Nox Dormienda

by: Kelli Stanley

Published by: Five Star

Reviewed by Kim Reis

Set in 83 AD, this is the story of Arcturus, the official doctor of Agricola, the Governor of Brittania. When a beautiful woman tells Arcturus that the Emperor has sent a spy to Brittania to demand the resignation of Agricola, and that spy turns up dead, Arcturus needs to figure out what is going on in order to prevent a war.

Stanley debuts a new genre, Roman Noir, with this book. It combines noir with historical mysteries set in the time of the Roman Empire. The cynical detective, the femme fatale, and the seedier sides of town, all help create the feel of the classic detective stories of the 1940s.

I found the pace a little slow and the excessive use of Latin words confusing. There is a glossary in the back of the book and I needed to use it frequently to understand the Latin terminology used in the story. Readers familiar with these words would probably have less trouble with this.

I liked Arcturus and the internal struggle created by a native mother and a Roman father. This gave him the ability to walk on both sides of society and take us with him. Some of the secondary characters could have been fleshed out a bit more.

I would recommend this book for those interested in either Roman history or noir.

Armchair Interviews agrees.

Author’s Web site: http://www.KelliStanley.com