Listen free for 30 days
-
Tabula Rasa
- Roman Empire Series, Book 6
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Series: The Roman Empire, Book 6
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Listen with a free trial
Buy Now for £27.19
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Vita Brevis: A Crime Novel of the Roman Empire
- Medicus, Book 7
- By: Ruth Downie
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ruso and Tilla's excitement at arriving in Rome with their new baby daughter is soon dulled by their discovery that the grand facades of polished marble mask an underworld of corrupt landlords and vermin-infested tenements. There are also far too many doctors - some skilled - but others positively dangerous.
-
-
Same high level of quality of writing.
- By Debra K on 16-08-17
-
Desperate Undertaking
- Flavia Albia
- By: Lindsey Davis
- Narrated by: Jane Collingwood
- Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rome, the very end of December. The Field of Mars is packed with monuments, none more beautiful than Domitian's new Odeon and Stadium. But the area has been overtaken by ugly events: elaborately staged murders. Someone bears a spectacular grudge against the theatrical community and intends to get revenge in the most spectacular way possible. The killer's method is to re-enact bloody scenes from the gruesome side of popular theatre, where characters in plays really die on stage.
-
-
Gruesome
- By Vaan on 29-06-22
-
The Silver Pigs
- Marcus Didius Falco, Book 1
- By: Lindsey Davis
- Narrated by: Christian Rodska
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One fine day, A.D. 70, Sosia Camillina quite literally runs into Marcus Didius Falco on the steps of the Forum. It seems Sosia is on the run from a couple of street toughs, and after a quick and dirty rescue, P.I. Falco wants to know why.
-
-
Murder, Mystery and Mayhem in First Century Rome!
- By Broadland Wanderer on 25-09-08
-
The Good Knight
- The Gareth & Gwen Medieval Mysteries, Book 1
- By: Sarah Woodbury
- Narrated by: Laurel Schroeder
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year is 1143, and King Owain seeks to unite his daughter in marriage with an allied king. But when the groom is murdered on the way to his wedding, the bride's brother tasks his two best detectives - Gareth, a knight, and Gwen, the daughter of the court bard - with bringing the killer to justice.
-
-
Good Story spoilt
- By Amazon Customer on 03-04-17
-
The Glass Swallow
- By: Julia Golding
- Narrated by: Lucy Scott
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rain designs exquisite stained glass windows.But the law is clear-girls cannot be part of the glassmakers' guild.Leaving home, she travels to Magharna.When Peri witnesses Rain's capture by a gang of bandits,his fate and heart become tied to hers.They escape the outlaws,but Peri's family of falconers and untouchables,scorned by all.Can Rain and Peri's love survive the prejudices against them?And with the country on the brink of disaster will they be able to stop their world from smashing apart?
-
-
YA but I still enjoyed it
- By Bridget on 01-08-17
-
The Adventures of Brother Cadfael
- A Collection of Chronicles
- By: Ellis Peters
- Narrated by: Sir Derek Jacobi
- Length: 17 hrs and 48 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This collection of recordings about Brother Cadfael—a Benedictine monk and amateur sleuth in the 12th century—are performed here by the ideal actor. Sir Derek Jacobi, who portrayed Cadfael in several television adaptations, captivates listeners with his renderings of Monk's Hood, Saint Peter's Fair, The Heretic's Apprentice, The Potter's Field, The Summer of the Danes, and Brother Cadfael's Penance.
-
-
Very entertaining
- By Gayle Harris on 20-05-22
-
Vita Brevis: A Crime Novel of the Roman Empire
- Medicus, Book 7
- By: Ruth Downie
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ruso and Tilla's excitement at arriving in Rome with their new baby daughter is soon dulled by their discovery that the grand facades of polished marble mask an underworld of corrupt landlords and vermin-infested tenements. There are also far too many doctors - some skilled - but others positively dangerous.
-
-
Same high level of quality of writing.
- By Debra K on 16-08-17
-
Desperate Undertaking
- Flavia Albia
- By: Lindsey Davis
- Narrated by: Jane Collingwood
- Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rome, the very end of December. The Field of Mars is packed with monuments, none more beautiful than Domitian's new Odeon and Stadium. But the area has been overtaken by ugly events: elaborately staged murders. Someone bears a spectacular grudge against the theatrical community and intends to get revenge in the most spectacular way possible. The killer's method is to re-enact bloody scenes from the gruesome side of popular theatre, where characters in plays really die on stage.
-
-
Gruesome
- By Vaan on 29-06-22
-
The Silver Pigs
- Marcus Didius Falco, Book 1
- By: Lindsey Davis
- Narrated by: Christian Rodska
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One fine day, A.D. 70, Sosia Camillina quite literally runs into Marcus Didius Falco on the steps of the Forum. It seems Sosia is on the run from a couple of street toughs, and after a quick and dirty rescue, P.I. Falco wants to know why.
-
-
Murder, Mystery and Mayhem in First Century Rome!
- By Broadland Wanderer on 25-09-08
-
The Good Knight
- The Gareth & Gwen Medieval Mysteries, Book 1
- By: Sarah Woodbury
- Narrated by: Laurel Schroeder
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year is 1143, and King Owain seeks to unite his daughter in marriage with an allied king. But when the groom is murdered on the way to his wedding, the bride's brother tasks his two best detectives - Gareth, a knight, and Gwen, the daughter of the court bard - with bringing the killer to justice.
-
-
Good Story spoilt
- By Amazon Customer on 03-04-17
-
The Glass Swallow
- By: Julia Golding
- Narrated by: Lucy Scott
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rain designs exquisite stained glass windows.But the law is clear-girls cannot be part of the glassmakers' guild.Leaving home, she travels to Magharna.When Peri witnesses Rain's capture by a gang of bandits,his fate and heart become tied to hers.They escape the outlaws,but Peri's family of falconers and untouchables,scorned by all.Can Rain and Peri's love survive the prejudices against them?And with the country on the brink of disaster will they be able to stop their world from smashing apart?
-
-
YA but I still enjoyed it
- By Bridget on 01-08-17
-
The Adventures of Brother Cadfael
- A Collection of Chronicles
- By: Ellis Peters
- Narrated by: Sir Derek Jacobi
- Length: 17 hrs and 48 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This collection of recordings about Brother Cadfael—a Benedictine monk and amateur sleuth in the 12th century—are performed here by the ideal actor. Sir Derek Jacobi, who portrayed Cadfael in several television adaptations, captivates listeners with his renderings of Monk's Hood, Saint Peter's Fair, The Heretic's Apprentice, The Potter's Field, The Summer of the Danes, and Brother Cadfael's Penance.
-
-
Very entertaining
- By Gayle Harris on 20-05-22
-
Present Tense
- By: Dave Duncan
- Narrated by: Mark Ashby
- Length: 14 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the midst of the horror of the first World War, a stranger falls from nowhere into the mud and death of the Flanders battlefield - bruised, babbling, and stark naked...with a remarkable story to tell. Wrongly accused murderer Edward Exeter has reappeared on this Earth hearing scars and secrets. From somewhere he calls next door - a place old godly intrigues and an ancient prophecy that he wants no part of. But powerful forces on both sides of a mystical border have other plans for the young fugitive.
-
Vindolanda
- By: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Peter Noble
- Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
AD, 98. The bustling army base at Vindolanda lies on the northern frontier of Britannia and the entire Roman world. In just over 20 years' time, the Emperor Hadrian will build his famous wall. But for now, defences are weak as tribes rebel against Rome. It falls to Flavius Ferox, Briton and Roman centurion, to keep the peace. But it will take more than just a soldier's courage to survive life in Roman Britain.
-
-
First class novel...
