Rating: 
Summary: Gordianus the Finder meets the richest man in Rome
Review: "Arms of Nemesis" is a Gordianus the Finder whodunit set in ancient Rome near the end of the Republic at the time of the Sparticus slave rebellion. The story is set eight years after Saylor's "Roman Blood". Gordianus the down-on-the-heels Roman detective is hired by Crassus, the richest man in Rome to investigate the murder of one of his factotums by slaves. However, if Gordianus proves the innocence of the slaves he may unravel his employer's political ambitions.Hard-boiled detective mysteries are pretty formulaic-Gordianus is soft-boiled Truth, justice and the Roman-way are more important to him then silver. This novel is Grisham-esque mixing murder, money, and corporate politics Roman style. Saylor continues to write well. His description of the Roman funeral rites, and the drugged Sybil were particularly good. His violence and action passages continue to be a bit weak. In addition, homosexual relations receive more development then straight sex in this story. I'm a little disappointed with the author's legerdemain to keep the murderer's identity secret until the end. "Arms of Nemesis" is good. However, it is not as good as Saylor's first novel "Roman Blood". Historical murder mystery readers will enjoy it for its accuracy and detail.
Rating: 
Summary: Excelent Historical Mystery Novel
Review: Arms of Nemesis is a very good historical mystery novel. The history and mystery aspects flow together very well. There is also plenty of suspense. More importantly, there is real suspense in this novel. Additionally, the detective finds the clues in a consistently realistic manner. No fakey revelations here. This is important because this is the very first novel by Steven Saylor that I've found that lived up to the reputation that he has had as an excellent writer of historical mystery novels. The other novels by Saylor that I've read thus far have either been middling quality works such as Murder on the Appian Way or really dreadful expositions such as his most recent novel, The Judgment of Caesar. Arms of Nemesis is an excellent historical, mystery and suspense novel. If you have a need for some good escape reading, this is a novel that you should seriously consider.
Rating:
Summary: Excelent Historical Mystery Novel
Review: Arms of Nemesis is a very good historical mystery novel. The history and mystery aspects flow together very well. There is also plenty of suspense. More importantly, there is real suspense in this novel. Additionally, the detective finds the clues in a consistently realistic manner. No fakey revelations here. This is important because this is the very first novel by Steven Saylor that I've found that lived up to the reputation that he has had as an excellent writer of historical mystery novels. The other novels by Saylor that I've read thus far have either been middling quality works such as Murder on the Appian Way or really dreadful expositions such as his most recent novel, The Judgment of Caesar. Arms of Nemesis is an excellent historical, mystery and suspense novel. If you have a need for some good escape reading, this is a novel that you should seriously consider.
Rating: 
Summary: Cultural Glance at its Peak
Review: Gordianus the Finder is hired by the richest man in Rome, Marcus Crassus, to find the murderer of his cousin, Lucius Licinius. Most clues point towards the two runaway slaves. Therefore, Crassus is instituting the ancient Roman law of killing all of the rest of the household slaves. Will Gordianus solve the murder in time? Steven Saylor did an excellent job maintaining historical authenticity throughout his work while still keeping it extremely interesting. The cultural descriptions were flawless while he simultaneously supplied varying points of view from the separate classes of people. The one flaw that I found however was the minimalistic references to the Spartacus rebellion occurring simultaneously.
Rating:
Summary: Gordianus heads to the coast...
Review: I'm not sure why this book is called "Arms of Nemesis: A Novel of Ancient Rome" since nearly the entire story is located in a villa near modern Naples, not Rome. Regardless, this second book in the Gordianus series has all the goodness we expect from Saylor: good story, compulsively readable prose, and good bits of Roman-era history thrown in. In this book we have Gordianus, our favorite Roman private eye, hired to find the murderer of a caretaker of a seaside villa. The murderer is presumed to be one of victim's slaves, and so as punishment the villa's owner threatens to kill all slaves at the estate. This comes at a very ticklish time when southern Italy was grappling with slave unrest, courtesy of Spartacus. The story is generally believable, and we are treated with a host of curious characters. Very enjoyable. However my only gripe with the novel is its heavy references to homosexuality, complete with a romance between a military officer and a slave. While Saylor does handle this subject with panache and good taste, I am not convinced all this gay context reflects Roman history - Saylor makes no mention of it as part of his historical references. However I do know Saylor has a previous life of a writer of gay erotica (under an assumed name), and so I fear the gay subplot and copious references to naked men might reflect wishful thinking on the part of Saylor on how things might have been, but not as how they actually were. Bottom line: a well-written historical novel with fine characterisations. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Gordianus Unravels Gordian Knot of a Murder
Review: O.K., I freely admit it, I love Gordianus the Finder. How could you not? He's wise, witty, occasionally cranky, and always believably human. And, he holds the rare reputation of being the last honest man in Rome. In this tale of murder on the shores of Baie, Steven Saylor takes our favorite Finder to the pleasure villas of the Roman rich, showing us yet another fascinating facet of Roman life in the 1st century. The overseer of Marcus Crassus' villa is murdered just as the Spartacan slave revolt is heating up, and two slaves are implicated. Gordianus must find out the truth before all 100 household slaves are put to death in the gladiator's ring. Like all of Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa series, this is gorgeously researched and written. READ THIS!
