Massively enjoyable, and I look forward to reading a lot more of Ruso's adventures at the arse end of the Empire (otherwise known as Britain.)

I thoroughly enjoyed this cold-case set in Roman Britain, with a cranky army medic, disaffected British girls, bad military command, a houseful of prostitutes, and problems for everyone… but mostly for Ruso.

What have we here? Medicus.
I picked this one up about a year ago in the dollar store! I had picked up another book before that in the dollar store and LOVED it, so I figured I try my luck again. I should not have...

Medicus is a historical fiction mystery. Or at least that is what the inside flap promises. It was historical fiction. It was superbly researched. It did have a mystery in it. But it all got lost in details!

I did like the "hero" of the story, the medic Ruso, quite a lot actually. He was not the "here I come to save the day" type. He sort of stumbles into situations and becomes a reluctant hero. Very refreshing.

The poor guy is harassed by debt his father left him after he died and an extended family that relies on him and his brother to pay off the debt and keep them all fed. And we get told this bit OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER.... AND OVER again. OMG!!! I GOT IT!!!!!

Ruso is a medic in the Roman army. Just came over to Brittan after being stationed in Africa for a while. He also is rather fresh divorced.
He rescues a slave girl which in turn gets him into a bit of trouble, because she wants him to help with another slave girl, that was not really a slave, but rather a free born, abducted and then sold into slavery.
Of course under lots of grumbling and worrying and harrumphing he goes and helps. He also gets suckered into figuring out who killed two prostitutes in the bar down the street from the fort.

Every time the story picks up speed and gets interesting, the author puts on the breaks again, by telling us about the blasted debt, or the blasted loan, or she looses her trail in details.
I DO love details. I do love getting the feeling for a place, but it can be overdone. It absolutely stops the progress of the story.

Mrs. Downie has a wonderful sense of humour and the book made me laugh out loud a few times, but it just wasn't enough to make up for the slow pace. She rather gets off on these tiny little "substories", that make for a great laugh, but don't progress the story of the actual book "you came to read".

I don't mind a bit of slower going, but this was unreal. Every time I thought: "Ok, all right! We are getting somewhere! Now it's getting interesting!" The story dipped off again into long lost memories, fretting..
I do understand it is important to understand the characters motivation and frame of mind, but really we got it. It does not have to be reiterated in EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER.
For example: Ruso finds out that the hair of the first murdered girl was sold. YES! WOW... LET"S GO AFTER THIS LITTLE CLUE! but nope.. that clue gets dropped in the next sentence until a few chapters later, when it gets brought up again only in passing and then forgotten all about.

It gets tedious and boring to watch the book build up steam, then fizzles, build up steam, then fizzles.
Do it once, I put up with it.
Do that twice, shame on you, Mrs Author!
Do it three times: The book goes on the free pile!

By the end I didn't care any more who killed the girls, if the evil Priscus was embezzling, if Merula was going to get it, if Ruso was going to keep Tilla, or if he was going to get involved with her...I just wanted to "get out". I closed the book with about 20 more chapters to go (most chapters are merely 2 pages long) and did not pick it back up!

This book is like the promise of a luxury cruse with a four star meal, only to deliver a row boat on a lake and a can of Sardines...

Gosh how I hate writing bad reviews!!! This book had such promise! I would have loved to love it. But I happen to hate Sardines.

I'm 60% into this book and still don't really know what the plot is. I am done with it.

A nice cosy mystery, set in Roman Britain. Generally not my thing, but narrated by the peerless Simon Vance which always merits an additional star.

Yuk. I almost did not finish it. The book really could of used an editor. The story got lost in the details. The book did pick up near the end, but it just took so long to get there.

In classic mystery form, the novel opens with a dead body. But for the first third it reads more like a literary novel and even the rest of the book is driven, not so much by suspects, investigation, danger relating to the crime, but by the character of the characters. I couldn’t put it down. If Downie can sustain the quality of writing throughout the series, I will be seriously impressed.

Medicus is about a doctor in ancient Britain under the occupation of the Romans. Gaius Petreius Ruso is an army doctor, recently divorced, broke and burdened by financial obligations to his extended family, a guy whose career is held back by his honesty and integrity. He is likable and believable because he is also a man of his times, with prejudices and blind spots. His exposure to a new country, its inhabitants, and the culture of occupation is a learning experience for him.

So is Tilla, the young British slave whom he buys in order to nurse back to health, a feisty herbalist and midwife who would gladly bite the hand that feeds her if it gets her back to her people and the British rebellion. To her dismay, the hand belongs to a man who is much more sympathetic than she expects.

The dead body is that of a young prostitute, which raises issues that are universal in time as well as place, about sex, slavery, armies, and freedom. Although the novel takes place in ancient Britain, it is typical of the latest wave of historical novels, which give a contemporary feel to language and setting and make free with some of the facts.

It worked well for this book and I was completely engaged, even though normally I’m a stickler for historical accuracy, because I was rooting for Gaius and Tilla. Highly recommended. Page 17:

Ahead of him, a chorus of excited voices rose in the street. He recognized the fat man, still shouting orders in a thick Gallic accent. The female who had collapsed had now attracted a sizable crowd. They seemed to be carrying her to the fountain. Ruso tossed the last fragments of cake to a passing dog and strode on in the direction of the amphitheater. It was nothing to do with him. He was not, at this moment, a doctor. He was a private citizen in need of some bath oil…

There was a sudden gasp from around the fountain. Someone cried. “Ugh! Look at that.”

A child was pawing at her mother’s arm, demanding, “What is it? I can’t see! Tell me what it is!”

Russo hesitated, came to a halt, and promised himself it would only be a quick look.

How disappointing! Really, I can't buy a book about the evils of slavery and human trafficking-- and that was undeniably the point of the brothel characters-- when the main character has a slave who learns to love him and stand by his side.