1,710 books
—
4,148 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Medicus (Gaius Petreius Ruso, #1)” as Want to Read:
Medicus
(Gaius Petreius Ruso #1)
by
Gaius Petrius Ruso is a divorced and down-on his luck army doctor who has made the rash decision to seek his fortune in an inclement outpost of the Roman Empire, namely Britannia. His arrival in Deva (more commonly known as Chester, England) does little to improve his mood, and after a straight thirty six hour shift at the army hospital, he succumbs to a moment of weakn
Get A Copy
Hardcover, 386 pages
Published
March 6th 2007
by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
(first published January 1st 2006)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
Medicus,
please sign up.
Popular Answered Questions
Carla Hostetter
Corn is still used in Europe for wheat esp. Our American corn is called maize. Since the author is British, she used corn.
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of Medicus (Gaius Petreius Ruso, #1)
Medicus is what I call a 'popcorn' book: a book to pick up and settle in with for an evening's cozy reading. Entertainment value: 5 stars, but several months from now I'll have a hard time remembering much beyond the main characters: Gaius Petrius Ruso, a physician stationed in Brittania with the Roman army, and Tilla, the slave girl he reluctantly purchases from an abusive master. Ruso, long suffering, wry, and a humanist doomed to be forever caught up in other people's suffering despite his at
...more
The novel is an ideal holiday read. Set in Britain under Roman rule, it tells a story of a Roman doctor-cum-detective character, Gaius Ruso. Quite enjoyable if you are in the mood for some light reading.
Reading Medicus I’m put in mind of Colin Cotterill's Siri Paiboun series. In both two men more devoted to their jobs than anything else find themselves reluctantly involved in murder investigations. In both we have a comedic more than tragic writing style that still manages to inject notes of seriousness along the way – in Medicus, it’s a reflection on slavery and sex trafficking.
Medicus is not a “heavy” read, however. It’s a very nicely written, moderately complex murder mystery set in the Roma ...more
Medicus is not a “heavy” read, however. It’s a very nicely written, moderately complex murder mystery set in the Roma ...more
Five stars, five, and again five! Hurray for Medicus: it's the page-turner I've been looking for for a long time. I read it in an entire day because I couldn't put it down.
Set in Roman Empire-era Brittania, this is the story of reluctant hero , Gaius Petrius Ruso, a doctor in the local army hospital, who turns detective very much against his will. Humorous, lighthearted, colorful... This is Downie's first novel, and I hope she's planning a whole series of Ruso mysteries! ...more
Set in Roman Empire-era Brittania, this is the story of reluctant hero , Gaius Petrius Ruso, a doctor in the local army hospital, who turns detective very much against his will. Humorous, lighthearted, colorful... This is Downie's first novel, and I hope she's planning a whole series of Ruso mysteries! ...more
Army doctor Ruso is serving in Roman-occupied Britain under very trying circumstances. He faces near poverty, a micro-managing Chief Administrative Officer, the loss of his household servants, mysterious deaths of prostitutes from the local bar, a killer, and the unexpected purchase of a beautiful British slave girl, with whom he is trying not to fall in love.
How not to buy a slave with a broken arm
"If you don't get help for her soon, this slave is going to die. I'll take her off your hands."
"Sh ...more
How not to buy a slave with a broken arm
"If you don't get help for her soon, this slave is going to die. I'll take her off your hands."
"Sh ...more
I'm a bit of a Roman detective nut (shocking, I know), and have read several such series. I usually jump from one series to the next, interspersing with Urban Fantasy or non-fiction reading. I read this whole series front-to-back without pause, which should give you an indication of how much I loved it.
My reviews tend to focus on setting readers' expectations rather than rehashing blurbs or plot summaries. I hope this is useful to you.
You can see my review for the whole series here.
What to Expec ...more
My reviews tend to focus on setting readers' expectations rather than rehashing blurbs or plot summaries. I hope this is useful to you.
You can see my review for the whole series here.
What to Expec ...more
The mysteries in this series are all set in the time of Trajan/Hadrian, in Roman Britain (Britannia). I loved the characters of Ruso, the overworked, compassionate Roman military doctor and Tilla, his British housekeeper. Some of the dry humor is laugh-out-loud; this book is a fast read, but bears rereading to wallow in the characters' interplay. I loved Ruso's interior thoughts. The mystery was a perhaps secondary, but necessary plot device.
