The Horse Coin

David Wishart is the author of the marvellous Marcus Corvinus detective stories but in The Horse Coin Rome's answer to Lord Peter Wimsey does not appear. This story is set in the newly conquered province of Britain and deals with the Iceni revolt lead by the charismatic Queen Boudica. The trouble starts with the death of Prasutagus King of the Iceni. He has made a will making the Emperor Nero co-heir to his property hoping that this will guarantee the status of his two young daughters as heirs in their own right. Knowing that Nero was always short of money Catus, the Provincial Procurator, sends one of his deputies, Homullus, to squeeze every sesterce out of the Iceni. At this time the Provincial Governor, Paullinus, decides to subdue the tribes to the north west of the province and takes the bulk of his forces on a prolonged campaign into Snowdonia and on to the Isle of Mona (Anglesey) which is the main base of the Druid religion in Britain. Usually the Romans were perpared to tolerate the religious practices of any people that they conquered and often adopted foreign gods into their own Pantheon. Such gods as the Egyptian Isis and the Persian Mithras gained large followings among the Romans themselves. During the conquest of Gaul the Romans encountered the Druids and decided that this was one sect whose practices the Empire could well do without. Druidism was outlawed and any Druid priests that were captured were executed as were anyone found sheltering them. On the Continent Druidism was virtualy extinct and it was in order to wipe out it's last stronghold on Mona as much as to secure the provincial borders that Paullinus launched his campaign. It was at this point that Homullus, who had encountered some obstruction from Queen Boudica, decided to get tough and precipitated the revolt which destroyed Colchester and London and resulted in around one hundred and fifty thousand deaths before it was all over. The enduring popularity of stories about the Romans can be seen in any bookshop or library and the story of the Iceni revolt has been tackled by some of the best historical novelists. Until now I would have put "Imperial Govenor" by the late George Shipway as the best novelisation of this grim chapter in our island's history but in The Horse Coin David Wishart has written a book that is at least it's equal or arguably better. I believe that I have read all of the books by David Wishart but to me this is his best.