- By Ray Carpenter on 31-01-18
-
Marius' Mules I: The Invasion of Gaul
- Marius' Mules, Book 1
- By: S. J. A. Turney
- Narrated by: Malk Williams
- Length: 17 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is 58 BC, and the mighty Tenth Legion, camped in Northern Italy, prepare for the arrival of the most notorious general in Roman history: Julius Caesar. Marcus Falerius Fronto, commander of the Tenth, is a career soldier and long-time companion of Caesar's. Despite his desire for the simplicity of the military life, he cannot help but be drawn into intrigue and politics as Caesar engineers a motive to invade the lands of Gaul.
-
-
At Last!! Something else worth listening to!
- By Anonymous User on 07-03-20
-
Master and God
- By: Lindsey Davis
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble, Clare Corbett
- Length: 15 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is AD 81. The Roman emperor Domitian seizes power. Afflicted by classic paranoia, the self-styled Master and God sees enemies everywhere - and he is right. The Senate loathes him, his advisers are terrified, he cannot trust his wife, and barbarians menace the frontiers. As he vents his suspicions, no one is safe.
-
-
Simply Superb
- By Michelle on 17-03-12
-
Rebels and Traitors
- By: Lindsey Davis
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 29 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Set against the terrible struggle of the English Civil War, Rebels and Traitors is the story of how this turbulent era effected everyone, from rich to poor, and the hopes and dreams that carried them through years of deprivation, bloodshed and terror. When Gideon Jukes and Juliana Lovell, who are on opposites sides of the struggle, meet during one of the era’s most crucial events, their mutual attraction brings the comfort and companionship for which they both have yearned.
-
-
An epic tale
- By D. Cottam on 30-07-15
-
The Fort
- City of Victory, Book 1
- By: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Stephen Perring
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Dacian kingdom and Rome are at peace, but no one thinks that it will last. Sent to command an isolated fort beyond the Danube, centurion Flavius Ferox can sense that war is coming but also knows that enemies may be closer to home. Many of the Brigantes under his command are former rebels and convicts, as likely to kill him as obey an order. And then there is Hadrian, the emperor's cousin, and a man with plans of his own.
-
-
Really disappointed
- By Greg Mullan on 05-09-21
-
The Course of Honour
- By: Lindsey Davis
- Narrated by: Diana Bishop
- Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
He has no money, no reputation and no famous ancestors.' The love story of the Emperor Vespasian, who brought peace to Rome after years of strife, and his mistress, the freed slave woman Caenis, this book recreates Ancient Rome's most turbulent period - the reigns of Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero and Vespasian's rise to power. As their forbidden romance blossoms, Caenis is embroiled in political intrigue, while Vespasian embarks on a glorious career.
-
-
What a lovely story!
- By cdw on 27-03-17
-
The Capsarius
- Legion XXII, Book 1
- By: Simon Turney
- Narrated by: Colin Mace
- Length: 12 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
25 BC. Titus Cervianus is no ordinary soldier. A former surgeon from the city of Ancyra, he's now a capsarius—a combat medic. Cervianus is a pragmatist, a scientist and truly unpopular with his legion. The Twenty Second Deiotariana have been sent to deal with uprisings and chaos in Egypt. Yet the Twenty Second is no ordinary legion either. Founded as the private royal army of one of Rome's most devoted allies, the king of Galatia, their ways are not the same as the other legions, a factor that sets them apart and causes friction with their fellow soldiers.
-
-
Good listening
- By dave on 30-07-22
-
The Unquiet Bones
- By: Mel Starr
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hugh of Singleton, fourth son of a minor knight, has been educated as a clerk, usually a prelude to taking holy orders. However, feeling no certain calling despite a lively faith, he turns to the profession of surgeon, training in Paris and then hanging out his sign in Oxford. A local lord asks him to track the killer of a young woman whose bones have been found in the castle cesspit. She is identified as the impetuous missing daughter of a local blacksmith, and her young man, whom she had provoked very publicly, is in due course arrested and sentenced at the Oxford assizes.
