Persona Non Grata

A Novel of the Roman Empire

By: Ruth Downie

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

At long last, Gaius Petreius Ruso and his companion, Tilla, are headed home - to Gaul. Having received a note consisting only of the words "COME HOME!" Ruso has (reluctantly, of course) pulled up stakes and brought Tilla to meet his family. But the reception there is not what Ruso has hoped for: no one will admit to sending for him, and his brother Lucius is hoping he'll leave.

With Tilla getting icy greetings from his relatives, Lucius's brother-in-law mysteriously drowned at sea, and the whole Ruso family teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, it's hard to imagine an unhappier reunion. That is, until Severus, the family's chief creditor, winds up dead, and the real trouble begins.

Engrossing, intricate, and - as always - wonderfully comic, Ruth Downie's latest is a brilliant new installment in this irresistible series. This is everything we've come to expect from our charming, luckless hero.

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

©2009 Ruth Downie (P)2009 Tantor

Critic reviews

"This lively sequel to Medicus and Terra Incognita continues Downie's delightful historical series.... Highly recommended." ( Library Journal)

Great Series

I loved the 3 books in this series. They are very entertaining, great characters and light mysteries in each book. This series is a delightful read, and the narration is terrific. I highly recommend.

My favorite of the first three books of the series

What made the experience of listening to Persona Non Grata the most enjoyable?

The narrator could not be better suited for this book. Peerless.

Any additional comments?

Of the first three novels in this series, this one is my favorite. It has a fiendishly complicated cast of characters. I suggest jotting down the names as they apoear in the storyline.

better and better

this is the third Medicus book I've read and each has been a winner. historically and medically fascinating with plenty of plot tension and humor to keep you going far into the night. glad I have more to go.

Fun

I really enjoyed this audio book. Fun story, Russo and Tilla are complex and interesting characters.

The Best Ruso Book To Date

As a fan of Lindsey Davis and Stephen Saylor, I am thrilled to have found Ruth Downie. In her third book featuring Roman medicus during the reign of Hadrian, she takes it to the next level. The first two books were enjoyable, but this volume is in an entirely different league. The change of setting from Roman Britain to Transalpine Gaul (modern Provence), takes Ruso into the bosom of his very dysfunctional family (who had been alluded to in previous books). While it's possible to read this book as a stand-alone, I would highly recommend reading the books in order in order to appreciate the characters' histories and development. I have a background in Classical History, and while I won't pretend there aren't some anachronistic elements, I was impressed by how much research Ms. Downie must have done to recreate the period. Unlike the more free-thinking Falco of Lindsey Davis's books, Ruso seems more a product of his era and culture.

Humorous and Witty, Delightful Narration

This fun historical mystery novel comes alive with Simon Vance's narration. Ruth Downie's writing puts a sometimes amusing face on life in the Roman Empire despite its darker aspects. Downie created engaging characters with distinct personalities and a decent mystery plot. Honestly though, I enjoyed the characters and their dryly humorous interactions well highlighted by the stellar narration so much that the plot felt more like a side show. A very pleasant listen.

Inspector Gamache does the Roman Empire

Wasn't quite sure what to expect and purchased this book based on the reviews.
Interesting story line and learned about Roman history in the process.

Thank you Ruth

Knew nothing about this book when I picked it - just sounded interesting. I"ve always thought I'd like to read something about Ancient Rome (or Tudor England or Egypt under the Pharoahs} that dealt with everyday life and relatively ordinary people. To be sure, this is a murder- mystery, but it's full of everyday occurrences - meals and broken feet and shopping and petty grievances. The characters come across after about 2000 years as fellow human beings. Ruso is likeable even though he's irascible and Tilla is an incredibly strong and down-to earth woman. There's much humor woven into the fabric of this story which really enlivens it. The only difficulty that I had in reading this was keeping the characters straight - maybe because of the unfamiliar names, but it was hard for me to remember the connections between the characters, All in all, a very enjoyable read. I plan to get the other 2 in the series.

Compelling story but ...

I find it a struggle to find books in the historical novels niche that are NOT just all actions or all soap opera. A lot of the popular series out there now seem like they were written for teenagers.

This is closer to the balance I was hoping for. It will appeal to mature adults, the story is good and I learn to care about the characters, but it is essentially a "who dunit?" So if you were looking for Roman wars and action, you will not find it here. Sometimes you almost forget you are in the Roman Empire at all.

I wish thee was a little more action, but it was worth the money I spent for sure. I will get the next book in the series later, once I get a break from the crime mystery genre.

The narrator is first rate, excellent!

Another great adventure of the Medicus and Tilla

I loved how Tilla was developed more in this story. The change of venue was refreshing. The narrator is awesome! He makes the story come to life and is enjoyable to listen to. I plan to get the next episode.