Caveat Emptor: A Novel of the Roman Empire

By: Ruth Downie

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

Ruso and Tilla, now newlyweds, have moved back to Britannia, where Ruso's old friend and colleague Valens has promised to help him find work. But it isn't the kind of work he'd had in mind - Ruso is tasked with hunting down a missing tax man named Julius Asper. Of course, there's also something else missing: money. And the council of the town of Verulamium is bickering over what's become of it. Compelled to delve deeper by a threat from his old sparring partner, Metellus, Ruso discovers that the good townsfolk may not be as loyal to Rome as they like to appear.

While Tilla tries to comfort Asper's wife, an anonymous well-wisher is busy warning the couple to get away from the case before they get hurt. Despite our hero's best efforts to get himself fired as investigator, he and his bride find themselves trapped at the heart of an increasingly treacherous conspiracy involving theft, forgery, buried treasure, and the legacy of Boudica, the Rebel Queen.

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend us your ears: listen to another Novel of the Roman Empire.

©2010 Ruth Downie (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Downie excels in bringing the ancient world to life as well as making the attitudes and customs of its inhabitants accessible to a modern audience." ( Publishers Weekly)

Gave me a different view of Roman Briton

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes I would recommend this book. It is always delightful not to know how a story will end and the author didn't give it away.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Caveat Emptor?

The funeral was memorable when it was obvious that so few people cared about the victims.

Have you listened to any of Simon Vance’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not sure

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The fact that the main character's wife would never have a child due to her own past and he decided he lover her enough to stay with her

Any additional comments?

very entertaining!

Good read and interesting history

I listened to this book because it was on sale. It was a good deal! I like historical mystery fiction like brother cadfael and the master shardlake series. This fits right in with that style. I will look forward to listening to other books in the series as time permits.

Great series

This series is engaging, charming, and thoroughly entertaining. The performance is equally good, and I definitely recommend them.

Truly enjoyable

This series just keeps getting better with each new addition. The story lines change with each book and the tale keeps me reading and smiling

Another cool Roman Empire/Brittania mystery

If you've listened to previous adventures of Russo, the Roman doctor/detective in Brittania, you'll want to listen to this one. If you haven't, you should start with Terra Incognita, the first of this series that I've found on Audible. It's a fun series and I continue to be amazed at how similar life in the Roman Empire was to life today. Human nature simply remains constant. Great series. Highly recommend!

An entertaining listen

While not "high literature", this was well put together story that entertained me on my commute. The setting was unique, although the underlying thread could have been set in any time period. The narrator is quite good and I would listen to more of his works. I will check out more in this series.

A trifle dreary

Ruth Downie does a great job of involving us in the lives of her characters, and her evocation of life in Roman Britannia is sure handed and masterful. If you have read previous books in this series, you will already be invested in Russo's life with his British wife, Tilla, and if you have not, it will not take you long to develop real affection for them.

Unfortunately, I found the plot for this book to be a bit plodding. It did not engage me consistently as I expect a murder mystery to do whatever its setting may be. In addition, the book fairly limps to its ending with very little in the way of satisfaction. As a result, despite the author's deft touch when it comes to creating very human characters, I found this a dreary listen at times and was ready for it to end.

As usual, Simon Vance's narration was superb.

An Ancient Roman Detective Mystery!

An interesting & well written historical mystery set in Roman Britain times in a village near St. Albans. Clean, educational, & interesting I give it a definite GP rating with 4+ stars! I will be reading another Ruth Downie mystery. The title means something along the lines of "buyer beware". It is interesting how Downie ties this concept into the plot. Roso is my favorite character as he shows the reader the perks & responsibilities of being a male Roman citizen and officer. Simon Vance is an excellent narrator.

Another entertaining book from the series

I really enjoy this series. Well researched. I like her characters and the narration as well.

Historical mystery with a pinch of ramance.

I was a little slow to take to this one, but it drew me in. this book had just the right mix of mystery, history and a little romance or at least the problems of romance, and when it was over I wanted more.