Recommended Reading

Arms of Nemesis: A Novel of Ancient Rome by Steven Saylor.  (1992)  307 p.

When the overseer of Marcus Crassus’ estate is found brutally murdered, it is assumed that the culprits are rogue slaves, bent on running away to join the revolt of Spartacus.  Unless Gordianus the Finder can uncover the truth, Crassus will execute all ninety-nine slaves remaining in his possession.  Working feverishly to prevent a massacre, Gordianus must track down the real killer before it is too late.  An engrossing and moderate to fast paced novel, Arms of Nemesis takes the reader on a historical trip through the streets of Rome and the Roman countryside, embroiling us with its complex characters and at times heart pounding scenes.

 

Catalina’s Riddle: A Novel of Ancient Rome by Steven Saylor.  (1993) 548 p.

Returning once again to the underbelly of Rome, Gordianus the Finder has been  tasked by his longtime patron Cicero to keep a wary eye on Catalina, Cicero’s main senatorial rival.  Reluctant to be drawn into another case, Gordianus nevertheless finds himself pulled back into his role as a detective when a headless body is discovered on his property.  Realizing that Cicero’s request and the corpse on his land are connected Gordianus once again takes us through the countryside of Rome as he uncovers the sinister plots churned up by the Roman aristocracy in this moderate to fast paced novel.  Populated with interesting and memorable characters, this is an excellent read for lovers of ancient historical fiction.

Sharpe’s Rifles (Richard Sharpe’s Adventure Series #1) by Bernard Cornwell.  (1988) 352 p.

The year is 1809, and British forces are being forced by French troops to retreat to Portugal during the height of the Napoleonic Wars.  Lieutenant Richard Sharpe somewhat reluctantly finds himself in command of the rag-tag Rifle Company, cut off from the main grouping of British troops in the mountains of Spain.  Determined to win advancement by taking the city of Santiago de Compostela with his Spanish allies, Sharpe and his men set out to do the impossible, but will they survive?  With likeable and well-rounded characters, this moderately paced read is exciting and emotional with a special emphasis on military ins and outs. 

L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy.  (1990) 496 p.

Set in Los Angles in the early 1950s, the novel follows a trio of police officers battling crime and corruption, and often each other, in midcentury L.A.  The three main characters are well-rounded, flawed, and realistic in this fast-paced novel.  Investigating the politically and racially charged murders at the Nite Owl coffee shop, each character must come to terms with a corrupt political system, the racial complexities of mid-century America, and their own pasts and prejudices.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden.  (1997) 448 p.

At then tender age of nine, young Chiyo is sold into the life of a geisha in pre-World War II Japan.  Navigating the complex rules of a geisha’s life, Chiyo works to maintain her dignity, survive the ravages of post-war Japan, and find true love.  The characters are complex and vivid in this historical novel, and the pacing is somewhat slow and leisurely, but in a way that allows the reader to absorb all of the emotional details of the story.

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.  (1936) 1037 p.

A sweeping historical epic which tells the coming-of-age tale of Scarlett O’Hara, a southern belle at the time of the American Civil War and Reconstruction.   Dealing with marriages, births, deaths, and  her own struggle to survive, Scarlett must maneuver her way through a crumbling Southern society while caring for herself and those she holds dear.  An easy and quick read, although the pacing is somewhat leisurely.  The main characters are well realized and there are a plethora of often interesting, often two-dimensional secondary characters.

The Bee Keeper’s Apprentice: Or on the Segregation of the Queen by Laurie R. King.  (2007) 384 p.

The year is 1915 and Mary Russell is a recently orphaned teenage girl, wandering the fields of the Sussex Downs when she quite literally stumbles upon the newly retired Sherlock Holmes.  Immediately impressed by her attitude and intellect, Holmes takes the girl under his wing and trains her in the art of turn-of-the-century observation and Victorian sleuthing.  Combining strongly historically accurate details with a historical mystery, the author creates well-rounded and likeable characters, both primary and secondary, in this moderately paced novel.

The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis.  (1993), 578 p. 

Kivrin, a student of history in the 21^st century, travels through time back to England during the Middle Ages to conduct historical research into the era.  But only after she has been transported does she discover that she has been sent back to the height of the Black Death as it rages across Europe.  The characters are well-developed and we really get to know them through Kivin’s eyes.  This was a very fast-paced and emotional story that sweeps the reader up into the drama of Kivrin’s adopted Medieval family, and carries through to the final page. 

Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn.  (2010) 407 p.

A survivor or the mass suicide at Masada, Thea has been sold into slavery to Lepida, an arrogant Roman maiden during the Flavian Dynasty in the late first century A.D..  Thea and Lepida soon become rivals for the attention of Arius, the handsome gladiator who has captivated them both.  This was an emotional story that swept the reader up into the romance of the two main characters, and carried through to the final page.  Told alternately from both Thea’s and Lepida’s perspectives, this was an emotional and fast-paced page turner of a novel.  Interesting and fully realized characters populate this novel alongside fun and quirky secondary characters.

March Violets: A Bernie Gunther Novel by Phillip Kerr.  (1989)  446 p.

Bernie Gunther though he’d seen everything on the streets of Berlin in the 1930s as a policeman.  But when he becomes a freelance private detective, he sees more than he ever bargained for in the casual violence and horrifying disappearances that accompany the recently Nazi regime.  Told through Gunther’s perspective, this taught historical thriller is a fast-paced page turner that sweeps the reader into the excitement and fear of 1930s Germany on the cusp of war.