Terra Incognita (Gaius Petreius Ruso, #2) by Ruth Downie

Terra Incognita (Gaius Petreius Ruso, #2) Reviews

• 
  HBalikov

  "“I’m sorry, Ruso. I know you mean well. But you’re so determined to do the right thing.”
  “What’s the matter with that?”
  “You don’t understand what the right thing is. Which makes you dangerous.”"
  
  This is another Downie novel about Gaius Petreius Ruso the medicant with the Romans in occupied Britannia. The “terra incognita” is the part of Britannia into which Ruso and his legion march, fraught with natives and their superstitions.
  
  Again, there is a fresh murder and there is a cast of very idiosyncratic characters that starts with Ruso’s native “housekeeper,” Tilla, who sees and believes the manifestation of spirits.
  This time we are in the wild reaches of Britain where Roman rule is barely tolerated within their fortification and hardly at all outside of them. There are several puzzling circumstances that include a murder victim missing his head and a legion’s physician who seems on the verge of insanity. But this narrative splits between Ruso struggling to treat the mental illness and Tilla returning to the region where she was born and raised.
  
  I was surprised that I had some difficulty identifying primary characters and their “issues.” Maybe it was because there was a lot of space devoted to people not understanding each other or being very secretive for often illogical reasons. On the other hand, I found the medical issues and the state of medicine, as well as, the culture and beliefs of the indigenous tribes fascinating.
  
  There are interesting discussions of diseases and afflictions (as viewed through that period’s lens).
  "He had met patients with problems of the mind before, but even in the spring—known to be a dangerous time for people prone to madness— he had never come across one displaying both mania and melancholy on the same day. It was as if his two visits had been to two different men."
  "Picking out one of the scrolls, he held it dangerously close to the lamp and began to scan it for diseases of the mind. When he found it, the passage proved of doubtful use. The author contended, not unreasonably, that the treatment to be offered must depend upon the diagnosis. Given the symptoms he had exhibited so far, Thessalus was simultaneously in need of a day’s starvation, and a moderate diet. He needed to have blood let, and not to have blood let. He needed to be given a serious fright, and to be kept calm. He needed cold water poured over his head, and to have his head gently moistened with rose oil and thyme. He also, apparently, needed a good vomit."
  
  Because they were in “barbarian territory” there was also the challenge of language. Here is an example of what Russo had to deal with: "There were people with chronic pain, in need of a miracle and receiving only medicine and advice they had probably heard a hundred times before. There were hideous stinking ulcers to clean and dress and lectures to be given to their weary owners about hygiene and exercise and diet. There were people whose descriptions of their symptoms made no sense at all even though he understood all the words. Ingenuus was unable to explain what “He has feathers in his chest” meant, and “My knees are runny”"
  
  There is a goodly amount about the life of a Roman legionnaire in the wilds of Britain. "“Never mind, sir. I’ve only got another eighteen years, six months, and two days to serve.” “That must be very comforting,” said Ruso,"
  There is plenty about what it meant to be a “native” and the consequences of being a slave.
  "But if you have any problems with Tilla, come straight to me. She’s my property and not to be touched. Agreed?”
  “Don’t worry, Ruso.” “And you should know that she’s saying she knows the native and he’s innocent.” Metellus smiled. “They always are,” he said."
  
  This consequence of this is that, unless you are fascinated with these details, this mystery moves forward at a glacial pace. I usually enjoy such, but this time I found it harder to stay connected with the characters and their challenges. Too many of Downie’s characters are not even two-dimensional. Ruso is not a great investigator nor is he “on his game” very often. Thus, when everything changes from a stately march to a sprint to the finish, it is less than satisfying. 3*
  
• 
  Emelia

  This was a fun book and a quick read.
  It is the story of a Roman medicus and his "servant" Tilla. Ruso, the Roman doctor, finds himself in the middle of a murder when he is taking his servant back to her Brigante village and hopefully to see her father again. On the way they stop at an Inn and Tilla goes outside during a storm to check on a woman whose baby she has just delivered. Then all hell breaks loose as Tilla comes face to face with, who she believes, is the Great Horned God Cernunnos !
  
  Ruso is forced to go to a Roman outpost to leave an injured caravaner in the hands of the medicus on duty there, only to find that no good deed goes unpunished. He is enlisted to stay by a commanding officer because a murder has taken place and the outpost doctor has gone insane ! As he tries not only to straighten out the medical facility that is in ruins, but also to discover who the murder is.
  
  Things escalate quickly and Ruso finds himself in the middle of trying to stop a war between the Brigante and the outpost, tracking down the real murderer, keeping tabs on his servant who has a mind of her own and has a tendency to disappear, and finding out if indeed it is the Great Horned God who has returned to take vengeance on the Romans !
  
  There is a lot of action and humor in this book as well as being a fine whodunit ! If you are looking for a book that is easy to read, fun, and full of historical facts then I suggest you read Terra Incognito ! Praise to librarian Ruth Downie for writing such a wonderful book.
• 
  Terence

  Terra Incognita is the second installment in Downie’s series about the hapless legionary physician Gaius Petreius Ruso and his slave, the British Tilla (aka Darlughdacha). This time he’s traveling north to Hadrian’s Wall with a cohort of the XX Legion; as it happens, he’s also heading into Tilla’s homeland, whose natives are being incited to revolt by the Stag Man. An accident strands Ruso at the border fort of Coria for several days, and he’s asked to write a pro forma postmortem for the garrison’s murdered trumpeter Felix. As it would make the novel extraordinarily short otherwise, complications begin to accumulate of course, and Ruso becomes convinced that the convenient “solution” favored by the Prefect Decianus and his aide Metellus is going to send an innocent man to his death.
  
  As in Medicus, Downie’s touch is light and undemanding; and while you know Ruso and Tilla will somehow come out on the other side, the fates of the rest of the cast are not so sure.
  
  I’m compelled to write about the master-slave dynamic between Ruso and Tilla. So far Downie has managed to walk a fine line between the realities of slavery in the early Empire and the believability of Ruso and Tilla’s relationship. Ruso is a fundamentally decent man who has little experience with slaves; Tilla is a formerly free Briton, who still often acts like one unchained. Though Ruso knows that by law he can do pretty much anything he likes to his property, he’s too aware of Tilla’s humanity to seriously contemplate punishing her (something she’s all too aware of to Ruso’s occasional dismay). I suppose it calls for a certain suspension of disbelief but it’s something I’m willing to do in this case because – as I’ve written here and in my earlier review – I’m enjoying the read.
• 
  Bettie

  MANY MILES SOUTH of Coria, Ruso gathered both reins in his left hand, reached down into the saddlebag, and took out the pie he had saved from last night.
  
  fraudio> rosado mp3>
  series
  hist fic> ancient hist> roman> britain
  medical
  
  Narrated by Simon Vance
  
  
  
  From wiki: Coria was a fort and town, located 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south of Hadrian's Wall, in the Roman province of Britannia. Its full Latin name is uncertain. Today it is known as Corchester or Corbridge Roman Site, adjoining Corbridge in the English county of Northumberland. It is currently in the guardianship of English Heritage and is partially exposed as a visitor attraction, including a site museum.
  
  3*¨Medicus
  3* Terra Incognita
• 
  Christine

  What I really like about this series is the wonderful sense of humor and characterization that Downie layers these books with. Honestly, the mystery is rather simple, but it is like one of those Masterpiece Theatre things. Nice and funny. Comforting and totally enjoyable. One of those books were it seems the author liked writing and is happy people are reading it.
• 
  Blaine DeSantis

  Second book in this series and this time we follow Medicus Ruso to the hinterlands of Britain, as he asked to transfer from the setting in the first book to this remote area. Why? To get away from some of the issues he was involved in at Deva and also to please his housekeeper Tilla who is from this area.
  It does not take Ruso long to get embroiled in a murder of a Roman Legionnaire and other issues. Ruso is the proverbial reluctant hero, as he always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and therefore gets sucked into solving these murders and intrigues. A bit different from the first book, we actually see a return of some of those initial characters but they play a more minor role: Valens the physician friend and Albanus his scribe. Even housekeeper Tilla seems to have left his side for most of the book, as she returns to her home area and finds relatives who thought she had died and then spends an inordinate amount of time with her prior boyfriend, which gets you know who all jealous and upset.
  But here we have murders, blackmail, a Stag Man who haunts and taunts the troops, we find out a lot about Tilla's Gods and the beliefs of those in the area. There is double-dealing, there is excitement and a whole lot more, as Ruso is reluctantly, yet doggedly on the trail of all the loose ends that need to be tied up prior to the arrival of the new Governor of the region. Basically, the story takes place in about a weeks time and every day is filled to the max with really good storytelling and characters that I have grown to really enjoy. Good historical fiction/mystery book and I hope to get a few more of this series read this year.
• 
  Assaph Mehr