Ruso's personality seems to me like a cross between t ...more
Ruso's personality seems to me like a cross between t ...more
...The back cover made it sound so interesting and original - like a historical fiction mystery with men in short tunics with great senses of humor. It's really about a lonely, rather boring medicus (doctor) for the Roman Empire stationed overseas who stumbles upon a whorehouse, a couple of missing girls, and some bad oysters. Of course in the mix there is a beautiful, resilient, implausible slave girl - who was possibly once royalty or a healer or ???. Did I mention the doctor is in debt trying
...more
Fantastic mystery about a Roman army Medic (Ruso) that just can let things rest when he sees a problem, injustice or human cruelty. Loved this and am glad that there are 6 more in the series to read.
What's a doc to do?
Father has died leaving debts. Brother has a very fertile wife. Stepmother is a bit of a over shopper. The less said about the ex-wife the better. And now, here he is at the end of the world.
Okay, Roman Britian.
But they dress werid.
Oh, and dead girls seem to like him.
Is this the best mystery I've ever read? No. But it's not the worst either. There are some wonderful touches of humor and the world feels real. It's a nice diverting read. ...more
Father has died leaving debts. Brother has a very fertile wife. Stepmother is a bit of a over shopper. The less said about the ex-wife the better. And now, here he is at the end of the world.
Okay, Roman Britian.
But they dress werid.
Oh, and dead girls seem to like him.
Is this the best mystery I've ever read? No. But it's not the worst either. There are some wonderful touches of humor and the world feels real. It's a nice diverting read. ...more
A while back, I tried to get into the much-acclaimed Marcus Didius Falco series, and just couldn't. So, when I saw this book on sale as an Audible Daily Deal, I thought for a couple of bucks, why not? Turned out a wise move.
I bonded with "Medicus" (Doctor) Gaius Ruso as a character right away, nice guy in the wrong place at the wrong time. Downie does an excellent job of showing that everything old is new again, at one point having Ruso go through the frustration of getting the hospital administ ...more
I bonded with "Medicus" (Doctor) Gaius Ruso as a character right away, nice guy in the wrong place at the wrong time. Downie does an excellent job of showing that everything old is new again, at one point having Ruso go through the frustration of getting the hospital administ ...more
I loved this book! Our hero, Medicus, a doctor in ancient Roman-occupied Britain, is a fascinating and totally lovable guy. The book jacket compares him to young Harrison Ford, and I think that's perfect--surly, oblivious to his own charm, professional, and totally adorable underneath a mildly prickly exterior. The writing somehow makes it easy to imagine living in Deva, Brittania (an area in a period I know nothing about) and all the characters are well-written and very engaging. I am really lo
...more
I was really thrilled when I finished this, because I was all like, “Yay! FINALLY ONE I DON’T HAVE TO KEEP!” Don’t get me wrong–this is an entertaining mystery, but it’s not one that I need to have in my collection, which means that I don’t have to pack it! OH JOY!
But I digress.
Ruso, a Roman military doctor, is stationed in Britain after a nasty divorce and the death of his feckless father. He’s burdened by debt (dad lived it up and paid on credit) and bummed out by the bad weather (he was stati ...more
But I digress.
Ruso, a Roman military doctor, is stationed in Britain after a nasty divorce and the death of his feckless father. He’s burdened by debt (dad lived it up and paid on credit) and bummed out by the bad weather (he was stati ...more
A highly enjoyable and very fast read in this first book of the Gaius Petreius Ruso series. Loved Medicus, and look forward to the rest of the books in the series. A supremely fast read of a book about 385 pages long with 79 chapters - so you can see the story really moves along and it was a real page turner for me.
This is a mystery series set in Roman times, with the hero being Ruso who is a doctor that is stationed in Great Britain for this book. He stumbles across a young slave girl being bea ...more
This is a mystery series set in Roman times, with the hero being Ruso who is a doctor that is stationed in Great Britain for this book. He stumbles across a young slave girl being bea ...more
Started out well, but about mid-way through I started to lose interest. So a little disappointed as it sounded like right down my alley, some medicine, history, and murder. I liked the MC alright, but the story could have wrapped up a lot sooner. It just started meandering through the plot, with lots of characters but not much development of the majority of those characters. Even the historical detail couldn't hold my interest. This is a first in a series, perhaps it improves with subsequent boo
...more
Medicus is a story I've been meaning to read for a long time. I'm just glad I finally got around to this well written depiction of a Roman doctor of the Twentieth Legion who seems to have a gift for walking straight into trouble on the streets of Deva - modern day Chester. Gaius Petreius Ruso should know better than to get involved in anything going on in the streets of this outpost of the Roman army. Now he's saddled with a slave with a broken arm and she will most likely die before he can even
...more
3.5 stars
A good first installment. Ruso was amusing in his long-suffering-ness and I liked Tilla. My suspicions were pinned on the wrong character, as per usual. Simon Vance reads wonderfully, as always.
