The Mammoth Book of Historical Crime Fiction

Over the last twenty years Steven Saylor has been carving a sizable niche for himself in the world of ancient Rome. He has recently embarked on a colossal history of Rome told in fictional form, starting with Roma (2007) which charts the growth of Rome from its earliest days to the time of Julius Caesar, and Empire (2010) which takes us through to the Emperor Hadrian. But Saylor is probably best known for his stories featuring Gordianus the Finder, who lives by his wits and, because of his acquaintanceship with Cicero in Roman Blood (1991), the first book in the series, frequently finds himself involved in the higher level of politics and intrigue in Republican Rome. Other books in the series include Arms of Nemesis (1992), Catilina’s Riddle (1993), Rubicon (1999), The Judgement of Caesar (2004), The Triumph of Caesar (2008) and two collections, The House of the Vestals (1997) and A Gladiator Dies Only Once (2005).

Saylor is working on another volume featuring Gordianus but this time set during his early years, against the backcloth of the original Seven Wonders of the World. The following story, set in 92 BC, takes place at the Temple of Diana (know as Artemis to the Greeks) in Ephesus. Gordianus, aged just eighteen, is on an extended journey accompanied by his former tutor, the poet Antipater of Sidon, who was one of the first to list the Seven Wonders.