Rating:
Summary: Suspenseful, edge of your seat fun!
Review: Ok, I gave it four stars because of some of the adult material in the novel (plus the fact that I'm more of an Agatha Christie/Hercule Poirot person and I'm not really into mystery novels), but above all, it was a good read. I had to read this for my Ancient Roman history class at San Diego State University. The story revolves around a dead government official, Marcus Crassus, and the issue of Roman slavery (apparently, they were no different than the slaveowners in the antebellum South). Enter Gordianus the Finder and his sidekick, Eco, his adopted (and mute) son. The two must solve the case of the murder of the government official before something worse happens. The end of the book will surprise you! If you're looking for a good read, this is it. I stayed up until midnight reading "Arms of Nemesis."
Rating:
Summary: Arms of Nemesis
Review: Saylor's second novel in his Roma Sub Rosa series is surely a triumphant return after Roman Blood. I enjoyed the read through each plot twist and mysterious event. Saylor does an excellent job at elucidating each characters' motifs, points of view, and inner schemings. I especially liked the insight into the characters like Marcus Crassus, Mummius, and Faustus Fabius. Previously, these characters seemed almost mythic because they had been built up by hearsay and history; never before had I taken the time to examine the scale of their personal and political problems.
In addition, the novel is very urbane and progressive although it is set two thousand years ago. The day to day interaction between characters, as well as the social acceptance of things like affairs, homosexuality, and immoral acts for the greater good. I would recommend this novel, as well as all of Saylor's other novels (especially The House of The Vestals) to anyone who likes to read for entertainment and enjoys mystery.
Rating:
Summary: Arms of Nemesis
Review: Set in 72 B.C., during the slave revolt led by Spartacus, Saylor's ( Roman Blood ) second historical mystery follows Roman PI Gordianus the Finder to the resort of Baiae on the Bay of Naples. The cousin and factotum of Marcus Licinius Crassus, the wealthiest man in Rome, has been bludgeoned to death, apparently by two slaves who have run away. An ancient Roman law decrees that when a master is killed by a slave, the remainder of the household's slaves must be slaughtered. Gordianus and his adopted son Eco have three days to find the real murderer and save the villa's other 99 slaves. A convoluted plot reveals fraud, embezzlement and arms smuggling (spears and swords traded for silver and jewels); sensuously written subplots hinge on arcanic poisons and clandestine love affairs among a cast that includes a Crassus's second-rate philosopher-in-residence and a retired actor who doubles as a female impersonator. Richly detailed bacchanalian feasts and mesmerizing visits to the Sybil at Cumae lead to the spellbinding conclusion, reached during fierce gladiatorial combat. 35,000 first printing; BOMC alternate; paperback rights to Fawcett; author tour
Rating:
Summary: Strong Second Outing
Review: Steven Saylor succeeds where many writers of historical fiction fail, largely because of strong character development and the ability to make ancient society seem natural -not just a picturesque backdrop. While the murder mystery is entertaining and keeps your attention, it is the little details; political intrigues, conflicting philosophies, and secondary events such as the Spartacan slave revolt, which bring this novel to life. Gordianus is a true Roman, with the sensibilities of a Roman citizen. He does not come accross as a 21st century sleuth transported into a different age.
I was delighted that many actual figures from Roman history are featured in Saylor's novels; Cicero, Marcus Crassus, Pompey, etc.
Highly recommended -and certainly consider Saylor's other Roman novels as well.
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