A good first installment. Ruso was amusing in his long-suffering-ness and I liked Tilla. My suspicions were pinned on the wrong character, as per usual. Simon Vance reads wonderfully, as always.
Looking forward to the next in the series!
Medicus and the Disappearing Dancing Girls is the first of a series of novels that follows the misfortunes of a Roman Army Medical Officer, Gaius Petreius Ruso, after his posting from the warm climes of North Africa to the dreary grey drizzle of Deva (pron. Dewa); that's modern day Chester.
Ruso is down on his luck and doesn't own much more than a few mounting debts. As well as trying to support his own life in the British garrison town, he is obliged to ...more
Medicus and the Disappearing Dancing Girls is the first of a series of novels that follows the misfortunes of a Roman Army Medical Officer, Gaius Petreius Ruso, after his posting from the warm climes of North Africa to the dreary grey drizzle of Deva (pron. Dewa); that's modern day Chester.
Ruso is down on his luck and doesn't own much more than a few mounting debts. As well as trying to support his own life in the British garrison town, he is obliged to ...more
Gaius Petreius Ruso has recently arrived in a cold and rainy Britannia. He is recently divorced and has suffered bad news about the death of his father, which has left him with a great deal of debt and an extended family to support. However, despite his new good intentions to obtain promotion and, hopefully, some wealthy paying patients, things do not seem to be starting well. Although he has pledged to live frugally, he somehow ends up buying a young slave girl, whose arm is badly injured and w
...more
It took me a while to get the humor in this book but once I did, I started to enjoy it. Gaius Petreius Ruso is a broke, divorced doctor serving the 20th legion, just arrived to the wilds of Britannia. He's extremely grumpy, always grumbling about not wanting to get involved in anybody's business, but at the end, he always does the right thing. And that's how I realized what a good and kind man he was. No matter what he said or thought, he would always go out of his way to help others, even when
...more
2019 bk 292. Shout out to Goodreads reviewer Martin for introducing Medicus and Gaius Petreius Ruso to me. I tracked down a copy and thoroughly enjoyed this doctor of the Roman Army who is stationed in Roman Britain. Ruth Downie writes of a man who is in sorrow, his father's death revealed a house of cards based on loans that now need to be repaid, his wife has left him, a friend talked him into a transfer from sunny Africa to drizzling, colder Britain, and he has ended up with a battered slave
...more
I read along with a group on the knitting site Ravelry. I found the book an unexpected enjoyable read. More so the slowly developing story about the main character (Ruso) and his slave, Tilla - than the "mystery" which was not compelling alone to hold my attention. But I like grumpy Ruso and will eventually read more in the series.
It was my first book set in Roman ruled Britton. The dialog seemed surprisingly modern, so that was a bit jarring. I kept picturing modern structures and buildings, b ...more
It was my first book set in Roman ruled Britton. The dialog seemed surprisingly modern, so that was a bit jarring. I kept picturing modern structures and buildings, b ...more
My sister has put me onto this series, and I will be reading them all. I have no idea if the actual mysteries are good --- the one at the heart of the first book isn't --- but the setting is genius and the characters are well-drawn. It would make a wonderful series for PBS Mystery, and that is high praise from me. Downie has created the world of early second century Britain. The central characters are Romans stationed at the outpost of Deva, chiefly a doctor named Ruso and his slave, Tilla. It h
...more
A nice historical mystery set in Roman Britain. It has a lighthearted, anachronistic tone similar to that of Lindsey Davis's Falco books - it even begins with an amusing dramatis personae. There isn't a comparable wealth of historical detail, but I liked the protagonist, a gruff army doctor who is not eager to play the role of detective.
The book is well written, and I very much enjoyed the setting. The mystery plot was okay, while the romance didn't really work for me. Still, this was a quick an ...more
The book is well written, and I very much enjoyed the setting. The mystery plot was okay, while the romance didn't really work for me. Still, this was a quick an ...more
An exceptional romp through the Roman Army Camp alongside medicus Gaius Ruso. I love how the author wove the threads of mystery together with Roman medical practice and administrative angst. We've all worked with someone solely focussed on following the rules, and so it was easy to sympathise with Ruso and his dealings with the hospital's administrative arm.