-
-
Shardlake's Younger Brother, the surgeon
- By Mr. Stephen Gould on 20-09-20
-
The Wolves of Savernake
- Domesday, Book 1
- By: Edward Marston
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ralph Delchard, a soldier who fought at the Battle of Hastings, and Gervase Bret, a talented lawyer, have been commissioned by William the Conqueror to look into irregularities brought to light during the compilation of the Domesday Book. A man’s body is found mutilated in Savernake Forest and the residents of Bedwyn sleep uneasy at night, fearing a monster stalking the town. When Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret arrive, they discover that the locals are harbouring dark secrets and that the real killer may be a little closer to home....
-
-
Easy listening at its best.
- By K on 23-11-21
-
War at the Edge of the World
- Twilight of Empire, Book 1
- By: Ian Ross
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 12 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once a soldier in an elite legion from the Danube, Aurelius Castus believes his glory days are over, stuck in Britain's provincial backwater. But history is about to take a hand and when the king of the Picts, the savage people beyond Hadrian's Wall, dies in mysterious circumstances, Castus is selected to command the bodyguard of a Roman envoy sent to negotiate with the barbarians. But the diplomatic mission ends in bloody tragedy…
-
-
Rivals the best in this genre
- By Anonymous User on 22-11-18
-
The Marathon Conspiracy
- The Athenian Mysteries, Book 4
- By: Gary Corby
- Narrated by: Erik Davies
- Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nicolaos and his partner in investigation, Diotima, have taken time out of their assignments to come home to get married. But if Nico was hoping they'd be able to get hitched without a hitch, he was overly optimistic. When they arrive in Athens, there's a problem waiting for them. The Sanctuary of Artemis is the ancient world's most famous school for girls. When one of the children is killed, apparently by a bear, and another girl disappears, Diotima's childhood teacher asks her former pupil to help them.
-
-
Enjoyable
- By Susan on 05-06-19
Summary
The medicus Ruso and his wife, Tilla, are back in the borderlands of Britannia, this time helping to tend the builders of Hadrian's Great Wall. Having been forced to move off their land, the Britons are distinctly on edge. Then Ruso's recently arrived clerk, Candidus, goes missing. A native boy thinks he sees a body being hidden inside the wall's half-finished stonework, and a worrying rumor begins to spread. When soldiers ransack the nearby farms looking for Candidus, Tilla's tentative friendship with a local family turns to anger and disappointment. Tensions only increase when Branan, the family's youngest son, also vanishes. As Ruso and Tilla try to solve the mystery of the two disappearances - while at the same time struggling to keep the peace between the Britons and the Romans - an intricate scheme involving slavery, changed identities, and fur trappers emerges, and it becomes imperative that Ruso find Branan before it's too late.
Critic reviews
More from the same
Narrator
What listeners say about Tabula Rasa
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Miss
- 29-01-22
The hapless roman in another adventure
another ripping yarn about the adventures of Rouso and Tilla. fast paced and engaging, giving a glimpse of what life might have been like in Roman Britain for the Romans and British people alike.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Pendrian
- 24-03-17
Throughly enjoyable
I cannot recommend this audio book highly enough. I am a big fan of Ruth Downie and her Ruso series. Thrilled to get this on audio. Thank you Ruth Downie for writing it and Audible for making it available on audio.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Dene.F.
- 06-03-17
Great but.....
This is only relevant for those that have listened to the previous books in this series.
I have given the performance an average mark of 3 stars instead of the probable 4 stars it deserved because 1 small thing that really peeved me greatly.
A character that only had a small part in this book but has been in previous books also completely changed in voice and attitude. He went from a middle class insipid southerner to a voice of indeterminate local with a more aggressive edge of nature.
How can this happen in a series? My problem I know but Ridiculas none the less.
Aside of that I enjoyed it greatly and am sad I only have one book left to listen to.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mary Carnegie
- 26-10-16
Good story but narration below par
Simon Vance wasn't on form for this book. It was like a long running radio drama (e.g. The Archers) with new actors in crucial parts, without efforts towards continuity- Brian Aldridge turns Australian overnight or Joe Grundy becomes Norwegian!- Albanus in particular seems to have developed an accent which could be considered of lower status than in previous books. Tilla too sounds different and overall I feel there's less subtlety in vocal characterisation.
