What do you think?
Rate this book
The Felse Investigations #12
City of Gold and Shadows
The ancient Roman city exuded evil. From the moment she entered the walls of Aurae Phiala, Chrlotte Rossignol knew her life was in danger. But she coudn't turn back. As the only surviving heir of Dr. Alan Morris, she would never rest until her missing relative was found.
237 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1973
188 people are currently reading
432 people want to read
About the author
Ellis Peters
197 books1,150 followersA pseudonym used by Edith Pargeter.
Edith Mary Pargeter, OBE, BEM was a prolific author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, and was also honoured for her translations of Czech classics; she is probably best known for her murder mysteries, both historical and modern. Born in the village of Horsehay (Shropshire, England), she had Welsh ancestry, and many of her short stories and books (both fictional and non-fictional) were set in Wales and its borderlands.
During World War II, she worked in an administrative role in the Women's Royal Naval Service, and received the British Empire Medal - BEM.
Pargeter wrote under a number of pseudonyms; it was under the name Ellis Peters that she wrote the highly popular series of Brother Cadfael medieval mysteries, many of which were made into films for television.
Edith Mary Pargeter, OBE, BEM was a prolific author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, and was also honoured for her translations of Czech classics; she is probably best known for her murder mysteries, both historical and modern. Born in the village of Horsehay (Shropshire, England), she had Welsh ancestry, and many of her short stories and books (both fictional and non-fictional) were set in Wales and its borderlands.
During World War II, she worked in an administrative role in the Women's Royal Naval Service, and received the British Empire Medal - BEM.
Pargeter wrote under a number of pseudonyms; it was under the name Ellis Peters that she wrote the highly popular series of Brother Cadfael medieval mysteries, many of which were made into films for television.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
December 2, 2015
Take an assortment of singular characters, one missing person and a generous helping of archaeology; when you blend them together you’ll likely get something like this, a whodunit by Ellis Peters set in her favourite area — the Welsh Marches — and based on the ruins of a fictional Roman city that is rather reminiscent of Wroxeter in Shropshire. Though I’ve not knowingly read any of her work before (certainly before I was aware that this was the twelfth in a series) I wasn’t disappointed in this offering — what would be known in North America as a cozy mystery — especially as it worked very well as a standalone novel.
An essential aspect of a ‘cozy’ is that it often features a strong, intelligent woman as amateur sleuth; and here it is Charlotte Rossignol. Half-French, a classical musician at what one hopes is the start of a successful career, she is drawn by the concerns that a lawyer (“like a very well-turned-out troll from under some Scandinavian mountain”) has over her missing archaeologist uncle, Alan Morris. Visiting the subject of his latest (or last?) monograph, the ruins of Aurae Phiala near Moulden village in Midshire, she makes the acquaintance of a number of very distinctive characters, any of whom could be responsible for some of the odd incidents that start to occur. Who is Gus Hambro, and why is he behaving suspiciously? What is schoolboy Gerry Boden up to? What’s the nature of the relationship between site custodian Steve Paviour and his young wife Lesley? Is gardener Orlando Benyon all that he seems to be? What does graduate student Bill Lawrence know? How does DCI George Felse deal with the strange events that closely follow one another? And do we ever find out what happened to Charlotte’s missing uncle?
From my little experience of archaeology and my zilch experience of forensic police work I was impressed with the author’s confident handling of procedures and technical terms, especially the historical details: even a sketch map of Aurae Phiala (the name means something like “bowl of the breeze”, no doubt with a pun on aurum, Latin for ‘gold’, in the book’s title) appears as a frontispiece. This plan actually shows part of the public baths that were so central to Roman urban life but, unfortunately, the Latin phrase mens sana in corpore sano could not be less apt as the potential body count rises, leaving this zephyr-blessed place an unhealthy spot.
I like the little details that suggest other stories may possibly be being referenced. For example, are we to see in the largely covered over hypocaust system under the site’s baths a hint of Knossos in Crete, with a groundplan that some see as the inspiration for the legend of Theseus, Ariadne and the Minotaur in the labyrinth? And the Roman cavalry parade helmet that puts in an appearance — is the well-read author slyly hinting at the supernaturally large helmet that initiates the action in Walpole’s classic Gothic tale The Castle of Otranto?
