Ask the Author: Mark Knowles
Answered Questions (2)
Mark Knowles
I've picked up the threads of the sequel to 'The Consul's Daughter' from where I left off a few years back. The recent process of being published and its precursor has really given me a shot in the arm to become more efficient in managing my time, because I'm a full-time teacher now.
Mark Knowles
I was a relatively junior officer stood half frozen on a crimescene one morning, by a canal in central London. I was talking to another officer and we were discussing how such scenes might have been handled in Victorian times, when The Met was still in its infancy. I think he mentioned an urban myth that a body had once been pushed to the other side of a canal so that it came under another borough's jurisdiction.
This got me thinking about how - of indeed if - murders were investigated in Ancient Rome by the city authorities. 'vestigia' means 'traces' in Latin, from where we get the modern concept, but there is really no evidence, written or otherwise, that tells us anything about the procedure at scenes of crime, although we do know about various punishments. I decided on my next set of rest days to become a member of the British Library to research the roles of the 'vigiles', the night watch, and the concept for the book really came from there.
This got me thinking about how - of indeed if - murders were investigated in Ancient Rome by the city authorities. 'vestigia' means 'traces' in Latin, from where we get the modern concept, but there is really no evidence, written or otherwise, that tells us anything about the procedure at scenes of crime, although we do know about various punishments. I decided on my next set of rest days to become a member of the British Library to research the roles of the 'vigiles', the night watch, and the concept for the book really came from there.
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