  Ruso continues his contract as a medic with the 20th legion, this time up on the northern border. Between wild barbarians, jumpy centurions, and his shady housekeeper, he gets dragged again into solving murders.
  
  What to Expect
  
  The novel is set Britannia at the start of Hadrian's reign. Ruso is always reluctant to look at those murder (he's a doctor, dammit, not an investigator!) but since no one else would he feels obliged. Things naturally become much more complicated than anyone expects, and Ruso is both aided and frustrated by his native housekeeper Tilla.
  
  What I liked
  
  The absolute charm of the writing. All characters are fully fleshed, believable, with their own motivations. The writing is witty, the setting is rich, the plot thought-out, and the mysteries engaging.
  
  These are the kind of books where you care for the characters. Downie has a knack to depict the world-views of the characters realistically, switching viewpoints from a Roman medical officer to a British peasant woman. It is clear that each character - from main to support cast - is a fully realised person, with their own agendas and biases.
  
  The plot of the stories grips you till can't put the book down. Downie is masterfully weaving the investigations through sub-plots, distractions, daily lives, grand events - till you just have to know what happens next. Ruso may be a reluctant investigator, but he has that nagging voice in his head when things don't quite fit well, and it keeps him following and digging for the truth. Tilla has her own sense of fairness, and views on what makes the world tick.
  
  Downie locates each book in a different town, mostly around Roman Britain (#3 is set in Roman Gaul, and #7 in Rome itself). She has clearly done her research, and each location comes alive with the latest modern archaeological understanding of life there seeping through her writing.
  
  What to be aware of
  
  These aren't the noir mysteries I normally read and recommend. While there are certainly some gruesome bits (did I mention combat medic?), these aren't your typical first-person hard-boiled detective. Rather, the stories are told in a lighter vein, in third person perspective from either Ruso or Tilla's POV (her part grows as the series progresses).
  
  Ms Downie has experience with archaeology and Latin history, and it shows in her writing. She has elected to translate most Latin terms into modern English (e.g. calling a master 'my lord' rather then 'domine', or using 'doctor' for physician), which may sound a tad weird to those used to Latin terms from similar series.
  Be aware that while it's not strictly necessary to read the books in order, it certainly helps.
  
  Summary
  
  I absolutely love this series. I have no idea why it took me so long to get back to it, but I am glad I did. I devoured most of the books over my holidays. which made for a very enjoyable immersive 'trip' to ancient Roman Britain.
  
  --
  
  Assaph Mehr, author of
  Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
  
• 
  Eden

  2019 bk 321. Ruso volunteered to head north with the troop. That is right, he volunteered. Little did he know that he was heading into Tillie's home territory and into a mystery, no make that several mysteries involving Tillie and her extended family. This novel is set along the northern edges of Roman Britania - the borderlands. When a member of his unit is injured, he, the injured man, Tillie and others must stop at the last fort before their final destination. A murder of a Roman Soldier had just occurred in the town attached to the fort. The local army medic was off his head, declaring that he had murdered the soldier, the dead man's head was missing, and Russo is pressed into service - and pushed to lie on the coroner's report. What a quandry for our good doctor. A thoroughly enjoyable book and such an emotional roller coaster.
• 
  Margaret Metz

  I'm awaiting the fourth novel, which I won in a contest, and so I thought I would read the first one and see about "catching up" on the series before I read the one I'd won. I'm so glad I did. These are really well written historical novels that manage to capture the essence of the time period without sacrificing the character of any of the people involved.
  
  
  These are secular novels, but they are fairly clean. I have to say fairly because that time period included things that many people would find objectionable. Gladiator fights, brothels, false gods... Still all these things are treated in a way that shows the negative aspects of the things that are truly evil and the humanity of the things and people who did things we might disagree with today.
  
  
  The entire series centers around a Roman doctor (medicus) and the slave he rescues from death. She hates the Romans and wants to die. He is in dire financial straits and shouldn't have wasted the money on the girl. She is expressive and emotional, he is reserved. Together they form an unlikely bond of friendship and loyalty that helps carry them through many potentially dangerous situations.
  
  These books were funny, challenging, engaging and even thought provoking. One of the things that made them stand out was the fact that they weren't over sanitized. It wasn't a case always of who the good guys were and who the bad guys were. You could see both perspectives and that there were good people on both sides of the argument. I can't wait for book four and if you haven't read these yet, you may want to consider adding them to your list.
• 
  Kathy Davie

  Second in the ancient Roman mystery series, Gaius Petreius Ruso, Terra Incognita has Medicus Ruso and Tilla marching North with the Twentieth Legion due to unrest on the border. Ruso has volunteered for this mission primarily to give Tilla the chance to reconnect with family---a very disheartening reunion involving betrayal within betrayal and revolutionary plotting.
  
  Ruso finds himself under siege on several fronts: a soldier has been ritually murdered; Tilla is not allowed into the fort proper and, left on her own, gets into all sorts of trouble physically and emotionally; he's under orders to reorganize the post's frontline infirmary which appears to be under the hand of an insane doctor and an inept pharmacist; and, the head of Tilla's family is offering her in marriage to Ruso IF he can come up with a dowry.
  
  A man with more heart than head, Ruso's biggest distraction is Tilla: her attraction to an old sweetheart as well as the threat posed her by his own people.
  
  I love how Downie makes us feel the weather and the taste of the food while the dialog is quite believable although I would have liked more tension at the end when Ruso is heading back to Deva; it was too easy. As for Downie's malevolent plotting with Catavignus and Metullus---lord, where...how does she come up with such evil ideas!
  
  Downie has created an array of characters with intriguing depths and issues that I can only hope we encounter them again to see how their lives turn out...let alone how they'll affect Ruso and Tilla. I'll be reading Persona Non Grata just as soon as I get home!
• 
  Ruth

  c2008. Why these books have not yet been adapted for a TV series, I do not know. The story is certainly character driven as the "crime" is not unsolvable for the reader but chugs on to a satisfying conclusion. But the background and the characters are most definitely the stars. As ever, when a book starts to make me shout at the characters, then I know it is doing its job. I wanted to shake Russo when he was so offhand and suspicious of Tilla's gift. And I was still thinking about it sometime after I had stopped reading. Unhappily, I do prefer the USA titles. The UK ones seem to hint to a less than serious novel and whilst it is no tome of history, these books do not deserve to be shelved as lightweight - IMHO. FWFTB: Britannia, north, murder, confession, natives. FCN: Gaius Petreius Ruso, Tilla, Thessalus, Valens, Felix. "British hills, it seemed, were as melancholic as British rain. Instead of poking bold fingers of rock up into the clouds they lay lumpy and morose under damp green blankets, occasionally stirring themselves to roll vaguely skywards and then giving up and sliding into the next valley." What a marvellous description!!! Looking at the South Downs on a winters day - I can really appreciate and laugh at this description.
• 
  Valorie Dalton

  
  Title: Terra Incognita
  Author(s): Ruth Downie
  Genre: Fiction - Historical, Fiction - Mystery
  Finished: May 10, 2009
  Rating: 5 Stars
  
  In Terra Incognita, Medicus Ruso and his housekeeper Tilla travel from Deva with the Twentieth Legion to join the Tenth Batavians in Coria, which is located just at the British boardlands and has little else for Ruso but good wine and trouble. Once there, Ruso finds himself involved in another murder investigation. This one involves a dead trumpeter by the name of Felix who met his end in an ally, and who is also missing his decapitated head. The old army doctor Thessalus has confessed to the murder, but the army is blaming a native basket maker named Rianorix for the murder. Relations between the Romans and the Briton natives are tense, and there have been sightings of a native God named Cernunnos, the The Stag Man, who the army fears will incite violence in the native population.
  
  Ruso is convinced that neither Thessalus nor Rianorix are guilty of the murder. Unfortunately for his conviction, Thessalus is quite adamant about his guilt-- he’s also a very passionate consumer of poppy tears and quite possibly insane. Ruso would be a bit more sympathetic towards Rianorix if not for the fact that he was found in bed with Tilla. The army wants to blame Rianorix no matter what Russo can prove or what Thessalus proclaims. Not only did Rianorix have an argument with Felix the night of his death, but a drawn stag man was found at the scene of the crime. No matter what, the Batavians want Coria to look good for the visit of the Governor of Britannia.
  
  The story becomes more complicated when certain facts start to come to light. First, Felix was ‘engaged’ to a native girl by the name of Aemilia who was also courted by Rianorix. Second, Felix had his hands in some unscrupulous but fruitless business ventures complete with his own book of debtors. If only the head of Felix could be found, the investigation may come closer to the truth. Naturally, nothing can ever come easy for Ruso who is at the same time plagued by relationship woes. Tilla is finally home with her family and friends. The fact that she is taking the side of Rianorix while declaring her distaste for Romans is cause for alarm for the enamored Ruso.
  
  I love this book and it’s a great follow up to Downie’s first book Medicus. Ruso, for all his naivety and insecurity, is a great character. He contrasts perfectly with the stubborn and strong-willed Tilla. The story is full of plot twists and new revelations that keep the story constantly moving and always surprising. Ruso is so unfortunate that he provides a great deal of comic relief; a reader can’t help but feel bad for him as bad luck strikes again and again.
  
  Terra Incognita has a lot of cultural conflict. The relationship between Ruso and Tilla is often times conflicted by cultural differences. Ruso cannot understand Tilla any more than she can accept the Romans in general. Though the two of them feel obvious affection for each other, they are often left vexed or upset by cultural misunderstandings. We also see the cultural differences of the Romans and Britons-- Romans are confident conquerors who see their way as the only natural way, and the Britons regard the Romans with suspicion and dislike. The Romans want to stamp out old customs while the Britons resent the Romans for imposing their culture on them. The Roman army trusts the Britons about as much as the Britons trust the Romans, though, so the feelings are mutual.
  
  As I have said before about Downie and her style of historical fiction, I love that she doesn’t write for the purpose of showing off her vast knowledge of history. So many writers of historical fiction add in superfluous paragraphs that serve only to let the reader know just how ‘expert’ the author is. While I love getting as much historical information as possible, I likewise love it when an author makes a matter-of-fact type story that is smooth and believable simply because the storytelling is humble. Downie fits her characters into Rome seamlessly, without grand pronouncement or showing off. They just belong there.
  
  __________
  Disclaimer(s):
  
  {librarydisclaimer}
• 
  Yune

  Ruso volunteers to serve a temporary assignment up north, where his slave Tilla's home lies, to duck out of the public eye for a while. I was neutral about this idea at first, and soon grew disappointed. Downie doesn't have the deft touch with cultural misunderstandings that, say, Gillian Bradshaw has (see: The Island of Ghosts for a story about Rome-occupied Britain, from the perspective of a conquered Sarmatian). The British here seem to speak in a stilted manner, are presented as superstitious to the point of stupidity, and are prone to violence even among themselves or in a mob-like scene. Tilla steals from people when she doesn't like their prices, because she doesn't see coins as having any real value (so why bother stealing them?), and on one occasion pretty much abandons Ruso to a likely death. She lost considerable sympathy on my part.
  
  There's a fair share of Roman villains as well, of course. One man, described by Tilla as "snaky," is decidedly intelligent but uses his cleverness to manipulate the truth, while another hides behind an obvious screen of laziness to stop Ruso from making any progress. What's particularly frustrating is Ruso's incompetence in dealing with them. He's terrible at charming people to his side or greasing his way with superiors, but he also tolerates men below him who are clearly up to no good. He just keeps plodding on. After a while I was tired of what I saw as good-natured humor in the first book: the problem is that Ruso is the butt of all the jokes.
  
