The third book in Ruth Downie’s Roman Empire series, PERSONA NON GRATA, concerns Russo, a doctor who is also a Legionnaire. Russo is called home by a letter he receives from his younger brother. It seems the family is in dire financial straits, so he heads there with his lover, Tilla, a “barbarian” whom the family believes is his slave and not his equal.
Once home, it becomes apparent that Russo’s brother never sent a letter, and the trouble for the family really starts. They’re on the brink of destitution and living way beyond their means. They can’t even conduct business for their vineyard until all their money problems are dealt with. It’s when Russo tries to smooth over those problems that the mystery of the novel takes shape.
A man named Severus, now married to Russo’s ex-wife, has been poisoned, and Russo is the only witness to hear his final words. It’s up to Russo to discover who was responsible, since most people think Russo did it. The family could hire outside investigators who have no problem using torture as interrogation, so Russo figures the hunt falls upon himself.
While the mystery is central to the book, it’s not what you would call a brain teaser. It’s more there for the readers to move along with the plot, while Downie has more fun showing the Roman family’s warts, which is actually the more interesting aspect of this piece of historical fiction. Her style is easygoing, to say the least, except for one problem I had early on: All the names blended into one another due to the fact most ended in “us.”
Still, PERSONA NON GRATA is not going to tax the mind while providing a little drama. The most intriguing character is actually Tilla, the transplanted Brit who watches from an outsider’s eyes, including a horrific eyeful of events that happen in the Coliseum. Lovers of historical fiction will definitely get their fix, but hardened mystery readers might want to take a pass. —Bruce Grossman
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