Rating: 
Summary: Roman life during the "conspiracy of Cataline"
Review: I've never been a big fan of mysteries. Frankly, most of them are contrived nonsense. However, I do enjoy the Gordianus series, not for the "mystery", but for the insight into Roman life of the first century BC. This tale shows the trials and tribulations of family life during the time of the "Conspiracy of Cataline". Saylor makes this time come alive. Personally, the tale of the three headless bodies just does not interest me. The true wonder of this book is the wonderful depiction of Roman family life and the dangers that it held.
Rating:
Summary: Entrancing.
Review: I could feel the hot sun in ancient Rome, pounding on the pavement. I was ready to be seduced by the words of the young unconvential politician, Catilina. Not only is the writing style intense and descriptive, it is accurately so. The democratic procedures of Rome are described in detail. The speaches are exact. Get ready to be entranced well into the middle of the night
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but not much of a mystery novel
Review: Catalina's Riddle is my favorite of the three Steven Saylor mysteries I've read so far, yet the mystery content seems almost tacked-on. There are some fascinating insights into Roman agrarian and political life, including some information I'd never heard of before. Saylor really makes you think about the opposing characters of Cicero and Catalina, and at times it's difficult to reconcile their characters with what classicists and history have to say about them. If Saylor had sold this as a simple historical novel, I'd have given it a 10, but as it's supposed to be a mystery, it loses a few points. Definitely recommended to those who are interested in Ancient Rome
Rating:
Summary: A well-crafted blend of mystery, history and character.
Review: Steven Saylor continues his fine Roma sub rosa series of mysteries framed by incidents in the turbulent era of late Republican Rome.
Drawn reluctantly into a web of political machination and murder, Gordianus the Finder (Saylor's toughminded sleuth) must solve a baffling crime and
extricate himself and his family from peril. The delineation of Roman life and society is extraordinary; even better are the characters--Gordianus
especially is fully realized, an intelligent, complex man of his times. Any reader of historical fiction such as "I, Claudius" as well as any mystery-lover
will enjoy this book, and will be hunting for the rest of the series as soon as they put it down. Highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: It's easy to lose the mystery in the politics of this novel.
Review: Steven Saylor immerses himself too much in the politics of this novel
and the book drags. There is not the sense of urgency that is present
in his other novels, nor is there a clear-cut plot to follow. The book
is still worth reading because it does delve into the political tension
of the day. However, Gordinius is tired in this novel -- tired of city
life and tired of political scheming. He seeks to protect his family from
the schemes of others, but is unable to. If you've read the other Saylor novels
read this one -- if only to find out what happens to his family. If you
love the political aspects of his books, you'll love this novel. However,
if you're reading it for the mystery, skip this book and go directly to
Venus Throw where Saylor is back in top form.
Rating:
Summary: Gordianus goes gay!
Review: I'm enjoying this series a lot. They make great airplane books. There were many aspects of CATALINA'S RIDDLE that I really enjoyed, like the details of Roman life and the rather titillating scene wherein our hero is seduced by another man. The characters of Gordianus and his family became much deeper in this volume. However, the parts that dealt with the Cataline conspiracy were dull, dull, dull in comparison to the parts dealing with Gordianus, his family, and his neighbors. There was too much history and not enough mystery. The Cataline background overwhelmed this installment of Saylor's Sub Rosa series. I enjoyed this book's humor and irony, but it was not as consistently entertaining as the previous volumes.
Rating:
Summary: A Supplement to the Catilinarian Conspiracy
Review: This is the second year I have used Catilina's Riddle in my Latin III class. As we translate Cicero and Sallust, this book adds a little levity. Although it's a bit longer than I would like, it's an easy read. Saylor sheds some personality on Cicero, Catiline, and other historical characters in a way that Sallust could not. He pulls translations almost verbatim out of Cicero's "In Catilinam." Students are able to relate more closely to the plight of Catiline. The work even lends itself to some lessons in historiography (i.e., since historians base their perceptions of Catiline primarily on the works of Cicero and Sallust, how do we know what the "real" Catiline was like?). The plot of Gordianus and his misgivings about his inherited farm are secondary, but they keep the story moving along.
I find Saylor's work to lack the passion and insight that some other historical fiction writers seem to conjure. Mary Renault's works, for instance, stand alone. However, I had several students who simply could not put the book down. Anything that inspires a 15-year old to read like that deserves applaud.
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorites
Review: Steven Saylor is currently one of my favorite authors and Catilina's Riddle is, I think, the best of the whole Sub Rosa series. Saylor really captures the charisma that such characters as Ceasar and Catilina must have had and Gordianus provides us with the "behind the scenes" view of some of these most famous characters in history. The Mystery is solid, although somewhat incidental to the history, and the descriptions of life on an ancient farm are unique in my reading experience. If you like Rome and/or Mysteries it doesn't get any better than this.One down side: This is good enough to buy the hardback, its a keeper, but I made the mistake of getting the paperback. This is the Ballantine Publishing Group paperback with the headless statue on the cover. The leaves were already falling out of the book before I'd gotten 10 pages in. If you are like me, part of the enjoyment of a book is the feel (I like paperbacks) and the feel of a book with pages falling out is down right depressing.
Rating:
Summary: Drags more than some others in the series
Review: 17 years have passed between the story in this novel and "Roman Blood". Gordianus again is involved with Cicero and yet very little interaction occurs between the great orator and the "Finder". In fact, this novel is far more a "life in Gordianus' house" than a mystery of any sort. Sure, Saylor does a good job of making everyday life realistic but I was expecting more of a mystery, more intrigue, and more insights from Gordianus who seems highly out of place both in plots around him and in his own family at times. Yet, it is much better than the Falco series.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as the first 2
Review: I was lucky enough to find Saylor's works through Amazon.com and I have to say that I have never read a series of novels so entertaining and literate. I am more of a fan of ancient Rome than of mysteries, but the characters in this series are so remarkably well-depicted and the overall experience of reading these books is so pleasurable I would recommend them to anyone. Saylor does a superb job of bringing this time period to life while using his own imagination to create the fictional characters who live in it. I look forward to reading the next in the series, but I don't know how I will react once I have finished the latest novel. The solution: keep writing, Mr. Saylor!
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