  He does take a far more active role in the investigation this time, as a Roman soldier was killed in a way that smacks of native ritual, but a fellow physician appears to be the unlikely yet self-confessed perpetrator, now raving mad. When authorities cast about for a suspect who suits their needs better, they light upon a man who publicly threatened the victim -- but because he's Tilla's old lover, she insists that of course he didn't do it. (There were good reasons to believe her, but the sense I got from her was that it was more a matter of honor than deduction.) And poor Russo sets off to prove his lover's ex's innocence.
  
  At some point it becomes a sort of farcical tragedy, and even when everything gets tied up in the end, I was dissasatified to the point of deciding not to read onward in the series.
• 
  Ben Kane

  Having greatly enjoyed the first book in this series, I felt compelled to move on to the second. *mild spoilers ahead* The story takes up the story of Ruso, a somewhat hapless surgeon with the Twentieth Legion in Deva (modern-day Chester). Sent north with a patrol, he finds himself in an outpost manned by auxiliaries and beset by rumours of tribal uprisings. The area happens to be the homeground of Tilla, his slave and now lover. As Ruso tries to come to grips with the injured soldiers and mad doctor of the book's title, Tilla is dealing with some ghosts of her past.
  
  Downie weaves a wonderful tale. She has a wonderfully humorous way of writing, constantly making poor Ruso not the butt of people's jokes, but the one who always seems to come off second best. Except he doesn't, in the end, because he's quite a shrewd operator. His relationship with Tilla is wonderfully and tartly described, and some of the descriptions of how men and women deal with each other made me laugh out loud. This is a really good read, but I recommend tackling the first book, Medicus before this one.
  
• 
  D.G.

  **3.5 stars**
  
  I don't know why I keep liking the books so much. Yes, there is humor but it's subtle and understated. The mysteries are decent but not crazy and unbelievable. It's just a combination of a solid plot, some humor and the main character, who is so noble but trying to hide it. He makes it seem as if doing the right thing is a chore but always comes true at the end.
  
  The romance aspect is a bit of a mystery because the reader has almost no clue as the feelings of Tilla, Ruso's lover. Is she with him because she must? Poor Ruso wears his heart on his sleeve while at the same time, he's very conscious of Tilla's status, which is so "below" his. It creates for a lot of interesting plot twists, as they get to understand who they are to each other.
  
  Definitely looking forward to the next in the series.
• 
  April

  I quite enjoyed this story for the actual mystery, the history and the characters but the real gem in this and the first book is the interaction between Tilla and Ruso. They aren't truly a couple but just like paired people everywhere, they have NO IDEA what the other one is thinking at any given time and end up completely misunderstanding each other on a regular basis.
  
  The author uses this as sort of a levity inducing prop that keeps the story from being too dark and grim. And the story is a bit grim, it is a no win situation for both the Romans and the Brittanic tribes and there is slavery and murder and blackmail and all the lovely things humanity gets up to when nobody is watching, but the humor and humanity of the characters take away that grimness and don't leave the reader with bouts of incurable depression.
• 
  Jamie Collins

  I enjoyed this second book from Ruth Downie, a historical mystery set in Roman Britain at the beginning of Hadrian's reign. It picks up immediately after the events in the first book, where army physician Guius Petreius Ruso acquired an unwanted reputation for investigating suspicious deaths.
  
  Ruso has obligingly moved to a more northerly posting, where the natives are restless, so that his own personal Briton can visit what's left of her homeland. He finds there an infirmary not up to his standards and another murder that wants investigating.
  
  I like Ruso very much. The book was lighthearted and humorous, and not as chock full of historical information as many such mysteries. This series would be accessible to readers less interested in a history lesson.
• 
  Serene

  This is the last one I am going to read. While I like elements of the series, the character Tilla really annoys me. She is really unbelievable. While I'm sure slaves grew to have trusted places in their master's households, I just don't find her relationship with the medical officer in the army that believeable. I also still feel the series feels too modern for me. The main character's values seem like those of a modern guy.
  
  I also liked the character of Thessalus. He was an interesting character, and I was disappointed in his character arc.
  
  Well, I decided to torture myself no more. On to something else.
• 
  Helen Hollick

  Ruso and Tilla are absolute delights. Ruth Downie has created a wonderfully witty, engrossing series that will have her readers turning the pages to discover not only who the murderer is, but also laughing at the delicious humour. But don’t be deceived by the wit, Ms Downie knows her stuff as far as the detail and the facts behind the fiction go.
  
