The Curse-Maker, set in Bath during the Roman period, blends a twisting, exciting mystery with a vivid Roman setting. Stanley combines her background as a classicist with a passion for noir mystery. Her “sleuth,” Arcturus, the doctor for the Roman governor of Britannia, narrates in a hard-edged Dashiell Hammett style. Arcturus arrives in Bath with his beloved but troubled wife Gwyna in order to vacation and restore his wife’s well being. He stumbles instead upon a dead man in the sacred spring outside the baths—that being only the first of many things he discovers that are rotten in Bath.
The romantic relationship between Gwyna and Arcturus intertwines with the unraveling of the mystery and provides depth to their characters. The Roman politics and corruption revealed in the mystery are compellingly developed and, like many things Roman, echo modern life while retaining their uniquely Latin flavor. Stanley skillfully creates a wide cast of characters—some we like, others are delightfully despicable. I certainly kept turning the pages.
I can see it all–really. When I visited Bath
a few years ago I read some curses
that had been written on lead squares and
tossed into the spring. From placing a
curse on someone to doing him in entirely
doesn't seem like such a leap, though polluting
the water supply with cadavers might be a
more serious crime.
Not to mention offending the gods by polluting their water. I love Bath. It is definitely a place where you can step back in time and feel like you are there. There are all sorts of curses from the ancient world–throw in wells and other repositories on clay, lead, etc. It's a fascinating topic. I may have to do an article on the subject one of these days. You'll have to remind me. Anyone out there know any interesting tidbits about ancient curses?
Will need to curl up with the Kindle on this nice rainy day
Rain does make for a good reading companion.
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