Cozies and other mystery novels that hark back to the so-called Golden Age of Detective Fiction are rarely thought of as great literature, and City of Gold and Shadows has no pretentions in that direction. But there is a little more to it than would merely appeal to crossword solvers. There are some credible characters with interesting motivations (such as George Felse, who reappears in other titles in this series); there is a sense of place; and dialogue, descriptions and plotting are all beautifully done. I can see now why Ellis Peters is well regarded.
https://calmgrove.wordpress.com/2015/...
An essential aspect of a ‘cozy’ is that it often features a strong, intelligent woman as amateur sleuth; and here it is Charlotte Rossignol. Half-French, a classical musician at what one hopes is the start of a successful career, she is drawn by the concerns that a lawyer (“like a very well-turned-out troll from under some Scandinavian mountain”) has over her missing archaeologist uncle, Alan Morris. Visiting the subject of his latest (or last?) monograph, the ruins of Aurae Phiala near Moulden village in Midshire, she makes the acquaintance of a number of very distinctive characters, any of whom could be responsible for some of the odd incidents that start to occur. Who is Gus Hambro, and why is he behaving suspiciously? What is schoolboy Gerry Boden up to? What’s the nature of the relationship between site custodian Steve Paviour and his young wife Lesley? Is gardener Orlando Benyon all that he seems to be? What does graduate student Bill Lawrence know? How does DCI George Felse deal with the strange events that closely follow one another? And do we ever find out what happened to Charlotte’s missing uncle?
From my little experience of archaeology and my zilch experience of forensic police work I was impressed with the author’s confident handling of procedures and technical terms, especially the historical details: even a sketch map of Aurae Phiala (the name means something like “bowl of the breeze”, no doubt with a pun on aurum, Latin for ‘gold’, in the book’s title) appears as a frontispiece. This plan actually shows part of the public baths that were so central to Roman urban life but, unfortunately, the Latin phrase mens sana in corpore sano could not be less apt as the potential body count rises, leaving this zephyr-blessed place an unhealthy spot.
I like the little details that suggest other stories may possibly be being referenced. For example, are we to see in the largely covered over hypocaust system under the site’s baths a hint of Knossos in Crete, with a groundplan that some see as the inspiration for the legend of Theseus, Ariadne and the Minotaur in the labyrinth? And the Roman cavalry parade helmet that puts in an appearance — is the well-read author slyly hinting at the supernaturally large helmet that initiates the action in Walpole’s classic Gothic tale The Castle of Otranto?
Cozies and other mystery novels that hark back to the so-called Golden Age of Detective Fiction are rarely thought of as great literature, and City of Gold and Shadows has no pretentions in that direction. But there is a little more to it than would merely appeal to crossword solvers. There are some credible characters with interesting motivations (such as George Felse, who reappears in other titles in this series); there is a sense of place; and dialogue, descriptions and plotting are all beautifully done. I can see now why Ellis Peters is well regarded.
https://calmgrove.wordpress.com/2015/...
May 28, 2022
Back to Ellis Peter's dependable romantic suspense/mystery series starring George False and excellently narrated, as always, by Simon Prebble. This adventure involves Roman artifacts, illegal sales, drama, and a little romance on the Welsh border. Always dependable, titles in this series are the perfect comfort food in hard times. They're not didactic explorations of right and wrong but interesting, well-framed puzzles peopled with likable characters.
May 27, 2019
I quit about halfway through when she included a scene that reads more like a cheap romance than a cozy mystery.
August 26, 2024
Re-read of one of the later George Felse mysteries. Whether it’s the 19th or the 12th century, Peters’s books always make me want to head straight to Shrewsbury and the Welsh border.
deals
March 7, 20207 March 2020: $1.99 on Kindle
July 28, 2017
One of her good ones, perhaps more so because I have given them a rest!! A murder or two and a mystery set on the site of a Roman `rest town` for legionaries on the Welsh border. Very light and enjoyable.
November 21, 2023
A good read. As typical, Ellis Peters gives us historically significant information about a Roman site, Aurae Phiala, which can be imagined to be the actual ruins of Viroconium, a city near Shopshire England. This includes a good description of "the Old Work" (an archway, part of the baths' frigidarium and the largest free-standing Roman ruin in England) and the remains of a baths complex.
