12/19/2023 0 Comments Medicus ruth downie![]() ![]() All characters are fully fleshed, believable, with their own motivations. The rest of the cast are also fully realised people, and one cannot but relate to them. The POV of view alternates between Ruso and his (British) wife Tilla, and Downie does an excellent job in describing how these two very different people view the world. Well-researched details about Roman life in Roman Britain under Hadrian (who makes a cameo appearance), murders and other nefarious deeds, a plot and sub-plots that twist and build up - all for a great read overall. As usual, Ruso gets dragged (reluctantly!) into looking at some unsavoury aspects of life and death. We are treated to a view of life in the various outposts and training of recruits for the Roman legions. Semper Fidelis is yet again a beautiful offering from the pen of Ruth Downie and deserves to be read and enjoyed by all.īack with the Legio XX, Ruso is doing inspection rounds. You might think he could count on an old comrade to look after him. Ruso knows Hadrian of old, since long before he came to power. Ruso and Tilla finds their selves delving into the incidents that have taken place and uncovering unpleasant truths within the army and landing their selves in deep trouble, which is only compounded all the more when the emperor Hadrian, his wife Sabina, and a unit of Praetorians arrive rather unexpectedly. And a series of accidents and incidents that are believed to be a result of the curse on the unit point- to a clever investigator, anyway - to brutal and unacceptable behaviour on the part of the training officers. For in York (Eboracum), the largely empty fortress has played host to native British legionary trainees, martinet centurions, beleaguered medics and desperate camp-followers. Ruso is back with the army now after his brief foray into the world of fiscal investigation, and the army is the focus of this book. In Semper Fidelis ('Always Faithful', the motto of the US Marine Corps) we are brought to York as Ruso joins a small unit of the 20th legion who are there training recruits as they await the arrival of the 6th legion, who will be based there shortly. Together they should be able to tackle any problem and yet more often than not they cause each other problems and worsen the situation exponentially. Tilla is practical and sensible and yet prone to headstrong decisions that show little forethought. He is skilled and clever and full of innovation, and yet regularly makes rather critical mistakes and finds himself in a mess. And yet also truly human tales, shot through with a sense of humour that never fails to make me smile and occasionally with deeper pathos. The Ruso mysteries are at the very top level of their genre - atmospheric, elegantly-plotted, immersively historical and delivered with rich prose. If you don't know how much I love Ruth's books by now then you're clearly new to the blog. It's like a pit-stop tour of some of my favourite places guided by two of my favourite characters and penned by one of my favourite writers. I've followed Ruso and his slave/housekeeper/girlfriend/wife from Chester to Northumberland, to the south of France, then London, and now to York. Persona Non Grata was Ruso and the Root of All Evils,Ĭaveat Emptor was Ruso and the River of Darkness -īut SEMPER FIDELIS, TABULA RASA, VITA BREVIS, MEMENTO MORI and PRIMA FACIE only have one title each - hooray!īook 5 in my tour of the life of Ruso and Tilla. Terra Incognita was Ruso and the Demented Doctor, Medicus was Ruso and the Disappearing Dancing Girls, Since she is unable to wind back time, British readers may find it useful to know that: ![]() Ruth is still wondering how this ever seemed like a good idea. *The first four books have all had two titles. Downie, but she isn't the person with the same name who writes medical textbooks, and recommends that readers should never, ever take health advice from a two thousand year old man who prescribes mouse droppings. A combination of nosiness and a childish fascination with mud means she is never happier than when wielding an archaeological trowel. Ruth is the author of nine mysteries* featuring Roman Army medic Gaius Petreius Ruso and his British partner Tilla. ![]()
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