A Murder on the Appian Way

This was my first in the series as I got the middle few books at a second hand shop, but not the beginning few books. So I was dropped in head first.

And I really liked it! So much of the ancient Rome books focus on military history, I like that this series focuses more on the politics and city life and the concerns of the ordinary citizens. I really liked Gordianus and his adopted son Eco. I enjoyed how the series takes real events that happened in history (in this book's case, the death of Clodius) and uses that to interweave a compelling story. I enjoyed the depictions of Cicero and Tiro, as well. There are a few historical figures that pop up that you can probably guess, but I won't mention them.

The only downside of the book I felt was the pacing. If it had been 30-50 pages shorter, it would have been much tighter. I imagine Saylor was trying to get across just how hectic the civil unrest of Rome at this period felt like, but parts of the middle dragged a bit.

I'm excited to continue with this series, and see what happens with Gordianus and Eco!