  This book has received a Discovering Diamonds Review:
  Helen Hollick
  founder #DDRevs
• 
  Simon Binning

  Gaius Petreius Ruso is medicus to the Twentieth Legion in the north of Britannia. Having been involved in solving a murder or two in the Legion's base at Deva, he heads further north to Coria, a small fort near the still-disputed border. The locals - for the moment - live peaceably alongside the incoming Romans. But further away, the tribes are biding their time, and a mysterious rider has been seen, taunting the Romans and stirring up the native population.
  As soon as Ruso arrives, he finds that the resident doctor has confessed to a recent murder. The Prefect expects him to take over the infirmary, and also convince the medic - Thessalus - to retract his confession. The authorities are convinced they know who committed the crime, and it wasn't the doctor.
  Life in Coria is a little different to Deva. There are few home comforts, and security is tighter, as the Romans suspect every native they see. Ruso's slave, Tilla, isn't initially allowed into the fort, so has to find lodgings in the town . More importantly, she has come home; this is her territory. Whilst Ruso tries to work out what's going on in Thessalus's mind, Tilla is free to visit relatives and old acquaintances.
  As the story develops we understand more of Tilla's past, and how it fits in with the current nervous situation in the area. There are local people who see the Romans as an opportunity to build for the future. But, as always, there are also many who would push the Romans out completely.
  As Ruso investigates the murder, he encounters Metellus, the Prefect's aide, who has been here for years. He is the ultimate Roman pragmatist; keen to keep the peace, even if that means that the wrong people get punished, and the real culprits escape, if that is politically expedient.
  The story is well told, and follows an interesting path. The secondary characters are generally well drawn and believable, and the conflict between those locals who are prepared to Romanise, and those who aren't, is well told. Ruso himself is growing, although he is perhaps a bit naïve for an experienced legionary doctor.
  I do, however, have one or two issues; hence the lowish score. Firstly a minor point; Valens, Ruso's friend. He's a tactless idiot. Every time he appears, he gets either himself or Ruso into trouble. To me he has no redeeming features, and seems to be a plot device simply to add drama to the story.
  More importantly, I don't understand the motivations of some of the characters. In this volume, I didn't fully accept why the resident doctor, Thessalus, acts in the way he did. But more importantly, I didn't understand some of Tilla's actions. She has the potential to be a fascinating character. A slave captured from the local people, mistreated, acquired accidentally by a man who wishes to look after her. Perhaps even let her go, if that's what she wants. She is conflicted about her past, present and future; ideal material for writing a complex character. And she is; but we're not shown why she makes the decisions she does. Several times in this book she says or does things that made me think: 'why did she do that?' But there are no answers.
  Even with those reservations, it is still a good story. There are a few surprises along the way that keep you guessing, and the setting is well drawn. I am hoping that both Ruso and Tilla develop more in future books, and that we get a little more of what is going on in their heads.
• 
  Enzo

  The continued stories of Gaius Petrieus Ruso. They keep getting better with rye humor and interesting look at life in roman times. The books are informative in their own right and the mysteries are fun to follow and solve. But its the interaction between the Romans or Citizens of Rome and the Britanians. Its fun and you can't stop reading.
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  Naomi

  Middling and mostly ok as far as a little murder and medical hijinks in an intriguing setting. But the “Ruso doesn’t understand/like women, except for he likes having his still kinda enslaved housekeeper around to sleep with and cook him dinner” dynamic… doesn’t wear well. I kept waiting for some character growth but… he just keeps grumbling about women… I think I’d rather just read Tacitus.
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  Marty

  The second in the series is quite as enjoyable as the first.
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  Izilen

  I hated this book so much. Ruso is condescending, misogynistic, and deeply boring. Everyone is so very unlikable and the mystery is not even fun.
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  Pamela

  Ruso, a Roman army doctor or medicus, is posted to the North of Britain. On his arrival, he finds that a soldier has been killed, and the current doctor is determined to confess to the murder. Inside the fort, Ruso is tasked with sorting out the infirmary, while outside the local natives are thought to be plotting a rebellion. Against his better judgement, Ruso is dragged in to investigating the murder.
  
