-
Vita Brevis: A Crime Novel of the Roman Empire
- Medicus, Book 7
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
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Publisher's summary
Ruso and Tilla's excitement at arriving in Rome with their new baby daughter is soon dulled by their discovery that the grand facades of polished marble mask an underworld of corrupt landlords and vermin-infested tenements. There are also far too many doctors - some skilled - but others positively dangerous.
Ruso thinks that he has been offered a reputable medical practice only to find that his predecessor, Doctor Kleitos, has fled, leaving a dead man in a barrel on the doorstep and the warning "be careful who you trust." Distracted by the body and his efforts to help a friend win the hand of a rich young heiress, Ruso makes a grave mistake, causing him to question both his competence and his integrity.
With Ruso's reputation under threat, he and Tilla must protect their small family from Doctor Kleitos' debt collectors and find allies in their new home while they track down the vanished doctor and find out the truth about the heiress' dead father - Ruso's patient - and the unfortunate man in the barrel.
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Tied to St Mungo's Cross by the cathedral to be cured of her madness overnight by the saint, the young woman is found in the morning beaten and strangled, still tied to the cross. But is she who she seems to be? And who would flout the saint's protection like this? Gil Cunningham must trace the dead woman and find her enemies, track down the thieves and murderers and identify the watchers in the shadows, particularly the elusive fourth person who holds the secret of what happened that night. Questioning cathedral staff and apprentice boys, pilgrims and tradesmen, he uncovers only more puzzles.
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Scots for real.
- By JBatte on 10-20-22
By: Pat McIntosh
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Jester Leaps In
- A Medieval Mystery
- By: Alan Gordon
- Narrated by: Fleet Cooper
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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In 13th century Europe, political turmoil is the order of the day and the Fool's Guild and its agents - jesters, jugglers, and knaves to a man - works behind the scenes to manipulate events, trying to maintain a balance of power. Theophilos, a member of the Guild known by many names, is still recovering from his last mission during which he was severely wounded and nearly lost his life but, in the person of Viola, found himself an apprentice and a wife. But there is no rest for the wicked.
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further entertainment
- By wylie smith on 09-16-24
By: Alan Gordon
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The Fire Rose
- By: Mercedes Lackey
- Narrated by: Kate Black-Regan
- Length: 13 hrs
- Unabridged
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Accepting employment as a governess after hard times hit her family, medieval scholar Rosalind Hawkins is surprised when she learns that her mysterious employer has no children and only wants her to read to him through a speaking tube.
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Great story, poorly presented
- By Che on 02-26-10
By: Mercedes Lackey
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The Strangler Vine
- By: M. J. Carter
- Narrated by: Alex Wyndham
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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India, 1837: William Avery is a young soldier with few prospects except rotting away in campaigns in India; Jeremiah Blake is a secret political agent gone native, a genius at languages and disguises, disenchanted with the whole ethos of British rule, but who cannot resist the challenge of an unresolved mystery.
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Don't Waste Time Reading Reviews-Just Buy the Book
- By Tracey Rains on 03-09-17
By: M. J. Carter
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Rahab's Story
- By: Ann Burton
- Narrated by: Mia Barron
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Ann Burton, author of the critically acclaimed Abigail's Story, traces Rahab's incredible journey from harlot to heroine. Shorn of her hair, stripped of her clothes, and cast out of her father's house, Rahab now scavenges the streets. Desperate for food, she's soon welcomed by the sisterhood of the House of Palms, a bordello. But after encountering two Israelite spies, Rahab makes a risky, life-altering choice.
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great story. great narrator
- By Kristen on 06-02-15
By: Ann Burton
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District Nurse on Call
- By: Donna Douglas
- Narrated by: Penelope Freeman
- Length: 12 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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West Yorkshire, 1926. After completing her training in Steeple Street, Agnes is looking forward to making her mark as the village's first district nurse, confident she can make a difference in the locals' lives. But when she arrives, she's treated with suspicion, labelled just another servant of the wealthy mine owners. The locals would much rather place their trust in the resident healer, Nella Black.
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Disappointing Ending
- By Intelligent Beauty on 12-14-20
By: Donna Douglas
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The Spark
- By: David Drake
- Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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In the time of the Ancients the universe was united - but that was so far in the past that not even memory remains, only the broken artifacts that a few Makers can reshape into their original uses. What survives is shattered into enclaves - some tiny, some ruined, some wild. Into the gaps between settlements, and onto the road that connects all human reality and the reality that is not human and may never have been human, have crept monsters.
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Very enjoyable
- By Stewart on 11-14-17
By: David Drake
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The King's Return
- By: Andrew Swanston
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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The king's coronation brings hope. Until a murderer strikes. Spring 1661: After years of civil war followed by Oliver Cromwell's joyless rule as Lord Protector, England awaits the coronation of King Charles II. The mood in London is one of relief and hope for a better future. But when two respectable gentlemen are found in a foul lane with their throats cut, it becomes apparent that England's enemies are using the newly re-established post office for their own ends.
