Ruso And The River Of Darkness (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
"Caveat Emptor," the fourth book in the Ruso series, was a nice improvement on the last two volumes, although still not quite as good as the great opening book.As with the previous books, the highlight is in the setting; Downie has a knack for enveloping the reader into the daily life of Roman Brittania. Tilla became a more dynamic character here, as she struggles with trying for a child and with maintaining her British ways while also trying to accept her new role as a Roman wife.The humor was also good, and the murder mystery started well.The only downside is the ending didn't quite work for me. It seemed unnecessarily vague, and also more straight-forward than one prefers in a murder mystery.Overall, I recommend to any fans of Roman historical fiction. I'm drawn to historical mysteries, particularly those set in the Roman empire, and have been ever since I read The Silver Pigs. Ruth Downie's "Medicus" series was the 4th or 5th series I found that matched this spec, and I've enjoyed all four of the first books in the series, including this one.The best part of this series is the same thing that makes the Falco novels great: the relationships feel "real". Ruso and Tilla are believable, and that adds depth to the novels that others lack. Their relationship isn't perfect, they have trouble communicating, and yet their feelings for each other don't let them just give up on the other.As for the story itself? Although I guessed one piece early, I didn't piece together the pieces until Ruso did -- it's always good to be wanting to find out whodunit. :) I power-read the last half of the book at the beach today, and it was worth the read.
What do You think about Ruso And The River Of Darkness (2010)?
Always enjoy these historical characters. Doctor just cannot seem to avoid problems.
—Nadia
I downloaded and listened to this in two days! I am deeply, deeply addicted.
—Sue
This looks like it will be a great book to read.
—Rachel
