Mysterium I: Rome (Fidel) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
Well-researched historical mystery set in the 1st century. [This book] grabbed my interest, and I almost couldn’t put it down. It’s a historical mystery novel, told from the viewpoint of a 1st century Roman scholar sleuthing after the facts about Jesus of Nazareth. And this is exactly what the reader gets—facts.

In the 1st century AD, Jesus had been heard of in Rome, but Christianity was still a minority religion considered to be a weird cult by most Romans. It’s plausible that a Roman amateur historian at that time would have been curious enough about Jesus to delve into the facts of his life while there were still people alive who had met the gospel writers or Jesus’s apostles, and it’s a fascinating premise for a mystery. In fact, it’s a most important mystery for our time. This book aims to separate the facts from the fiction.

Scrupulously researched, the book is simply crammed with information about daily life and historical events in ancient Rome. Although the conversations and relationships are interesting, and the scholar’s quest for information keeps you turning the pages to find out the truth, the bonus of this book is how much it teaches about Roman culture and history. Nearly every page is sprinkled with tidbits such as the layout and furnishings of a typical Roman house, the recent memory of the destruction of Pompeii, how scrolls were stored, the roles of women, prostitutes and slaves, and even how the Romans handled sanitation (an amusing segment). It’s an entertaining learning experience that I recommend to anyone who enjoys a mystery and especially to anyone with an interest in history. There will be more titles in this series, and I look forward to reading them as soon as they’re released.
Roberta in Tampa, Amazon Customer Review