The plot around the missing slave girls kept me on the edge of seat. Very well narrated, leaving me guessing right to the end.
I recommend t ...more
The plot around the missing slave girls kept me on the edge of seat. Very well narrated, leaving me guessing right to the end.
I recommend t ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Jan 15, 2015
Diane
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-mysteries
I came across this series here on Goodreads. I'm really surprised I hadn't heard of it before that because it's just as good as the series by Steven Saylor and Lindsey Davis.
Gaius Petreius Ruso is a doctor who has joined the Roman army after a nasty divorce and the death of his father, who left the family in debt. Ruso is the main support of his stepmother, two half-sisters, a younger brother, his brother's wife, and their two children. Ruso transfers to the 20th Legion in the British port of D ...more
Gaius Petreius Ruso is a doctor who has joined the Roman army after a nasty divorce and the death of his father, who left the family in debt. Ruso is the main support of his stepmother, two half-sisters, a younger brother, his brother's wife, and their two children. Ruso transfers to the 20th Legion in the British port of D ...more
Upon examining a drowned corpse, military Medicus (doctor), Gaius Petrius Ruso, finds himself reluctantly investigating the deaths of young women who are employed at the local bordello. On his way home from the crime scene, he ends up rescuing and ultimately purchasing Tilla, an injured slave from her abusive master. As his finances quickly become depleted, and the tyrannical administrator returns to rule the hospital with an iron fist, Ruso must uncover the shady dealings that have been going o
...more
This. Yes.
I’m generally a sucker for anything related to ancient Rome, and this series is a treat. It’s slow-moving, but in a leisurely way, almost like playing an RPG: we wander along the streets of small towns and military camps in Roman-occupied Brittania, bumping into all sorts of strange fellows. It’s at time hilarious, at times sweet, sometimes a little suspenseful. I love Ruso’s awkwardness, occasional bouts of typically Roman machismo and his humanity. I know some readers aren’t big fan ...more
I’m generally a sucker for anything related to ancient Rome, and this series is a treat. It’s slow-moving, but in a leisurely way, almost like playing an RPG: we wander along the streets of small towns and military camps in Roman-occupied Brittania, bumping into all sorts of strange fellows. It’s at time hilarious, at times sweet, sometimes a little suspenseful. I love Ruso’s awkwardness, occasional bouts of typically Roman machismo and his humanity. I know some readers aren’t big fan ...more
Medicus
3.5 Stars
Gaius Petrius Ruso, a medicus (doctor) with the 20th Roman Legion stationed in Britannia, finds himself investigating the deaths of two prostitutes working out of a local bar.
While the book is heavy on establishing the setting and developing the characters, it is light on the plot and investigation of the crimes.
Much of the story involves the day to day activities of the main character as he treats patients at the legion hospital, and becomes involved in the lives of the people ...more
3.5 Stars
Gaius Petrius Ruso, a medicus (doctor) with the 20th Roman Legion stationed in Britannia, finds himself investigating the deaths of two prostitutes working out of a local bar.
While the book is heavy on establishing the setting and developing the characters, it is light on the plot and investigation of the crimes.
Much of the story involves the day to day activities of the main character as he treats patients at the legion hospital, and becomes involved in the lives of the people ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Roman soldier who solves mysteries in Roman occupied Britain [s] | 6 | 50 | Jan 28, 2015 04:19PM | |
| What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Poor roman medic who solves a crime.[s] | 4 | 21 | Jul 06, 2013 04:31PM |
Readers also enjoyed
Ruth is the author of nine mysteries* featuring Roman Army medic Gaius Petreius Ruso and his British partner Tilla. The latest is a novella, PRIMA FACIE. She lives in Devon, England. A combination of nosiness and a childish fascination with mud means she is never happier than when wielding an archaeological trowel.
She is sometimes called R.S. Downie, but she isn't the person with the same name wh ...more
She is sometimes called R.S. Downie, but she isn't the person with the same name wh ...more
Other books in the series
Gaius Petreius Ruso
(8 books)
Related Articles
If you ask us, it's always the perfect time to lose yourself in a page-turning mystery. To help you sleuth out a new read, we asked the...
86 likes · 79 comments
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“Quid nomen tibi est? She was not about to offer her name up to a stranger. It was almost the only thing she possessed that nobody had stolen.”
—
6 likes
“...a little knowledge would unlock the gates to vast and unsuspected gates of ignorance.”
—
3 likes
More quotes…
