Prima Facie

A Crime Novella of the Roman Empire (Roman Empire Series, Book 8.5)

De: Ruth Downie

Narrado por: Simon Vance

A novella from the author of the best seller Medicus, featuring reluctant investigator Ruso and his partner Tilla. A tale of murder, intrigue, and betrayal in Roman Gaul.

It's AD 123, and the sun is shining on southern Gaul. Ex-military medic Ruso and his British wife, Tilla, are back after a long absence - but it's not the reunion anyone had hoped for.

Ruso's brother has left him in charge of a farm he has no idea how to manage, a chronic debt problem, and a gaggle of accident-prone small children. Meanwhile his sister Flora has run away to rescue her boyfriend, who's accused of murdering a wealthy guest at a party.

Can Ruso and Tilla save the boyfriend from the murder charge - or should they be saving Flora from the boyfriend? Will any of the guests tell the truth about the fatal party before it's too late? And meanwhile, how long can Ruso continue to lie about what's inside the bath house?

©2019 Ruth Downie (P)2019 Tantor

Entertaining

Always a treat to see a new Tilla and Russo book in audible
Love the narration...Simon Vance reads with so much feeling.

Enjoyable and amusing

I found this look musing and entertaining as I tried to figure out exactly who the killer was. The characters were all amazingly entertaining and it held my attention to the very end. Simon Vance is an excellent narrator

Please more!!

Loved this series beginning to end. Hope this novella means there is more to come...

Fun

This is one of Ruth Downies’ simpler works. She only touches on the problems associated with doing the right thing. Her skilled characterization and Vance’s excellent narration save the book.

Short Story Between Book 7 and 8

While this book was published last, it falls in the characters' timeline between books 7 and 8 in the series and makes more sense when read in that order. On their way back from Rome to Britannia, Ruso and Tilla stumble into the middle of a murder near Ruso's family home in Gaul. It's an enjoyable little story for anyone who has read the other books, but it leaves out a lot of context of their overall story, so it's not a good place to start.

I can see myself there!

The storylines and plots of our Medicus are well developed.
The historical accuracy is exceptional, even with some artistic liberties here and there.
The characters are entirely relatable people!
Finally I adore our narrator. I enjoy his work . His voice is warm and comforting and his ability to voice the characters and their dialects is captivating.

Too short, but totally enjoyable

I love this series and Simon Vance’s narration. I wonder why Ruth Downie decided to do this novella rather than a full length. It was totally enjoyable, but would have much preferred a full novel.

A nice little nibble

It's always fun to visit Ruso and family, and I'd listen to Simon Vance read the phone book. A lovely way to spend a few hours while anxiously awaiting the next full-length book. You can read this with no knowledge of the series, but of course it's better to start with Medicus and let the tale unfold. Since this is a short story, there's not a lot of the historical detail that makes this series so interesting, but the characters still interact in the endearing way readers have come to expect from Ruth Downie.

Enjoyed

Love this series


Simon Vance one of my favorite narrator highly recommend hope there are more

too short. I wanted more!

love these people. the family is choice but a true family and believed. love Tilla and the narrator.