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More please
- By tara souther on 12-22-22
By: Andrew Swanston
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Citizen of the Galaxy
- By: Robert A. Heinlein
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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In a distant galaxy of colonized planets, the atrocity of slavery is alive and well. Young Thorby was just another bedraggled orphan boy sold at auction, but his new owner, Baslim, is not the disabled beggar he appears to be. Adopting Thorby as his son, Baslim fights relentlessly as an abolitionist spy. When the authorities close in on Baslim, Thorby must find his own way in a hostile galaxy. Joining with the Free Traders, a league of merchant princes, Thorby must find the courage to live by his wits and fight his way up from society's lowest rung.
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Good nostalgia; pretty good YA sci-fi
- By Mark on 06-18-18
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The Agency 1: A Spy in the House
- By: Y. S. Lee
- Narrated by: Justine Eyre
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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In Victorian England, orphan Mary Quinn lives on the edge. Sentenced as a thief at the age of 12, she’s rescued from the gallows by a woman posing as a prison warden. In her new home, Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls, Mary acquires a singular education, fine manners, and a surprising opportunity. The school is a cover for the Agency — an elite, top secret corps of female investigators with a reputation for results — and at 17, Mary’s about to join their ranks.
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yes, it's YA-but credible for genre for any age
- By connie on 02-25-11
By: Y. S. Lee
What listeners say about Vita Brevis: A Crime Novel of the Roman Empire
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Robert
- 02-20-17
Another step into a real feeling Rome
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Ruth Dqwnie has once again shown us a very real feeling experience of life in the human world of ancient Rome. Here you will see a version of ancient people that shows that technology changes but people and how the relate to each other stay much the same. This book will take you to the side of Rome, the capital of the world, where common people live lives of drama that will not show in the writings of the great latin authors but still rings true. The real Rome would have had to operate much as this book shows because even Rome has to provide a living for the common people.
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- Nwachineke
- 09-17-16
AWESOME
absolutely brilliant. Loved the story Simon Vance is trully amazing, Ruth Downie never dissapoints
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- Gr
- 01-17-17
A HERO IS NOT ALWAYS THE WARRIOR
Ruth Downie’s seventh novel Vita Brevis brings a glimpse of Hadrianic Rome and is a wonderful addition to the Medicus series. Ruso and Tilla make great and likeable hero's worth revisiting. Simon Vance is an outstanding narrator. Ruth Downie does a great job mixing her stories with historical events making them real for the reader. If you have enjoyed the previous stories in the series, this one is worth the credit. If you have not tried any of these books, and like believable period historical fiction, with a bit of mystery and detective work, try reading Medicus.
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2 people found this helpful
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- justthisonce
- 01-10-17
The series gets better and better.
Set in Rome this time around, it seemed it would be difficult to be as good as all the stories set in Britannia. As good or better. If you haven't read any of this series, you probably could start with this one or any other and enjoy it but you may as well go back to the first book and start there. If you enjoy that one, you'll enjoy them all and each will be that much better for the back story. And then, like me, you'll get to the point I'm at now; trying to be patient as Ms. Downie works her charm and skill into the next book.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Robert E Leib
- 03-27-17
Outstanding: Can't Wait for Next Book in Series
What did you love best about Vita Brevis: A Crime Novel of the Roman Empire?
Each story gets better and better. Exacting detail of life in Rome portrayed with humanity. Same universal emotions of love for family, fear, anxiety, economic survival, and pleas to higher source.
What does Simon Vance bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Simon Vance is superb. His voicings of each character give a reality to the storyline that surpasses what could be achieved with the written word. The man is a unique talent and I thank him for the hours of entertainment he provides whatever the novel.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Couldn't turn the recording off. Addictive and reliable source of great enjoyment.
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- Amazon Customer
- 03-22-18
I love this series!
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
This series gets better and better and I love the contrast between the City/Rome and the small people who inhabit it.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Vita Brevis: A Crime Novel of the Roman Empire?
I loved it when Russo was stoned out of his mind!
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- Bee
- 01-13-20
Thoroughly enjoyable
This latest entry in the Medicus series was a very enjoyable read. And Simon Vance, as the narrator did a sterling job.
This time both Ruso and his British wife, Tilla are struggling badly to find a place in Rome, and when his ex-commander finds him a fill-in position as a doctor, nothing goes right from the very start. As usual, they're both very quickly involved in a number of mysteries.
It's great watching the growing strength of their relationship and poor Tilla, struggling in vain, to be a "proper" Roman wife.
Great fun to read.
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- DFK
- 12-27-18
Sheer delight
I don’t think I can add anything to the other rave reviews for this book and the series. I just love them and am already trying to figure out how to deal with the “withdrawal symptoms” after I listen to Book 8, the last one, hopefully a temporary situation. This episode was even better than some of the others, and I loved every one.
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- gwendolen
- 02-19-23
Enjoy this wonderful tale
I enjoyed this book as much of all the other Medicus takes and I hope you do too
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- Jamie Dodson
- 08-02-16
Another great Roman murder mystery.
Ms. Downie just keeps getting better. What a wild ride through the eternal city of Rome. she brings the ancients to life.
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2 people found this helpful