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Medicus (Medicus Investigation #1)

by Ruth Downie (Goodreads Author)

3.71 · Rating details · 6,122 Ratings · 756 Reviews

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 weaknes

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Hardcover, 400 pages

Published March 6th 2007 by Bloomsbury USA (first published January 1st 2006)

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Mar 29, 2009 Ann rated it liked it

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

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Jun 26, 2011 Terence rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, mysteries-noir

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 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 Romano-British town of Deva (modern day Chester) at the beginning of Hadrian’s reign (AD 117). Our put-upon protagonist is Gaius Petreius Ruso, a doctor in the XX Legion, whose marriage has failed (because he was too devoted to his craft and not devoted enough to advancing his career), whose family is drowning in debt and in danger of losing their Gaulish farm, and whose first “mistake” is rescuing a British slave girl from her slimy owner.

The mystery isn’t all that complex or hard to figure out. I enjoyed reading the book because I enjoyed following Ruso as he stumbles along, inadvertently uncovering the clues (view spoiler). Our hero is by no means stupid, he’s a rather good doctor, in fact, but he is often blind to his environment, awkward socially and politically inept*. Ruso is a man I can identify with and Downie’s writing is engaging and “user friendly” if you’re looking for a diverting, not-too-serious reading experience.

I’d enjoy seeing PBS or BBC adapt this into a series like Brother Cadfael ; it practically cries out for it.

I’m going to head down to the library this weekend and get some more entries in this series – I’ve been reading too many depressing things lately.

* Downie makes Ruso the “mysterious stranger” who rescued the Emperor Trajan from a collapsing building during an earthquake in Antioch but – much to his wife’s disgust – Ruso never parlays it into anything advantageous. ...more

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Mar 25, 2009 Carre Gardner rated it it was amazing

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!

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Jul 15, 2017 Ace rated it really liked it

Shelves: audible-owned

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.

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Apr 18, 2012 Jane rated it it was amazing

Shelves: owned-books, favorites, reviewed, mystery, roman-britain, ruso

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

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Feb 12, 2009 Kass rated it it was ok

...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

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Jul 02, 2017 Morana Mazor rated it really liked it · review of another edition

