Medicus Ruso, attached to a legion of soldiers stationed in Brittain in ancient Roman times, is called back to his family through a strangely brief letter. Arriving home he finds his family estate in disorder. From there his world falls apart even further when he's accused of murder. Through the help of his British female companion and various fortunate and mostly unfortunate events he eventually solves the mystery and saves his family.

I read this book over the span of a few weeks and kept asking myself why I didn't read it in a few days. The writing style is fluid and the historical details feel accurate and realistic. But there were things missing, vital ingredients that make a novel work. Characters in this book are either very stupid, very clever, or clueless and that starts getting on your nerves fairly early on. Frequently characters make very strange decisions designed to keep the plot moving forward but at the same time give the book an odd surreal feeling. Overall the plot seems both basic and overbuilt, although I did enjoy seeing its development. Persona Nongrata was all in all a good read and I'm sure the writer will produce better and better novels after this one. ( )

I love historical mysteries/adventures. Downie stays true to the time period in this simply sweet series. Her characters and places are remarkably believable as are all the small details of life in AD 123. ( )

See review for book 8.

Gaius Petreius Ruso is a career soldier in the Roman army and has recently transferred to the 20th Legion in Deva (modern day Chester) from Africa. Things are very different in Britannia. Not only is the weather dismal but the locals are rebellious and they speak British. Ruso is recovering from a divorce and the death of his father in Gaul. His father has left ruinous debts and so Ruso is constantly trying to send money to his brother who is looking after the family farm in Gaul.

His money seems to be going the wrong way. His lodgings are near the hospital but are filthy, and due to be demolished. He desperately needs someone to cook and clean, but instead ends up rescuing a British slave at a price he can ill afford, and she has a broken arm.

Girls from a local cafe/bordello keep turning up dead, and Ruso becomes a reluctant detective as he tries to work out what is happening. And then his new slave Tilla runs away and Ruso finds he has got used to having her around.

Much of this introduction to life on the frontier of the Roman Empire is seen from the point of view of the conquered rather than the conquerors. We see at first hand the impact of slave trafficking as well as the way in which the conquerors try to impose the "Roman way" onto the locals. The author has created sufficiently likeable central characters in Ruso and Tilla for me to investigate where things go in the second book in the series. ( )

One of my favorite aspects of these books is the author's recommended reading suggestions at the end. A good read. I admire the author's deftness leaving open Ruso's next destination. ( )