The Venus Throw : A Mystery of Ancient Rome

On a chill January evening in 56 B.C., two strange visitors to Rome - an Egyptian ambassador and a eunuch priest - seek out Gordianus the Finder whose specialty is solving murders. But the ambassador, a philosopher named Dio, has come to ask for something Gordianus cannot give - help in staying alive. Before the night is out, he will be murdered.

Now Gordianus begins his most dangerous case. Hired to investigate Dio's death by a beautiful woman with a scandalous reputation, he will follow a trail of political intrigue into the highest circles of power and the city's most hidden arenas of debauchery. There Gordianus will learn nothing is as it seems - not the damning evidence he uncovers, not the suspect he sends to trial, not even the real truth behind Dio's death which lies in secrets - not of state, but of the heart.

“Imaginative . . . Saylor's style is smooth . . . A absorbing look at a time when men tried to rule themselves wisely and failed.” —San Francisco Chronicle

“Saylor writes with vision and clarity, balancing sound historical scholarship with a gift for storytelling.” —Anniston Star

“Engrossing . . . Intensely dramatic . . . Erotic, funny, compelling . . . A bona fide page-turner.” —Detroit Free Press

“Steven Saylor transports you to Ancient Rome with spellbinding effectiveness.” —Austin Chronicle

“Engrossing . . . Simmering with eroticism . . . An absorbing brew of Rome's decay.” —Publishers Weekly

“Finely etched historical background . . . The finest flower yet of Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa Series.” —Kirkus Reviews