Murder in Absentia by Assaph Mehr
I had only to read this book's subheading, "A story of Togas, Daggers and Magic", to know I would enjoy the blend of ancient history and magic, and sure enough, I could hardly put it down!
The ancient world has always fascinated me, and mankind's search for magic throughout the ages is even more rivetting. Throw in many great characters with Latin names, and an excellent story told in the first person by Felix the Fox about the investigation he is hired to undertake, and you find yourself immersed in another world.
And a very enjoyable world, at that. You don't even need any knowledge of history to appreciate this well-told story because it has all the hallmarks of a great book with overall appeal to most readers. In fact, the author explains in the notes that the setting is far from accurate, but rather a combination of many elements making up the Roman Empire. Yet the descriptions of food, daily life of the people, the towns and cities as well as gladiator games combine to make a very authentic experience for the reader.
Personally, I was hooked as soon as I read in the opening chapter that the son of a wealthy Roman had died, apparently from a black magic rite gone wrong. There is nothing cliché about the magic, nor anything else in this book, for that matter, and I was pleasantly surprised by all the ideas and twists in the story.
This book is the first in a series of books featuring Felix the Fox, the unconventional Roman sleuth, and needless to say, I'm looking forward to the next book! In the meantime, I've written a more formal review for this book at amazon and Goodreads, and you simply must see the author's fabulous website.
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