To da su povijesni romani jedan od mojih omiljenih žanrova već (više-manje) svi znate, ali ipak ću to ponoviti i to kako bih naglasila da sam upravo zbog toga što ih često čitam poprilično izbirljiva kad se radi o istima. Često se dogodi da se „provjereni“ autori povijesnih romana previše „zaigraju“ pa umjesto na povijesne događaje, naglasak romana stave na romantiku i ljubavnu priču.. E to ne volim i u tom slučaju često i prestajem s čitanjem.
Mislim, nemam ja ništa protiv romantike i ljubavnih To da su povijesni romani jedan od mojih omiljenih žanrova već (više-manje) svi znate, ali ipak ću to ponoviti i to kako bih naglasila da sam upravo zbog toga što ih često čitam poprilično izbirljiva kad se radi o istima. Često se dogodi da se „provjereni“ autori povijesnih romana previše „zaigraju“ pa umjesto na povijesne događaje, naglasak romana stave na romantiku i ljubavnu priču.. E to ne volim i u tom slučaju često i prestajem s čitanjem.
Mislim, nemam ja ništa protiv romantike i ljubavnih priča „in general“, ali smatram da u povijesnim romanima naglasak ne treba biti na tom aspektu..(osim, naravno, ako se ne radi o povijesnim ljubićima, ali to je opet priča za sebe 💘 ).
S autoricom Ruth Downie prvi puta sam se susrela upravo sada, čitajući „Medicusa“ pa nisam znala što očekivati i na koji će način ona pristupiti pripovijedanju povijesnih događaja.
I odmah vam mogu reći da je žena to odlično izvela! U izvrsno opisani povijesni kontekst uplela je kriminalističku priču s elementima ljubavne, ali s time da niti jedna niti druga nisu u prvom planu. Odlično! Iako radnja počinje s obdukcijom ubijene žene (mislim da će mnogima, kao što je to bilo i meni biti jako zanimljivo čitati kako su se obdukcije vršile u ta davna vremena budući da su „moderne“ obdukcije, u zadnje, toliko prisutne i u knjigama i u filmovima da bi ih, maltene mogli sami izvesti 😉 ) ovdje nad autorica lagano uvodi u priču, stranicu po stranicu, tako da nam roman postaje sve zanimljiviji što ga više čitamo (za razliku od onih romana koji već na prvih par stranica imaju neki bombastični događaj koji „povuče“ na čitanje).
Ovdje je ritam umjereniji, ali nikako ne usporen ili nezanimljiv jer se u tim počecima upoznajemo s likovima, na čelu s glavnim junakom, Gajem Petrijem Rusom- Medicusom i atmosferom jedne od najudaljenijih i najmanje razvijenih rimskih kolonija- Britannijom.
Da, da…radi se upravo o današnjoj Velikoj Britaniji koju pamtimo kao najveću kolonijalnu silu, ali, eto, godinama prije nego što su Britanci kolonizirali „pola svijeta“ i oni su bili kolonija što im, naravno, nije lako padalo, a to kako su doživljavali Rimljane ( i Rimljani „domoroce“) također je jako dobro prikazano u romanu.
Već sam spomenula „ta davna vremena“ no da preciziram, radnja se odvija u gradići imena Deva (današnji Chester), anno Domini 117. u doba cara Trajana tj. Hadrijana koji ga nasljeđuje nakon smrti. Uglavnom, tada „naš“ Medicus dolazi na dužnost u taj „najneciviliziraniji“ dio Rimskog carstva, a on je jedan lik, pa, moglo bi se reći prilično „ispred svog vremena“; naime, sav je pravičan, pun empatije (ok, liječnik je, ali ipak..), ne može okrenuti glavu od nepravde ma koliko to (ponekad) i sam želio, iako bi trebao liječiti samo legionare, on priskače u pomoć i civilima pa čak i lokalnom stanovništvu (što je tada bilo, onako, nezamislivo..).
I upravo zbog ovih nabrojanih karakteristika, već pri samom početku radnje, Medicus kupuje ozlijeđenu robinju (koju namjerava izliječiti i prodati), a koja će se pokazati kako jedno vrlo svojeglavo i interesantno stvorenje. Istodobno iz lokalne gostionice/javne kuće počinju nestajati djevojke pa naš glavni junak, uprkos savjetima svih oko sebe, počinje i to istraživati tako da se tim njegovim aktivnostima bavi onaj „krimi“ dio romana. A položaj robinja, kao i inače, bio je jako težak, pogotovo onih prisiljenih na prostituciju: „Ni zakonodavstvo ni vojska nisu pružali nadu odbjeglim robinjama čiji su vlasnici očekivali od njih da rade kao prostitutke. Imale su samo tri mogućnosti: suradnju, samoubojstvo i bijeg. A, ako bi bijeg kobno završio, činio se da gotovo nitko nije mario.“ (osim, naravno, našeg Medicusa :) ). Svašta će se nešto otkriti tijekom njegovih istraživanja nestanka djevojaka, cijelo klupko organiziranog kriminala i prostitucije, ali ja vam to sad sigurno neću prepričavati (i „spojlati“).
Mislim da ste (više-manje) shvatili o čemu se radi u knjizi ( i o kakvoj se knjizi radi 😉 ) pa ću ja još samo istaknuti nešto što mi se posebno svidjelo, a to je opis likova. Likovi su tako super prikazani, čak i oni koji imaju totalno sporedne uloge i pojavljuju se možda jednom ili dva puta tijekom radnje. 🔝Autorica odlično izvede tu karakterizaciju, bilo da se radi samo o rečenici-dvije opisa lika, ili nekoj njegovoj izjavi popraćenoj kratkim komentarom, čitatelj odmah točno shvaća o kakvoj je osobi riječ i, nerijetko si tu osobu može vizualno predočiti (to, pretpostavljam, mnogi radimo tijekom čitanja). Time likovi vrlo brzo „ožive“ što, barem meni, čini daljnje praćenje radnje još boljim i ugodnijim.
„Medicus“ je prva knjiga iz serijala o Gaju Petriju Rusu, ali može se bez problema samostalno čitati jer ima svoj početak i kraj i niti jedno pitanje ne ostaje bez odgovora. Da nisam to kasnije vidjela ili čula, ne bih niti pretpostavila da se radi o serijalu, iako, naravno, uvijek možemo pratiti daljnje događaje određenih likova. A likovi koje sam ovdje upoznala, baš bih rado dalje pratila tako da se veselim i sljedećim knjigama koje su, kažu iz Lumena, u planu za izdavanje.
Od mene toliko, a da li ćete se i vi družiti s „Medicusom“ i ekipom oko njega- odluka je na vama.

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May 16, 2010 Talulah Mankiller rated it liked it

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 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 stationed in Africa before, and now he’s stuck with British fog). Basically, he is strapped for cash and in a foul mood, but when he sees a slave owner mistreating a slave girl with an obviously-broken arm, he snaps and uses the rest of his cash to buy her at a bargain and then nurse her back to health. Which is altruistic and all, but since he doesn’t have the money to keep her, he “comes to his senses” and decides to sell her the second she can use her arm again.

Awww. How touching.

In the meantime, though, the town whores–who are also slaves–are going missing under mysterious and kinda gross circumstances. People tell Ruso not to investigate, but of course he investigates. And his slave, Tilla, starts making inquiries of her own.

I liked this for the simple reason that usually when I read books about Rome, they don’t really concentrate on what it would have been like to be an ordinary slave. People are often like, “Well, Roman slavery wasn’t that bad–you could eventually free yourself or even become a prominent member of society while still enslaved!” But those were the exceptions, not the rule. Downie does a good job of showing the full horror of what being owned by another human being entailed: not having the right to so much as leave the house unless given permission, being forced to work whether you were well or sick, being forced into prostitution if it suited your “master’s” purposes, and having no say in your future–a future dictated by the financial well-being and goodwill of your owner, not by anything you might do or say. I mean, all of those things are a big fat “duh,” but when writing about the Roman Empire, a lot of authors gloss them over.

Slavery differs from place to place and from time to time, but one fact never changes: as a slave, you’re subject to the whims and foibles of another, very fallible human being. And that never doesn’t suck.

Recommended for: If you like gritty mysteries, you’ll probably enjoy this. ...more

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Dec 26, 2016 Blaine DeSantis rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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

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Feb 26, 2017 John rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, mystery, audible

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

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Apr 15, 2009 Laura McLean rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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

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Jan 19, 2011 Chris rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, kindle-freebie, historical-ancient

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.

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May 04, 2014 Susan rated it liked it · review of another edition

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 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 who is being brutally mistreated. As he is staying with his friend, and fellow doctor, Valens, this leaves him with a problem of where she can sleep and, eventually, he opts for the rather dubious location of Merula’s – a bar which seems to have rather carelessly lost two of its dancing girls, one of whom was recently hauled out of the river. To add to his problems, Ruso ends up making an enemy of the rather pedantic hospital administrator Optio Priscus and be rumoured to be investigating the death of Saufeia, even though he doesn’t really want to be involved.

This is the first mystery in the series and there is a lot of introducing the characters and setting. Ruso is a likeable enough lead character, who tries his best to make things right. It is fair to say that the authorities are not particularly eager, or worried, about the death of two dancing girls – but Ruso feels there is more to the mystery than he first realised. Why did one of the dancing girls run off, when she was supposedly in love with a soldier at the garrison? Why was another, surprisingly able to read and write, suggesting that she would not be there long before going missing and what is making certain customers at Merula’s ill? Ruso attempts to discover the truth, even without really wanting to, while trying to care for the unwilling new acquisition to his household, the beautiful young Tilla, stave off debt and try to get some sleep in between tending to patients.

Overall, this was an interesting mystery, although too much of the book seemed to be about introducing the characters and the storyline was a little slow to get going. Now that the characters of Ruso and Tilla are established, I wonder whether the second novel in the series will be faster paced. I would certainly give the second book a try, as this was a light and enjoyable read.

Rated 3.5 ...more

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Oct 09, 2009 Lance Greenfield rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

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 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 send funds home to his brother in southern Gaul lest his family find themselves destitute and homeless.

His medical colleague at the garrison hospital, who shares his squalid house with Ruso, takes life as it comes and has a wicked sense of humour, and is no help at all. Consequently, Ruso has very little support from anyone as he tries to traverse his difficult life. Almost by accident he finds himself burdened with further unmanageable debts, becomes the reluctant owner of an injured slave, Tilla, and is in continual conflict with the hospital administrator and many of the local Britons.

There are many reflections of twenty-first century society in this book, ranging from the financial and administrative pressures on the health service to the very serious issue of the white slave trade. I am sure that these parallels are deliberately drawn by the author to provoke the reader into thoughts beyond the main storyline.

Ruso becomes an unwilling detective, trying to track down the truth behind the disappearance of several dancing girls from the local brothel and bar. The story moves at a leisurely pace and, in the main, insinuates the brutality of the age rather than going into explicit detail.

I have always been a big fan of historical novels as, with conversations and images, they bring history to life around those dry, boring dates and names that I had to learn in the school classroom. Medicus does this for me and, at the same time, introduces some interesting characters whom I very much look forward to meeting again as the series unfolds. I strongly suspect that Ruso's slave, Tilla, will become his driving force.

This is an excellent detective story, and the links between Roman Britain and Modern Britain are particularly pleasing. I would recommend Medicus to anyone who enjoys a good historical fiction. ...more

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Mar 31, 2013 D.G. rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery, historical-fiction, audiobook, reviewed

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

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Feb 03, 2011 Janet Richards rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: nook

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

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Jan 21, 2016 Simon rated it really liked it

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

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Jun 03, 2010 Jamie Collins rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, historical-mystery, ancient-rome

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

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Sep 06, 2010 Abraham rated it liked it

Shelves: greco-roman, mystery

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A fun fast read: I like a good mystery now and then, and of course it doesn't hurt if the book in question happens to be set in Ancient Roman times. Roman Britain, in fact, during the relatively pleasant and peaceful reign of Hadrian. But enough history:

The main attraction here is Gaius Petreius Ruso, divorcée, army medical doctor (medicus, medical... I think I get it!) and reluctant protagonist of this here tale. He is such a stick in the mud! A nice guy at heart but, trouble is, everything see A fun fast read: I like a good mystery now and then, and of course it doesn't hurt if the book in question happens to be set in Ancient Roman times. Roman Britain, in fact, during the relatively pleasant and peaceful reign of Hadrian. But enough history:

The main attraction here is Gaius Petreius Ruso, divorcée, army medical doctor (medicus, medical... I think I get it!) and reluctant protagonist of this here tale. He is such a stick in the mud! A nice guy at heart but, trouble is, everything seems to be going wrong... his wife left him a few years ago but he still hasn't gotten over it, he's overworked and still lives in squalor... he lives in Britain... and worst of all, he somehow manages to get himself wrapped up in the murders of two prostitutes from a nearby brothel.

Ruso is the classic put-upon patriarch, an old and well-worn character trope which has been a staple of comedies at least as far back as the Romans themselves, and which found success long into the twentieth century (I can name three perfect examples: George Banks from Mary Poppins, Mr. Alonzo Smith from Meet Me in St. Louis, and "father" from E.L. Doctorow's 20s-set historical novel Ragtime). Secure in his faith of his de jure position of authority as a man -- over women, children, slaves, and anything else that moves -- the impotent patriarch is at the same time quite shocked when his de facto influence falls way, way short of his expectations, usually to comic effect. The modern approach of this kind of character is ambivalence at best: glad to see a few cracks in the patriarchal stranglehold, yet full of sad feelings regarding the mere existence, past and present, of that stranglehold. For my part, I say it's good to be back in the days when men were men, slaves were slaves, and cataract surgery was scary as all get out.

Ruso's the main attraction, of course, but a decent supporting cast surrounds him. There's Tilla, the dying native girl Ruso reluctantly buys off some random guy dragging her home -- a real fixer upper. She turns out to be a looker, though, so I guess that counterbalances the whole "sorry I got you wrapped in a ridiculous mystery" thing. Then there's Valens, the handsome, funny, socially at ease fellow doctor and roommate. And Priscus, the balding, bureaucratic administrator of the hospital -- who can really handle himself with a kitchen knife. There are others of course, but they're all women and/or slaves, so you can understand my silence.

This book, it is Roman enough for my tastes -- and modern enough too. "This book could be set at any time period, any place." Well yeah, granted, jokes about British cuisine never go out of style, but surely the Romans have a character all their own! Surely... lead water pipes, slaves, and a life expectancy of thirty-five -- isn't that enough? Ruth Downie, she does a pretty good job. Yeah, yeah, she's not Robert Graves, but then she's not Robert Fagles either (impressed yet? okay, how about Robert Redford? Robbie Williams? Robin Williams? Okay, I better stop...) Like I said, the book is Roman enough -- enough to get me in the mood without tugging and tearing at my poor little overworked brain cells. This delicate balance saw me through to the end of the book, allowing me to overlook the slow start, the just average writing style, and the really rather average mystery tale itself; to shrug my shoulders and go along for the ride. My little local library, for some reason, has every book in this series so maybe I'll go back for a double or even triple dip. *shrug* "When in Deva..." as they say.

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Nov 06, 2015 Camilla Monk rated it really liked it

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

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Nov 10, 2008 Shiela rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery, cozy

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

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Jun 11, 2011 R.Z. rated it it was ok

I received this book as a gift from my daughter who loved the book. So with that in mind, I began to read it. Maybe a quarter of the way through it, I knew that I would have to struggle to finish it, but I wasn't sure why. After having read the entire book, I knew. This is an author who tells a good tale, but has not yet developed the art of giving her characters depth. They are cardboard people who do what they do as they meet their challenges in what otherwise is an interesting situation. My d ...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Dawn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: locale-roman-empire, authors-women, read-2013, mystery-historical

Despite an overly long development of the characters which made the beginning of the book almost snooze worthy, I found this mystery story quite good.

I love the setting in the Roman occupied Britain of the 2nd century. The character of the doctor lends itself to great descriptions of the medical beliefs and practices of the time, some of them surprisingly sophisticated.
The very saucy slave might be a bit of a stretch but not completely unfeasible considering the character traits of the doctor a ...more

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May 22, 2009 Annmarie rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, suspense, rome, historical, staff-pick

Curmudgeon & army doctor Gaius Ruso has just been stationed in Brittania, the back of beyond & far from civilization. His living quarters are filthy, his finances poor, the hospital administrator a petty tyrant, and his finances are stretched further when he rescues an injured young woman slave from an abusive owner. When young women from the local bar aka whorehouse start turning up murdered, he is reluctantly drawn by the locals into investigating it. In the meantime he grows attached ...more

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Sep 30, 2010 Stephanie rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, historical-fiction

Historical mystery set in Britain during the Roman occupation. Gaius Petreius Ruso is a "medicus" for the 20th regiment, stationed in Deva (now Chester, England). Upon his arrival, he has to deal with the body of a young woman found floating in the river, and then manages to become the accidental owner of a young female slave who he rescues from a disreputable slave trader.

This was interesting and I enjoyed getting to know Ruso and his slave girl, Tilla. I will definitely look for the next in th ...more

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Jan 30, 2017 11811 (Eleven) rated it liked it

This was different from the usual crap that I read. The lesson seems to be that if you are a doctor living in the ancient Roman Empire and some hot little slave girl shows up, you should probably keep her. She can make you breakfast and all sorts of neat stuff.

I enjoyed this one.

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Feb 11, 2017 Jlsimon rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audible, historical-fiction

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. I don't know why I was expecting a more sophisticated "who-done-it" but I was. Anyway things I liked about the story, I liked the fact there was always something happening. It didn't drone on and on about minute details that had no value to the story. I rather liked the ending. It's one of those feel goods that supports the whole, "If you love something set it free..." mindsets.

What I didn't like... Even as busy as it was I was sometimes bored. I ...more

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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 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 Deva (present-day Chester). Ruso has to deal with the Roman bureaucracy, filthy and noisy living quarters, and an endless number of dogs (they seem to be more numerous than the mice!). Then there is the injured and possibly dying slave girl, Tilla, that he buys to rescue her from her abusive master. To further complicate matters, he is called upon to examine the body of a young woman who is believed to have drowned. However, Ruso discovers that her neck was broken and there is bruising on her throat. This was definitely not an accidental or natural death. Ruso becomes a reluctant detective, all the while trying to do his job, send money home, and tend to Tilla, who is not the most cooperative or grateful patient.

This reads more like a historical novel with a touch of mystery than a historical mystery novel. The characters and the background are well drawn and interesting. Downie does an excellent job of portraying Roman Britain. She really makes it come to life. My father retired from the Air Force, so the military bureaucracy in Medicus is very familiar to me. Some things never change. Ruso is world weary with a dry sense of humor. I found myself laughing several times. The book has its serious moments, though. Downie doesn't flinch from showing how brutal life could be back then, especially for young women without protectors.

This is definitely a series worth checking out. I've already started the second book, Terra Incognita: A Novel of the Roman Empire, and it's promising to be just as good as this one. ...more

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Sep 01, 2009 Spuddie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

#1 in the Gaius Petreius Ruso historical mystery series set in Roman-occupied Britannia. Ruso, a recently-divorced doctor who has moved from his family home in Gaul to an army outpost in Deva (modern-day Chester, UK) and stumbles immediately into a mystery, with the dead, naked body of a young woman brought into his surgery. Most of her red hair has been lopped off, and he's curious not only about her, but about her killer. When he discovers that she was a "dancing girl" from one of the local ba ...more

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Dec 05, 2016 Lauren rated it liked it

Shelves: human-trafficking, scholarly-hero, historical-mystery

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

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What's The Name o...: SOLVED. Roman soldier who solves mysteries in Roman occupied Britain [s]	6	46	Jan 28, 2015 04:19PM

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About Ruth Downie

Ruth is the author of seven mysteries* featuring Roman Army medic Gaius Petreius Ruso. The latest is VITA BREVIS. She lives in Devon, England, and is married with two grown-up sons. 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 who ...more

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