Murder in the Senate

Would you say that Circe by Madeline Miller is historical fiction? It's debatable, because the setting for the book - Greek mythology - isn't exactly history, per say (although accompanied by real events). So perhaps it's more accurate to call it fictional history.

The Year of the Snake by M.J. Trow and Maryanne Coleman, on the other hand, is pure historical fiction. The married couple has written several books, and Mei (M.J.) has written over 100 books in total. It's worth having a look at his website - the sheer number of projects he's taken on is quite fascinating.

This book probably isn't something I would have picked up, I suppose mostly because a, I wasn't aware I enjoyed historical fiction and b, I wasn't aware I enjoyed a murder mystery. And perhaps, as it were, I wouldn't enjoy those things separately - but combined into one, they made a hugely entertaining read.

The Year of the Snake tells the story of Calidus, a recently freed slave. After his master suddenly passes away, Calidus isn't convinced that his death was entirely natural, and begins a city-wide investigation in Rome. The micro level is accompanied by a day-to-day glimpse into the reign of Nero, his follies and obsessions, as well as the sights, sounds and smells of ancient Rome itself.

What did I like about it?

Upon reading the short summary, you may - like me - think this sounds a bit too much like basically every murder mystery ever written, except for the addition of a historical setting. Like me, you'd be wrong though. What the blurb doesn't make clear is that this book doesn't take itself too seriously. It is written in a quite light-hearted, often satirical tone, and adds a pinch of salt to the story through it. Perhaps 'cheeky' is the best word here.

Thanks to this, and also to the research that's clearly gone into this book, I think the writing is excellent. It's very easy reading - perfect for a lazy Sunday or the pool side. You'd be surprised how exciting ancient Rome can be. Details on Roman baths, the Senate, death rituals and the circus all indulge the reader and lead us into the setting of the novel very well. It's quite immersive, which is really what you'd want from any piece of historical fiction.

I also thought that the details about Nero and his reign added another level of interest. He is one of the most interesting characters in Roman history, and the authors give excellent details about his banquets, his habits and his whimsical ways - something of general interest, I believe, surrounded by an air of mystery due to his madness. So it's a clever addition, and in fact ties in with the story eventually too.

What was I not massively fond of?

Is it just me who is bothered about the constant swearing in historical dramatisations? From this book through to the Spartacus TV series, I keep seeing an excessive amount of swearing from Romans. Is this really how they spoke? I have no idea. And fair enough, things like "Jupiter Highest and Best" settle well enough as cursing - but when it comes to "shitting his pants", I'm just not sure it adds so much to the depth. (Then again, if you scroll back through this blog, you'll see me complaining about swearing in basically any book, so maybe I am a prude and it is just me.) But I have to admit, it does add to the comic elements of the novel.

I felt that the characters in the book were somewhat shallow, in the sense that apart from Calidus (our main man) we don't really get a deeper insight into their minds. But then again, for a light-hearted murder mystery, we don't really need to know about daddy issues and childhood trauma.

I'm also not going to pretend that the ending wasn't somewhat predictable - you do get slapped in the face with a few red herrings, but ultimately I'm sure you'll be pretty accurate in your guesses. Towards the end, there are also a few things dropped in that I think weren't absolutely necessary as they don't add to the conclusion (such as the Bacchanalia cult), although they were quite interesting to read about.

Overall...

As I mention above, this is a fun read for a lazy day or the poolside. Hugely entertaining details on an exciting historical period, coupled with a relentless (tenacious?) lead and lots of comic relief characters. Although sometimes the authors can't resist giving us a brief history lesson, for the most part this book is highly visual, entertaining and keeps you turning pages despite yourself.

A word on the ending (more accurately the last sentence): I don't know if it's intentionally satirical or I'm just reading too much into it, but extra points for the subtle humour.

It also opened my eyes to historical fiction in general. Watch out genre, here I come.

6/10