The story is interesting, and having recently repeated that journey "over the top" home out of England I can appreciate the bleak conditions exper
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Deborah
- 10-06-20
Another excellent adventure with Ruso and Tilla
I like Ruso and Tilla and I enjoyed Tabula Rasa very much. In fact, I read it in almost one sitting because it was so hard to put it down. I’m a bit odd in that I don’t read mysteries primarily for the mystery or crime to be solved; I read them for the same reasons I read any other novel. Ruso and Tilla are three-dimensional characters and the problems they face coming from different cultures are realistically portrayed. Downie does an excellent job of recreating Roman Britain during the reign of Hadrian, which is another reason I enjoy the Ruso mysteries. In the case of Tabula Rasa, it was the crimes to be solved that held my attention and made it so difficult to put the book down. I think if a reader enjoys historical mysteries, then he or she should enjoy this novel, but it is the latest in a series and I highly recommend reading the previous books first to understand how Ruso and Tilla’s relationship has evolved over time.
I should mention one of my favorite scenes is when Russo is trying to recite the Aeneid from memory and gets help from Valens and Albanus. Really funny!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 21-04-20
loved it!
excellent narrator and story... kept me immobile for hours.....I love this series and how the characters come to life and develop.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- kas1902
- 01-05-19
Excellent story and narration but why did Russo’s old clerks voice change?
Dramatic change in Russo’s old clerk and Tillas cousin and husbands voice grated a bit. Shame really
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mr
- 09-03-19
Great again, with a small caveat
Albarnus seems to have developed a strange accent, and I was so glad this character had reappeared. That is the only very small negative I can find. Otherwise a great story with the characters that I have come to like a great deal.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- John L.
- 04-03-19
A great way of enjoying the past
So far each book in this series has been better than the previous. (and I'm pretty sure I gave the first one a 5 star rating!)
A great way of stepping back into a fictional past and putting a fictional story into history. A great story, kept me looking forward to picking up the story from where I had to leave off.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- claire dee
- 23-03-17
disappointed with with the accent change!
I have enjoyed the accents and characters so far but was unhappy Albanus became German!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Donna H. Barnes
- 23-08-14
Not my favorite book in the series
I have really enjoyed this series, but this one lacked the medical aspect that in enjoy.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- C. L. Ortiz
- 07-08-14
Love Downie as usual, but ANGRY with Vance
What did you love best about Tabula Rasa?
Ruth Downie hasn't lost her touch.
What do you think the narrator could have done better?
I've loved the entire series, but for some reason Simon Vance apparently decided not to review what his character voices sounded like before doing this book. 2/3 of the way through the book, Albanus (a recurring character in all of the books) shows up and suddenly has a heavy accent?! It is the most distracting thing I've ever heard, and I actually stopped listening to write this complaint. Albanus is one of my favorite characters, and I've been waiting most of the book for him to arrive, and now I just want to throw something every time he talks. Seriously, Simon Vance is generally better than this, and I don't understand it. Even the minor characters that have only shown up once or twice before are correct to their original renditions, but Albanus, a major character, is so far off as to be unrecognizable. Why, Simon? Why?!
21 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Jean
- 17-09-16
A Pleasure to Read
This is book six in the Gaius Ruso series. This historical fiction series is best if it is read in order.
Ruso is a medical officer in the Roman Legion stationed in Briton. He married a native Briton, Tila. In this story Ruso and Tila are caught in a conflict between the Romans and Britons. There is a rumor a body is buried in the Hadrian’s Wall. Ruso’s medical clerk is missing. A Briton boy is missing and the family is related to Tila. With the Britons teetering on the edge of rebellion, Ruso and Tila attempt to discover who took the boy.
The book is well written and meticulously researched. The plot spirals and bends enough to keep the reader’s attention. Downie continues to develop the key characters. Russo’s relationship with Tila matures. Russo evolves with each installment rather than remaining a static character. I appreciate Downie’s attention to detail both historical and human. I also enjoyed the dry British humor.
