The Horse Coin Book

David Wishart has long been an assured and masterful literary stylist and his series of Roman novels brilliantly translate the Chandlerian detective conventions into perfectly realised historical settings. Corvinus, his protagonist in the earlier books, such as The Lydian Baker, has the same laconic, wise-cracking manner of the gumshoes who centuries later tread the equally sun-baked streets of Los Angeles--but the smells, sounds and sights of ancient Rome are conjured up with continuing brio. The Horse Coin is the most accomplished yet, with a more straightforwardly historical narrative than its predecessors. The tale is set in Britain in AD 59, with the conflict between the sullen British and their Roman conquerors worsened by the Roman ruling class belief that it is their duty to civilise the natives. When Marcus, a youthful cavalry man in the Roman army, is promoted to Commander of the elite "Foxes" squadron, he tries to put into practice his enlightened views of co-operating with the British. But Governor Paulinus strongly disagrees and his attempts to cheat Queen Boadicea throws both Romans and Britons into a terrible battle with a monumental cost. Wishart's utterly rigorous treatment of his material results in a classic piece of historical fiction.--Barry ForshawRead More