  Enjoyable story - the plot is quite straightforward and the initial mystery often gets lost in the drama of relationships between the different characters. However, these characters are the strength of the novel. World-weary Ruso can't help doing the decent thing, and his headstrong housekeeper/lover Tilla infuriates and charms the reader in equal measure. The details of Roman military life and medical matters are fascinating, and Downie adds a good measure of humour as well.
  
  This series is really growing on me and I will definitely be reading more.
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  Kathleen

  January 2017.. I am rereading all the Medicus books in order..
  
  "Army doctor Gaius Petreius Ruso strikes out for the uncivilized borders of Roman Britain..But the edge of the Roman Empire is a volatile place; the independent tribes of the North dwell near its borders. These hinterlands are the homeland of Ruso's slave, Tilla, who has scores of her own to settle "
  
  This book finished the series for me..thanks Ruth Downie for the recent sale! Waiting for the next in the series,hopefully.
  
  I do love the Roman Britain timeframe, or really many ancient eras with some known history. I took Latin in HS for 4 years so appreciate what glimpses we do have. The juxtaposition of the Twentieth Legion with the Tenth Batavians, and how little they each knew about the other's culture. is hilarious as well as thought provoking.
  
  Also wonderfully written about is the different tribes who lived in, ,and are the reason for "Hadrian's Wall". This outpost seems to me to have been created as realistically as we have historical evidence to document. As Downie's excellent author's note tells us: There is "serious trouble in Britannia at this time under Hadrian, with little details; The Batavian's and other unit's were heavy consumers of beer and wine; little is known about the cultures of the tribes along that border.
  
  The characters are quite vivid and move forward in their lives, as evidence by how the relationship between Ruso and Tilla is at the beginning and end of the tale. I should have read in order to understand more about Tilla's capture and becoming a slave, but will reread in the future.
  
  I just love this series and recommend to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries from ancient times.
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  J.R.

  Gaius Petreius Ruso, a divorced army doctor attempting to sort out family debts and his personal life, volunteers for temporary duty on a northern outpost in Roman Britain. In addition to a change of scenery, Ruso sought to bring his housekeeper/slave Tilla back to her home village.
  
  En route to the posting, an act of sabotage seriously injures a soldier. Thessalus, the resident medic, is under guard as a madman and claims to have murdered another soldier. Ruso is asked to temporarily fill in until a new medic arrives. With a new governor expected to visit, Ruso is also asked to examine the murder victim and help convince Thessalus to recant while Metellus, an army investigator, seeks evidence to pin the crime on a local native.
  
  Rianorix, the suspect of choice, happens to be a childhood friend of Tilla. Complicating matters even more, the locals are being stirred to rebellion by a man dubbed the Stag Man and Tilla is seeking revenge for the massacre of her family. Rather than peace and quiet, Ruso finds himself once again up against a complex mystery and an obstinate Tilla.
  
  Downie has added another engaging volume to this delightful series. I’m looking forward to reading more of the adventures of Ruso and Tilla.
  
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  Susan

  I liked Terra Incognita (second in the Gaius Petreius Ruso series) and I will go on with this series. Although I liked Medicus enough to try another of Ruth Downie’s stories this novel made me a fan. Just as in the first of the series, it was written with a modern flair and I loved the humorous thread running throughout the story. The novel continues with Ruso and Tilla traveling north to an outpost on the border and, of course, Ruso’s best friend, Valens, finds a way to join them on their journey. There is an intriguing murder mystery for Ruso to solve but I find this secondary to his relationships. This second novel fleshes out the characters and I felt I got to know and understand them much better than in the first novel. I am looking forward to reading number three in the series,
  Persona Non Grata.
• 
  Rebecca Huston

  A very enjoyable book in the series. This time Ruso and Tilla head north to the outposts along Hadrian's Wall (at least, where it will be). A missing head, a runaway wagon, unhappy natives, beer and brewing and the mysterious Gathering all play a part in this one. Those who like a good stir of humour in their stories should enjoy this one. Four stars overall and recommended.
  
  To read the longer review, please go here:
  
  http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_T...