Arms of Nemesis, Steven Saylor

Arms of Nemesis: A Novel of Ancient Rome by Steven Saylor is part of the Roma Sub Roma series which I have enjoyed.

Started:  2/6/2016

Completed: 2/17/2016

Recommendation: Highly Recommended

Recommended by:  Nobody

Words for which I sought help:

desultory --lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm

encaustic -- using pigments mixed with hot wax that are burned in as an inlay

Review:

Great, just great.  I could hardly put this book down.  Each evening as I sat and read this book, I had to decide it was time to stop.  There was no good stopping point, no good pause, nothing.  Just a great book all the way through.  I usually don't like mysteries because they are almost impossible to decipher, but all the data was there all the time.  It was fantastic.

I also enjoyed the detail (both good and bad) about ancient Rome that littered the book like the detritus of a triumphant battle.  What a great author.

A Murder on the Appian Way, Steven Saylor

A Murder on the Appian Way by Steven Saylor is another mystery in the stories of Giordanus, the finder. This is the ninth book in the Roma Sub Roma series and I have not read all the books in the proper order.

Started:  10/15/2013
Completed: 7/13/2014
Recommendation: Highly recommended
Recommended by:  Nobody

Words I looked up:

spikenard -- The scent associated with a Himalayan plant (Nardostachys jatamansi) which was highly valued in the ancient world.

Review:

Steven Saylor never fails to amaze me with the trials he finds and sucks me into the details of "The Finder."  This book is no disappointment and though it took me a long time to read, it is not a reflection of the quality of the work.  I really enjoyed it and recommend it highly.