Sejanus

Sejanus is another excellent historical novel by David Wishart featuring the Roman amateur sleuth Marcus Corvinus. Assisted by his beautiful wife Perilla he finds himself commanded from beyond the grave by the formidable Empress Livia to bring down Sejanus, the most powerful man in Rome. Lucius Aelius Sejanus is commander of the dreaded Praetorian Guard and the Emperor's deputy in Rome. As the Emperor Tiberius is permanently ensconced in his palace on the Isle of Capri this makes Sejanus Emperor in all but name and he has used this power to wipe out every member of the Julian familly who might have a claim to the throne. Tiberius is happy to let him do this but Sejanus' plots run deeper than the ailing Emperor imagines. Corvinus' task is to find sufficient evidence to put before Tiberius that will persuade him to bring down the man he has trusted for so long. Finding people with the relevant information, and more importantly, getting them to "grass" on a man with such a blood chilling reputation is not easy but Corvinus receives help from an enexpected source almost as frightening as his quarry. Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus was a Roman noble who lived at the time though his detective work is the product of the writer's imagination. Likewise his penchant for talking like a Glaswegian taxi driver - know what I mean pal - though thankfully the four letter words are rare and in context. David Wishart writes an excellent flowing narrative and his classical scholarship shows without being showy. Know what I mean pal?