who enjoys Lindsey Davis' Falco series, you really must read 'Medicius and the disappearing dancing girls'. The main character, much like Falco, is a likeable, down-trodden guy with a good heart who somehow manages to get into more scrapes than a club bouncer. The story is well written, undemanding, and easy to read. I couldn't put it down when I'd started and ended up reading it in a day.

Downie's characters are very well written. I particularly like the portrayal of Priscus who is the archetypal bureaucrat you just want to slug. He makes pettiness into a fine art form and puts me in mind of one or two people I've come across in my years of working in local government. I liked Albanus as a character too and hope that he appears in any future instalments. I have a bit of a soft spot for clerks who come good! One character that felt a bit different was that of Tilla. A strong woman who doesn't want to be a slave who to begin with seems not to want to live but her spirit won't let her so she plans to escape instead. Her relationship with Ruso is not a typical slave/master relationship, nor is it overtly romantic either. Although Downie leaves scope for the two to fall for each other properly it doesn't seem to quite happen. To me that is far preferable to happy domesticity.

The setting of the book is fairly well written. Downie has certainly done her research and there doesn't seem to be any glaring factual mistakes. I particularly enjoyed the way she shows how far the Roman medical profession is behind modern medicine. The fact that most people are terrified of the doctors and that they can be a bit ruthless at times. It made the whole thing feel that little bit more real. It can be too tempting to turn your hero into a proper hero, able to cure anyone of anything. Ruso isn't a bad doctor, but nor is he set up as the greatest doctor either.

There are quite a few authors on the market whose books are historical crime stories set in the Roman period, Lindsey Davis, Steven Saylor, Rosemary Rowe and Marilyn Todd to name but a few. I really feel that Downie deserves to be added to this list and it is my hope that Ruso and Tilla will enjoy another outing in the not too distant future.

*4 stars*

Saturnalia by Lindsey Davis

This is the 18th book (yes, I know can hardly believe it myself!) in the Didius Falco series by Lindsey Davis. If you haven't picked up a Falco book yet, go do so now! The first in the series is the Silver Pigs, but they're all worth a read. There are probably going to be spoilers ahead if you haven't read any of the other books so be warned!

It's Saturnalia (Roman equivalent of Christmas) and everyone is in party mood. However amid the merriment a dangerous enemy of the state has escaped from house arrest and Didius Falco, informer has been charged with the task of finding her. Not only has she escaped but she also seems to have murdered a member of a high ranking family during her escape. At the same time his brother in law goes missing after a marital spat over said escaped felon. Added to that Falco has a group of soldiers working undercover to assist him, but they seem more interested in celebrating the holidays than helping out. Juggling his wife Helena, his two children and extended family with the investigation Falco finds, as usual, life is never quiet.

As soon as I started reading this book I relaxed. I love Davis' style and find it comfortable and easy going. It's like slipping on your favourite pair of shoes or an old jumper. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it came alone at just the time I needed a bit of comfort reading! Her characters are so beautifully created, from Falco's no nonsense mother to the beautiful, intelligent Helena who keeps Falco in line. You feel as if you could know some of the characters in your own life! There are definitely characteristics that transcend the centuries, like the way the soldiers try to avoid work or how Helena's parents acted when she and her brothers were little. There are some incredibly funny moments that showcase Davis' skill. She manages to mix humour, romance, violence, crime and mystery into one coherent story. You never feel that what you're reading is irrelevant to the plot.

It should also be added that Davis has researched her historical period well and is pretty accurate.

I seriously would advise that you read the series of Falco books from the start. A lot of the characters will only make sense if you have read the previous books, despite Davis' attempts to remind the reader the history behind each aspect of the story. It also helps you to appreciate the Roman way of life. I have an interest in Roman Britain and the Romans in general so I came to these books with a certain amount of background knowledge. I find that reading these books had brought the subject to life and made me understand how each piece I'd looked at fitted into the whole. Although human nature rarely changes the way the day is structured, the politics and the institutions differ so much and they are so intertwined with the plot in these books that Davis does well to explain them to those who don't know about it.

I would thoroughly recommend this book to all Falco fans, Davis is back on form. I would advise the entire series to anyone who likes TV programmes like The Last Detective or who likes a crime fighter with a life beyond work.

For more information about Lindsey Davis and the Falco books visit her official website.

*4 stars*