Raiders of the Nile

A Novel of the Ancient World

By: Steven Saylor

Narrated by: James Langton

Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

In Egypt during the late Roman Republic, the young Gordianus finds himself involved in a raid to steal the golden Sarcophagus of Alexander the Great In 88 B.C. it seems as if all the world is at war. From Rome to Greece and to Egypt itself, most of civilization is on the verge of war. The young Gordianus-a born-and-raised Roman citizen-is living in Alexandria, making ends meet by plying his trade of solving puzzles and finding things out for pay. He whiles away his time with his slave Bethesda, waiting for the world to regain its sanity. But on the day Gordianus turns twenty-two, Bethesda is kidnapped by brigands who mistake her for a rich man's mistress. If Gordianus is to find and save Bethesda, who has come to mean more to him than even he suspected, he must find the kidnappers before they realize their mistake and cut their losses. Using all the skills he learned from his father, Gordianus must track them down and convince them that he can offer something of enough value in exchange for Bethesda's release. As the streets of Alexandria slowly descend into chaos, and the citizenry begin to riot with rumors of an impending invasion by Ptolmey's brother, Gordianus finds himself in the midst of a very bold and dangerous plot-the raiding and pillaging of the golden sarcophagus of Alexander the Great himself. New York Times bestselling author Steven Saylor returns, chronicling the early years of his detective, Gordianus, before he assumed the title of The Finder. Raiders of the Nile is the latest in his much-loved series of mysteries set in the late Roman Republic.

©2014 Steven Saylor (P)2018 Recorded Books

Great yarn

Slow start but good story. Enjoyed the reader. Will read more books by both author and reader.

A "diferent trek" for Saylor's Gordianus,

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

Yes. Although "Gordianus, the Finder" isn't doing his usual Detective work, he is still involved with "every-day life". He gets mixed-up with a "big batch of bad guys", due to his total sexual attraction to his personal "slave" (female).

What other book might you compare Raiders of the Nile to and why?

I don't know any other book to compare this one with, as I've not read anything that compares to Steven Saylor's specific twist on an early "Detective" who is living the life of a free-spirit, within the confines of the Roman Empire. I recommend all of Saylor's early works, where Gordanus is being a Detective in a place and time where there are no such labels... just tasks, (with little reward), that require 'smarts' and 'good luck'!

Which scene was your favorite?

Those where Gordianus has to take his lumps for being a "fool in love"!

If you could take any character from Raiders of the Nile out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Gordy's little chum and side-kick, Djet. He's a young, homeless, kid in a world where no one cares about Orphans, Street-People, or the plans and pains of others. People in that day and time, struggled just to survive on a daily basis. And the kid could use a good meal anyway!!!

Early Finder Story

I’ve had the book version of this for years but just never found time to read it. I love the Roma Sub Rosa seres so these “prequel” novels have been great and this one didn’t disappoint. I enjoyed the story and the way in which Saylor and Langston immerses you into the ancient world of Egypt.