Simon Vance does a superb job narrating the book. Vance is a stage, film and TV actor who is also an award winning audiobook narrator. I always enjoy a book narrated by Vance.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Kate
- 28-08-14
Great historical mystery with wonderful dry humor
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
The time period is not commonplace and the characters are charming.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Tabula Rasa?
An unfortunate surgery.
Which character – as performed by Simon Vance – was your favorite?
Ruso
Who was the most memorable character of Tabula Rasa and why?
I always look forward to what Ruso and Tilla are up to.
Any additional comments?
Lovely mystery, characters and dry humor.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- 6catz
- 11-08-14
A new entry in this wonderful series at last!
Any additional comments?
When I read the first in this series, "Medicus," I just had to binge on all the rest of the Russo and Tilla books in a row. Creating wonderful characters and carefully researched settings, Ruth Downie combines mystery with history in a most satisfying and entertaining way. The clash of ancient Celtic and Roman cultures provides a background to her stories that I find endlessly fascinating, and this was no exception. Always beautifully read by Simon Vance - Only bummer is waiting for the next installment. Loved it.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 23-07-15
pretty good
I really enjoy this series and have listened to every book. SImon Vance is one of the very best narrators there is. So, it's hard to understand why he suddenly gave the recurring character Albanus some type of unidentifiable accent in this book. As A follower of this series, this was distracting.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- jerelyn
- 10-09-14
The best one yet.
Tabula Rasa translates to “clean slate”… Well folks here we are another terrific tale in the Medicus series. I’ve said it before catching up with Tilla and Ruso is always a joy. But I have to say right out this offering is my favorite so far. By now I feel I really know them. Where they are as a couple and where they want to be. As always Ruth Downie writes with great humor and warmth, she conveys the difficulties dealing with each other’s cultures so believably. I recommend this book without reservation.
While stationed to one if the forts during the construction of Hadrian’s Wall. Tilla has found a family of sorts, something she’s longed for, and which is a nightmare for Ruso, whose time away from his own family is just the way he likes it. I especially love the details of the building of the wall. No novel set in England can be written without the weather becoming a character. Downie make you feel the misery of what living in one of these camps during late fall must have been like. How the men and their followers must have longed to leave and go back to winter quarters, and to civilization, or what passed for civilization to the Romans in Britain. To exacerbate the situation Ruso secretary has gone missing, and a young Briton with ties to Tilla also goes missing and so Ruso is ordered to find out what happened to the boy, by his commander. They don’t need the locals up in arms any more than they already are, now do they? As always it’s great fun to watch the mystery play out, many characters from past books are present and add to the fun.
Plus I could listen to Simon Vance read a phone book, he is perfection as usual.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- SophiaMarie
- 17-09-17
more is explained in Title's storyline
Shifting storylines at Chapters can make it difficult to understand what's going on if you weren't listening closely. Because of the length of the book, it seems like a good one to listen to, but it may be one you want to start out reading so you understand the rhythm it's written in and then listen to the book through the rest of the chapters.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Ark1836
- 23-09-15
Another Great Entry in the Series
I have been listening to this series for the last two years, and I can't wait for the next edition. These books are not intellectually deep, though the author obviously takes care to include accurate historical details about the era. The premises of this story is that the main character, a doctor in the Roman army, and his British native wife solve various murder mysteries. This book continues that trend--a new location and a new murder mystery. I do not generally like the mystery genre, so I can't comment whether this is a quality mystery novel--I was drawn to these books by the Roman connection. What I can comment on is that these books are highly entertaining and relatively fast-paced making an overall great read.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Patricia
- 25-07-15
I loved this series!
Who would have thought that the life of a medicus in the Roman army could be so entertaining. But it has been due to such fine writing and completely perfect narration. A truly beautiful marriage 😊
I look forward to the next book with great anticipation as I have grown very fond of the characters.
1 person found this helpful