My rating would be higher but I was looking for more involvement from the protagonist who is abandoned after the first few chapters and then picked up towards the end of the story. Detective Felse also was not active during most of the story leaving us to piece together the clues necessary to solve the murders. Perhaps this was by design and if so, Peters achieved her goal.
The plot moves along quickly with nary a moment to reflect on all of the clues given, but in the end everything is tied up in a neat little bow (excepting one item which we are left to ponder).
All in all, another good read by Ellis Peters and worth a read.
My rating would be higher but I was looking for more involvement from the protagonist who is abandoned after the first few chapters and then picked up towards the end of the story. Detective Felse also was not active during most of the story leaving us to piece together the clues necessary to solve the murders. Perhaps this was by design and if so, Peters achieved her goal.
The plot moves along quickly with nary a moment to reflect on all of the clues given, but in the end everything is tied up in a neat little bow (excepting one item which we are left to ponder).
All in all, another good read by Ellis Peters and worth a read.
November 28, 2024
Not one of her best for me, but still worth a read.
January 28, 2018
City of Gold and Shadows takes place in Chief Inspector Felse's territory where he investigates a murder at an ancient Roman archeological site near the Welsh border. This is number 12 in Ellis Peters' Felse series and, I think, one of the best, although it doesn't have to be read with regard to series sequence. I couldn't put it down and she had me breathlessly turning pages at one point. Most people know her work because of the very successful Cadfael series, but her body of work doesn't stop there. She wrote under other names, starting with her own, Edith Pargeter, as in the amazing Heaven Tree Trilogy.
Her writing is classic and worth reading again and again.
Her writing is classic and worth reading again and again.
November 9, 2020
This was the fourth of the books I found at our library dealing with the characters introduced in "The Piper on the Mountain." I appreciate all the historical information she gives about the area in which her mysteries take place. Her descriptions of the areas give me the feeling I've actually visited the places and know the country well. She ties in the ancient history with the current in a delightful manner. I am happy to spend a few hours with her and being enlightened about quite a number of subjects, as well as having a nice mystery.
December 19, 2010
#12 in the British Inspector George Felse mystery series. Concerns about her missing archaeologist grand uncle, sends a young woman to a Roman archaeological site on the banks of the Comer River to see where he was in England before leaving the country. A death and a series of accidents turns the visit into a mystery involving Felse.
A nice cast of characters adds to the story line as the mystery evolves and to the eventual solution.
A nice cast of characters adds to the story line as the mystery evolves and to the eventual solution.
June 13, 2020
Ellis Peters created another sparkling cast of characters who fumble their way through confusing events that unravel a twisting case. There are interesting quandaries our increasingly beloved characters encounter as they try to figure out what is going on and their standing in it. The young and charming Charlotte Rissignol, missing and unknown Alan Morris, and enigmatic Gus Hambro are supported by a cast of equally well drawn locals congregated around the fictitious Roman archeological site of Aurae Phiala.
Dominic Felse’s adventures abroad have been engaging, but this locale is where Peters shines brightest and a return is welcome. Peters was born, grew, lived and died in Shropshire nestled against the Welsh border, which gives this setting and the characters that inhabit it a vibrant authenticity.
As I’ve worked my way through the series, I find myself pleased there is more on the Felse family, but also wishing some of these vivid characters would reappear in future installments, though they never do. Grounded in geographic and historical research, the settings, though shaped from imagination, endure in the hills of the western country of the United Kingdom. In contrast, Peters characters are created of whole cloth just for the adventure of these few pages, and then they are upstaged by new blooms, like the flowers of the field.
In general, I love this series for all ages. However, parents and teachers will want to be aware that City of Gold and Shadows features a plot in which the sexual relationship between a young wife and her elder husband provides significant influence over the course of events. Other liaisons among adults are also mentioned. Neither glorified nor encouraged, these plot points do shape the characters and vice versa. It would probably be best for the person responsible to read the book themselves to assess before recommending or providing it to a young person not yet to college age.
Peters crafts narratives that include both complex characters and interesting plots without getting bogged down by either. I feel a sense of disappointment with this 12th installation of the series. City of Gold and Shadows has all the cleverness of Peters cozy style. The sadness arises because I’m already feeling nostalgic, knowing I only have left Rainbow’s End (Felse Investigations #13), which marks the conclusion of Peters’ production in this series.
There is one more….
