The House of the Vestals: The Investigations of Gordianus the Finder

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Product Details
Price
$18.99  $17.66
Publisher
St. Martins Press-3PL
Publish Date
Pages
240
Dimensions
5.5 X 8.4 X 0.7 inches | 0.7 pounds
Language
English
Type
Paperback
EAN/UPC
9780312582418

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About the Author

Steven Saylor is the author of the long running Roma Sub Rosa series featuring Gordianus the Finder, as well as the New York Times bestselling novel, Roma and its follow-up, Empire. He has appeared as an on-air expert on Roman history and life on The History Channel. Saylor was born in Texas and graduated with high honors from The University of Texas at Austin, where he studied history and classics. He divides his time between Berkeley, California, and Austin, Texas.

Reviews

"Ingenious . . . Saylor offers rich history with great imagination." --Seattle Times

"Entertainment of the first order." --The Washington Post Book World

"Saylor's fluid and probing characterization work as effectively in the short story as they have in his admirable Gordianus novels" --Publishers Weekly

"This collection of short stories . . . shows how a fine hand at historical research can enliven the most traditional and well-titled of genres . . . Gordianus himself is a compelling character." --The Herald (SC)

"Three groups of readers will find these stories irresistible: history buffs who appreciate Saylor's careful research into Roman politics and Roman mores; fans of his novels who want to find out how the [Finder] first became Lucius Claudius' friend, or how he acquired his faithful slave Belbo; and anyone who enjoys leisurely, literate storytelling." --Kirkus Reviews

"Saylor serves up a collection of short stories designed to fill in some of the gaps that have piqued the curiosity of devoted fans of his popular Roma Sub Rosa series. Set between the years 80 and 72 B.C., these nine tales document some of the early adventures of Gordianus the Finder. During the course of these cases, Gordianus establishes firm and tender relationships with Eco, his adopted son; Bethesda, his Jewish-Egyptian concubine; Belbo, his loyal manservant and bodyguard; and Lucius Claudius, his generous patron. While each brief mystery presented is a gem in and of itself, readers will delight in the informational overview provided by the collection as a whole. As usual, Saylor does a superb job of seamlessly incorporating the tumultuous history of the Roman Republic into the narrative flow. A welcome addition to the ever fascinating chronicles of Gordianus the Finder." --Booklist