Catilina's Riddle: A Novel of Ancient Rome

Review

''Engrossing . . . Ironic and satisfying.'' --San Francisco Chronicle

''Saylor rivals Robert Graves in his knack for making the classical world come alive.'' --Oregonian

''Saylor has written another gripping and entertaining historical whodunit . . . Shrewdly depicting deadly political maneuverings, this addictive mystery also displays the author's firm grasp of history and human character.'' --Publishers Weekly

''Saylor carefully plots this novel and accurately depicts Roman society; his attentive study of Roman history and culture is evident throughout. The characters are believable and well delineated.'' --Library Journal

''Saylor has written a sweeping and marvelously evocative story, with page after page of authentic detail and meticulous descriptions of the people, places, and politics of early Rome.'' --Booklist

''Saylor's fashionably inconclusive reading of the conspiracy throws both antagonists, Cicero and Catilina, into bold relief. The result is a spacious, provocative portrait of a fictional detective confronted with a historical mystery finally beyond his powers.'' --Kirkus Reviews

Product Description

[Read by Scott Harrison]

The year is 63 B.C., and Gordianus the Finder unexpectedly achieves the dream of every Roman: a farm in the Etruscan countryside. Vowing to leave behind the corruption of Rome, he abandons the city, taking his family with him.

At the same time, Gordianus's longtime patron Cicero has attained the dream of his lifetime: a coveted consulship. Urgently, Cicero requests of Gordianus a favor: his help in keeping watch on a radical populist senator, Catilina. Gordianus, against his will, finds himself drawn deeper and deeper into a maelstrom of deceit and intrigue, uncertain of the dangers and even more uncertain of where his true allegiance lies. When a headless corpse suddenly appears in his stables, Gordianus finds himself confronted with the most deadly mystery of his career.

About the Author

STEVEN SAYLOR is a freelance writer, editor, and the author of novels set in ancient Rome. He studied history at the University of Texas at Austin. His writing has appeared in the Threepenny Review, San Francisco Bay Guardian, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, and the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. He lives in Berkeley, California, and Austin, Texas.