The Rainbow’s End (Felse Investigations #13), Peters, 1978
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Dominic Felse’s adventures abroad have been engaging, but this locale is where Peters shines brightest and a return is welcome. Peters was born, grew, lived and died in Shropshire nestled against the Welsh border, which gives this setting and the characters that inhabit it a vibrant authenticity.
As I’ve worked my way through the series, I find myself pleased there is more on the Felse family, but also wishing some of these vivid characters would reappear in future installments, though they never do. Grounded in geographic and historical research, the settings, though shaped from imagination, endure in the hills of the western country of the United Kingdom. In contrast, Peters characters are created of whole cloth just for the adventure of these few pages, and then they are upstaged by new blooms, like the flowers of the field.
In general, I love this series for all ages. However, parents and teachers will want to be aware that City of Gold and Shadows features a plot in which the sexual relationship between a young wife and her elder husband provides significant influence over the course of events. Other liaisons among adults are also mentioned. Neither glorified nor encouraged, these plot points do shape the characters and vice versa. It would probably be best for the person responsible to read the book themselves to assess before recommending or providing it to a young person not yet to college age.
Peters crafts narratives that include both complex characters and interesting plots without getting bogged down by either. I feel a sense of disappointment with this 12th installation of the series. City of Gold and Shadows has all the cleverness of Peters cozy style. The sadness arises because I’m already feeling nostalgic, knowing I only have left Rainbow’s End (Felse Investigations #13), which marks the conclusion of Peters’ production in this series.
There is one more….
The Rainbow’s End (Felse Investigations #13), Peters, 1978
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
June 10, 2025
The descriptions of the environs in this book are hard to follow...however this author is very sure!
Ms. Peters is very sure in her descriptions of underground pathways and describes them, like all her other descriptions of pathways elsewgere! I was totally turned upside down attempting to figure out just where we were and what was happening! Very complex tale of murder and missy murder and tension and frustration reign until the end or almost end of this one.
George Felse is on the scene...now a DCS I think ...promotions come for him with no explanation... Except, we alk believe VA cop as Decent, Efficiency ient, Sensitive to the Mods and Lies and attitudes of those involved And just plain smarts really make us believe he will advance to the top of his field, so to speak. His investigative skills are amazing!
I love her books they each stay with you and are very satisfying reads... as S this book was.
She makes one Think...A skill we need these days more and more...
Recommended highly.
Ms. Peters is very sure in her descriptions of underground pathways and describes them, like all her other descriptions of pathways elsewgere! I was totally turned upside down attempting to figure out just where we were and what was happening! Very complex tale of murder and missy murder and tension and frustration reign until the end or almost end of this one.
George Felse is on the scene...now a DCS I think ...promotions come for him with no explanation... Except, we alk believe VA cop as Decent, Efficiency ient, Sensitive to the Mods and Lies and attitudes of those involved And just plain smarts really make us believe he will advance to the top of his field, so to speak. His investigative skills are amazing!
I love her books they each stay with you and are very satisfying reads... as S this book was.
She makes one Think...A skill we need these days more and more...
Recommended highly.
December 20, 2020
George Felse is Ellis Peters' modern-day detective (the series was written in the 1970's), compared to her Brother Cadfael mysteries.
In this story, George is investigating the disappearance of an obstreperous schoolboy in a Roman archaeological site on the border of England and Wales. Also at hand are Charlotte Rossignol, the great-niece of one of the archaeologists who has written about the site, and a mystery man called Gus Hambro, who is very knowledgeable about Roman remains. Unfortunately, shortly after the boy's disappearance, Hambro is attacked and pushed into a flooding river to drown - fortunately, Charlotte is around in time to rescue him. The mystery then hinges on who has caused the schoolboy to disappear, Hambro to be attacked, and is there any link to the strange disappearance of Charlotte's great-uncle, Alan Morris?
I must admit I began to have some idea before the end as to "whodunnit", but I never thought of the whole ramifications of the plot!
In this story, George is investigating the disappearance of an obstreperous schoolboy in a Roman archaeological site on the border of England and Wales. Also at hand are Charlotte Rossignol, the great-niece of one of the archaeologists who has written about the site, and a mystery man called Gus Hambro, who is very knowledgeable about Roman remains. Unfortunately, shortly after the boy's disappearance, Hambro is attacked and pushed into a flooding river to drown - fortunately, Charlotte is around in time to rescue him. The mystery then hinges on who has caused the schoolboy to disappear, Hambro to be attacked, and is there any link to the strange disappearance of Charlotte's great-uncle, Alan Morris?
I must admit I began to have some idea before the end as to "whodunnit", but I never thought of the whole ramifications of the plot!
July 7, 2025
Adult content warning! This is one of the later Inspector Felse stories which is yet told mostly from the perspective of Charlotte Rossignol. Her great-uncle (whom she never knew) has disappeared and she is wondering if he simply got distracted by a new archeological find or if he is dead. She goes to a beautiful archeological site on the borders of Wales where she finds a curious cast of others also gathered. Peters has a beauty in writing that captures a place and the people in it. But this story contains some significant adult content in the final expose.
January 13, 2026
A well-worked-out mystery featuring a smart, determined young heroine (the oboist Charlotte Rossignol) and a truly wicked and ruthless villain. Charlotte's uncle has vanished; she is his only living relative. He has just published a book about a Roman outpost on the Welsh border, and Charlotte decides to investigate that place. Then a schoolboy also vanishes--
As with all Ellis Peters mysteries, the pace is slow by modern standards, but it's absolutely gripping if you slow down and take the story at its own pace. This was a reread for me, and I truly enjoyed it.
As with all Ellis Peters mysteries, the pace is slow by modern standards, but it's absolutely gripping if you slow down and take the story at its own pace. This was a reread for me, and I truly enjoyed it.
June 15, 2020
Charlotte has never met her great-uncle Alan Grant, an archaeologist, but when he goes missing in Turkey, she decides to visit the last place he was before he left England – a Roman ruin on the border with Wales. And before she knows it she is drawn into a mystery involving a missing boy. Interesting characters, a fascinating setting, along with a clever plot to make an excellent, hard-to-put-down story. Highly recommended.
July 31, 2018
One of my favourite mystery authors Ellis Peters has written a lovely old fashioned tale with a smart and steadfast Detective Chief Inspector. Although I find the book is really Charlotte's, the heroine with looks and intelligence of course.
November 26, 2019
Enjoyable. The heroine is smart and capable. The purported hero keeps getting cosh, clobbered, and beaten by the villain.
I figured out much of the whodunnit and why they done it, but there were surprises.
I figured out much of the whodunnit and why they done it, but there were surprises.
February 24, 2021
I love Ellis Peters, and still enjoyed this book, but it has not aged well. I would have to say it seems the least "Peters" book of all of hers, reading more like a Mary Stewart 1970s romantic (gothic?) mystery.
October 24, 2022
Murder among the Ruins
I’m liking the Felse books more and more. This is an intricately plotted book with great writing, great history, a young woman with good sense…and now I wish this Roman ruin was a real place I could visit!
I’m liking the Felse books more and more. This is an intricately plotted book with great writing, great history, a young woman with good sense…and now I wish this Roman ruin was a real place I could visit!
March 31, 2024
Peters does such a good job with her characters and settings. Felse plays a comparatively small part in this one, but there are still many believable humans. Plus, I tend to find Roman British sites fascinating!
June 23, 2025
I liked Charlotte, but I would have appreciated more George Felse in this Felse Investigates book.
Audiobook narrator Simon Prebble is very good, but he put a lot of emphasis on the -lotte in Charlotte. I don't know if that's a British thing (I've never noticed it before)?
Audiobook narrator Simon Prebble is very good, but he put a lot of emphasis on the -lotte in Charlotte. I don't know if that's a British thing (I've never noticed it before)?
April 17, 2018
Charlotte's uncle is missing. She visits one of the last places he stayed, in an attempt to know more about him, then things start to happen. Nicely drawn crime story.
February 27, 2020
A good, solid mystery with appealing characters.
March 4, 2020
It's a mess! I like cheesy vintage mystery but yikes! It is amazing she went on to write the Cadfael books, which are much better.
May 9, 2020
Meh. Well written by a pro but hasn't aged well and only mildly interesting.
May 6, 2021
This one was a page turner for sure. I loved the archeological setting and just the overall twists and turns Peter’s takes you in as you try to figure out who did it.
November 14, 2021
I don’t love the series for which Peters is most famous, the Brother Cadfael mysteries, but the George Felse series are among the very few mystery novels that I will happily reread.
May 13, 2022
Listened on Hoopla up at the cabin. Much better than the last 2
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews