What do you think?
Rate this book
Murder Britannica #2
Murder Durnovaria
AD 191. An ancient grove, broken promises, a lost keepsake.
Rich Lucretia is on the way to the town of Durnovaria. The last time she saw it she’d just rejected an arranged teenage marriage, but now she's back to claim an inheritance, taking the local wise-woman Tryssa as a companion.
Unknown to anyone, two hapless grave-robbers have been seeking ancient treasures in a stone circle nearby, without any idea that what they've found will open up old wounds from a more recent past.
With Lucretia’s family busy arguing about money, any possibility that an old ring bought in the forum might be important is pushed aside until Lucretia’s cousin is poisoned and the local magistrate Amicus starts to raise questions.
As the past starts to catch up with the present, Tryssa must help Amicus discover who would kill rather than reveal long-buried truths... and what those truths actually are.
Rich Lucretia is on the way to the town of Durnovaria. The last time she saw it she’d just rejected an arranged teenage marriage, but now she's back to claim an inheritance, taking the local wise-woman Tryssa as a companion.
Unknown to anyone, two hapless grave-robbers have been seeking ancient treasures in a stone circle nearby, without any idea that what they've found will open up old wounds from a more recent past.
With Lucretia’s family busy arguing about money, any possibility that an old ring bought in the forum might be important is pushed aside until Lucretia’s cousin is poisoned and the local magistrate Amicus starts to raise questions.
As the past starts to catch up with the present, Tryssa must help Amicus discover who would kill rather than reveal long-buried truths... and what those truths actually are.
318 pages, Paperback
Published November 19, 2019
About the author
Paula Harmon
47 books73 followersPaula Harmon was born in north London but her life as a country girl began at eighteen months when the family started moving westwards from small town to village before settling in South Wales when she was eight.
Graduating from Chichester University (Bishop Otter College) with a BA in English Literature and despite a determination not to, she ended up with a career in the civil service.
She wrote prolifically until adult life and children, got in the way. It was not until 2015 that she started writing seriously again.
Writing is probably the best therapy she could have had and believes it’s never too late to follow your dream.
Her short stories may be contemporary and real or include dragons, angst ridden teenagers, portals and civil servants (though not all in the same story - yet).
She lives in Dorset with her husband and two teenage children.
Graduating from Chichester University (Bishop Otter College) with a BA in English Literature and despite a determination not to, she ended up with a career in the civil service.
She wrote prolifically until adult life and children, got in the way. It was not until 2015 that she started writing seriously again.
Writing is probably the best therapy she could have had and believes it’s never too late to follow your dream.
Her short stories may be contemporary and real or include dragons, angst ridden teenagers, portals and civil servants (though not all in the same story - yet).
She lives in Dorset with her husband and two teenage children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 2, 2023
A comedy of errors.
Mixed up in all the fun is a story of young love, stolen money and a mysterious disappearance. Now forty years later the same people have gathered in the town of Durnrovaria but also with a few new characters thrown in. Lucretia was sent to Durnovaria to marry her cousin when she was fifteen, there by a did not go well between the couple and Lucretia.returned home alone and unwed a month later, but in that month she inadvertently affected the lives of several people ............none to.the.good.........apart from the.prospective groom who had lucky escape. Now with Lucretia back in town old secrets are being uncovered and not just secrets a ring turns up. A ring that belonged to Galen who.was a friend of everyone back in the day, he was thought to have fun away (along with the town treasury) but did he?.......................... As funny as the first Twillia is on hand to work out the.mystery while Lucretia just blunders through. The dialogue is witty and the characters entertaining.........
Mixed up in all the fun is a story of young love, stolen money and a mysterious disappearance. Now forty years later the same people have gathered in the town of Durnrovaria but also with a few new characters thrown in. Lucretia was sent to Durnovaria to marry her cousin when she was fifteen, there by a did not go well between the couple and Lucretia.returned home alone and unwed a month later, but in that month she inadvertently affected the lives of several people ............none to.the.good.........apart from the.prospective groom who had lucky escape. Now with Lucretia back in town old secrets are being uncovered and not just secrets a ring turns up. A ring that belonged to Galen who.was a friend of everyone back in the day, he was thought to have fun away (along with the town treasury) but did he?.......................... As funny as the first Twillia is on hand to work out the.mystery while Lucretia just blunders through. The dialogue is witty and the characters entertaining.........
December 8, 2019
I did not get a chance to read the first book but it did not seem to matter to this story too much. Everybody has this idea that only rich families fight over inheritance but if there is anything at all - a favorite picture, a locket of little value - it is still the cause of a fight. This book shows it brilliantly and with a bit of mystery, great characters, and a wonderful story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 24, 2021
„Murder Durnovaria“ is the second installment in the “Murder Britannica” series by Paula Harmon, a series than can best described as ‘historical inspired sleuth meets cozy mystery’, with a male MC and a great variety of secondary characters. The series is set in late second century A.D Roman Britain and offers a light insight not the times and a good dose of humor and twisted situations, sometimes bordering on comedy. The light mysteries and the inner workings of Britannia rich family go hand in hand to construct an arch story that develops further with every new installment, while every ‘case’ finds its resolution in every book.
The story is set on Roman Britannia 191 AD. Lucretia is on her way to Durnovaria, accompanied by Tryssa (a local) as advisor, with the goal to claim an inheritance. For Lucretia herself has been a long time since she left the town after refusing to an arranged marriage. The inheritance claim goes as expected, with the whole family fighting to get the most out of it, in that point human nature has never evolved, but is still funny ‘in extremis’. But then Lucretia’s cousin is poisoned, and the visit turns into murder mystery, with Tryssa join the local magistrate to solve the case.
The story is fast-paced and easy-to-read, a light mystery with comedy and sleuthing going hand in hand throughout plot. Enjoyable characters and nice delivery that succeed in entertaining the reader.
The story is set on Roman Britannia 191 AD. Lucretia is on her way to Durnovaria, accompanied by Tryssa (a local) as advisor, with the goal to claim an inheritance. For Lucretia herself has been a long time since she left the town after refusing to an arranged marriage. The inheritance claim goes as expected, with the whole family fighting to get the most out of it, in that point human nature has never evolved, but is still funny ‘in extremis’. But then Lucretia’s cousin is poisoned, and the visit turns into murder mystery, with Tryssa join the local magistrate to solve the case.
The story is fast-paced and easy-to-read, a light mystery with comedy and sleuthing going hand in hand throughout plot. Enjoyable characters and nice delivery that succeed in entertaining the reader.
April 14, 2020
A pleasure.
Very, very silly ! This is a quite ridiculous story, convoluted and funny, Once in a while it is a pleasure to read something like this. The underlying plot is, if looked at straightly a lovely bit of tragedy and could have been written as a very grim story. The overlay of comedy is a pleasing mask over the grue.
Very, very silly ! This is a quite ridiculous story, convoluted and funny, Once in a while it is a pleasure to read something like this. The underlying plot is, if looked at straightly a lovely bit of tragedy and could have been written as a very grim story. The overlay of comedy is a pleasing mask over the grue.
May 9, 2020
Romano British skulldiggery
Midsomer murders meets Caesar. Light, fun yet intriguing and a bite. Excellent characterisation, intriguing plot and convincing ambience of time and place. Par with Rowe, Davis and Finnis
Midsomer murders meets Caesar. Light, fun yet intriguing and a bite. Excellent characterisation, intriguing plot and convincing ambience of time and place. Par with Rowe, Davis and Finnis
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews