Medicus, by Ruth Downie

Here is another story about the great Roman Empire interwoven with a murder mystery.  This is a fun, light read – and very enjoyable.

The year is 117 A.D., and expansionist Rome is dispatching the Army to the far reaches of its empire.  And so Gaius Petreius Ruso, a doctor with the 20th Legion, finds himself in Deva, England (near current-day Liverpool). Ruso is here to leave behind some painful memories: his father died recently, and his wife has left him. As the story opens, he is wondering about the wisdom of his move, he’s trying to decode the politics of his new job, and he’s dealing with the body of a young woman fished out of the river.

On his way to the baths, he hears a commotion in the streets. A slave owner is abusing his property, a young woman who is also a native Briton. She is unconscious and has a badly broken arm. Ruso tries to stay out of the ruckus but eventually becomes involved, as we hope he will. Many more places and characters enter the story – such as the local bar owned by a woman named Merula – before Ruso is able to figure out why women are disappearing. While these events are unfolding, Ruso is also trying to heal – and help – his newly acquired slave.

The book opens with much excitement and grabs the reader from the start. It continues at a good pace. The history is interwoven in the story very nicely and one learns about the culture and the life of the people – both the local Britons and the invading army. We hear details of  the town, the food, the baths, writing tablets, medical procedures, and everyday life. And then there’s Ruso – a very likable character down on his luck, in a new town, and struggling with his job.

Ruth Downie has a winner in Gaius Petreius Ruso. The stories are fun, light, entertaining and historical. She has continued his story with two other books:  Terra Incognita and then Persona Non Grata.

Check the WRL catalog for Medicus