This book tries to be a combination of a historical account and a modern courtroom thriller.
I enjoyed it up to a point.
I’m interested in history, the Roman Empire is certainly a fascinating subject and Cicero’s unlikely rise to power is truly a worthy subject. However there’s a great deal of detail designed to make the book sound like an episode of Boston Legal (or some other modern show about a law firm) and by the last third of the book I found it tiresome. That probably says more about me than about the writer’s skill, I’m less interested in the back room wheeling and dealing for votes. Shorter would have been better.
Nonetheless, I can see myself reading more of the author’s historical novels. He certainly makes a world long gone seem real.
I read that about two months ago 🙂 It’s the first of a three-part series which I found very gripping, and read it completely the wrong order (2-3-1). I don’t think there’s as much legal stuff in the other two books, but I was pleased to have the background filled in when I went back to it.
I’d also recommend ‘Enigma’ if you haven’t read that, about breaking the Enigma code at Bletchley Park.
Happy Sunday!
I hadn’t realised it’s a series, good to know! I would like to read more, though with a break. I’ll recommend “I Claudius” , by Robert Graves – I read it twice and saw the TV series twice (abouth 10 years in between though).
Thanks, Sandy!
I’ve wanted to watch/read that for years. One day I will! 🙂