Caveat Emptor: A Novel of the Roman Empire by Ruth Downie;
Bloomsbury USA (2010), Hardcover, 352 pages;
Downie makes the atmosphere feel real, and her descriptions are usually right on. The cast of co-stars is rather large, something I don’t enjoy, but most of the major players were well-identified. I don’t like the fact that Ruso is left in the dark for so long while he bumbles about looking like a amateur. Tilla is constantly causing more trouble, which I realize is fuel for the fire.
I would like something more positive from this series in order to continue. Ruso as the inept detective may have been fun at the beginning, but has now worn off as a plot device.
[I received this book gratis as part of the Early Reviewers program from LibraryThing.]
© Jan McClintock of We Need More Shelves
