I am giving away four copies of Rubies of the Viper and participating in a blog hop.
AND THE 4 WINNERS ARE: DEBRA BROWN, RENEE, MICHELLE OF THE TRUE BOOK ADDICT BLOG, AND SUZ READS!
GIVEAWAY CONTEST RULES
To enter my giveaway contest, leave a comment below. Be sure to give your correct email so I can contact you if you win. If you post a link to this blog on facebook, twitter, or elsewhere (and let me know in a comment), I’ll throw in 2 entries for each link. No other hoops to jump through.
BLOG HOP TOUR
To visit other blog giveaways of historical fiction
Many thanks to Holly of Bippity Boppity Book blog for setting up this fun event. Her blog is a great place to find historical fiction reviews.
REVIEW
The heroine is a fictional woman named Theodosia Varro, who at the opening of the novel has inherited a vast fortune, including the beautiful villa where she spent her happy childhood—only she hasn’t seen the villa in years because she’s been stuck in poverty in the Subura, a Roman slum, banished there by a villainous brother. She isn’t sad her brother was stabbed through the heart outside a brothel, but she doesn’t want to suffer the same fate, and she suspects there’s more to her brother’s murder than the official line that it was a robbery, especially since he wasn’t robbed.
Her brother’s close friend Otho warns her to beware the slaves at the villa—they are probably out to murder her. But Theodosia has had an unusual life, and she discovers her slaves are more likely to be her friends than her killers. The sons of the best Roman families want to marry her, although Otho and Vespasian’s son, Titus, are her favorite suitors. She’s the richest catch around even if she had a Greek mother and displays some decidedly inappropriate behavior for a patrician lady. She’s lonely with only slaves for company, but taking a husband means handing over her fortune and her freedom to a man. Does she want to? Otho keeps reminding her she isn’t safe without a husband to protect her. And he certainly turns out to be right. But figuring out where the danger arises from and keeping the people she loves safe will turn out to be much harder than picking a husband.
And those rubies of the viper? They first appear on a beautiful but sinister set of goblets in her villa, a recent acquisition of her brother’s—an odd decorative choice that you’ll want to keep your eye on. You know how politicians and wealthy businessmen sometimes get so power hungry that it spills over into sexual power plays and other forms of violence? Well, the Romans were especially prone to such carryings on and Marks is a master at weaving in the evil in surprising and unexpected ways.
While you’re gobbling up the story, you’ll especially enjoy vivid life in the villa, lusciously described to an extent that you’ll feel you’ve been there. Marks has also depicted the grimmest side of Roman life—the thousands of slaves that subsisted on each of the big “corporate” farms that grew up once Roman senators bought out all the small independent peasants up and down Italy. I’ve never seen anyone try to bring this side of Roman history to life in fiction before. Here again, Marks does an outstanding job.
There are moments in the plot where I wondered why Theodosia didn’t take this action or that to escape her troubles, a few stretches of believability, but overall this is a great read for all lovers of Roman mystery. I couldn’t put it down.
An excellent ‘sneaky preview’ of a pleasant reading journey. A titillating world of historical fiction has always been beckoning, especially if it shrouded in mystery.
Looks like a nice mystery.
I do enjoy the time period, and really enjoyed Graves two novels.
Sounds like a great read.
This book is intriguing.
Sinister goblets in a Roman villa? I’m in!
Great preview and I love Martha Marks’ reverence for the environment and have been gazing at this book with desire since I heard it was published.
I will link to this site on both Facebook and Twitter.
Thanks to everyone who’s commented so far. Be sure to travel to the other blogs as well and see what other book treasures are being discussed.
Fellow Blog hopper SamStillReading.Wordpress.com
I’d love to read this book. Thanks for the giveaway!
This sounds like an interesting read!
I’d love to win a copy of this book, I’ve had my eye on it forever! Thank you!
I love books set in the Roman era.
Thank you
Glad to hear there are others out there who enjoy books set in Rome and think Martha’s sounds like a good read. You’re all entered to win one of the four copies Martha has donated to this giveaway.
Your description is so enticing that it makes me want to read it immediately. In truth, I have never really read a Roam mystery, most of my reading has been in the adventure genre. This sounds like a must read, and I suspect it is as well written as your description.
It sounds wonderful!
Ancient Rome sounds like a really amazing setting. I’d love to read this book! Thanks so much for the giveaway!
Sounds like a good read!
I’ve never heard of this book and I love books set in ancient Rome with a strong female lead.
I’m gobbling up Steven Saylor’s Roma Sub Rosa series and am about to run out of volumes so I look forward to trying another author.
This has been on and off of my To Read list for soooo long. Thanks for the review: it is firmly back ON.
I love historical mysteries! Thanks for the giveaway!
I love ancient Rome. Thx for the giveaway!
The last Roman mystery I read was Pompeii by Robert Harris. What a great read! His hero is a master engineer in charge of the vast system of aqueducts that supplied ancient Romans with their drinking water.
This mystery sounds just as good. I love books with settings one can lose onself in!
This sounds like fun. I don’t generally read mysteries EXCEPT historical mysteries, and love the Roman ones I’ve read. Thanks for the giveaway!
Hi Judith,
This sounds like a wonderful book. I love mysteries set in ancient Rome.
I also posted the link on Twitter (@Nancy_Adams_)
Thanks!
Good review–Judith intrigues me with the depiction of the complexities of Roman society. I like it that the book is from a woman’s point of view.
Thank you for the international giveaway, loved the review. I’ve never read a Roman mystery before.
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/MiltiadouK/status/239254588778233856
Google+: https://plus.google.com/115545565689763901894/posts/RcpjkKzeQ56
This sounds very intriguing! Thank you for the great giveaway!
As always an informative review that just makes you want to rush out to the book store. Thanks for the blog hop invite, spent some time yesterday just reading your reviews.
Thanks for this amazing giveaway! This book sounds great and I would love to win it!
- tweeted: https://twitter.com/SuzReads/status/239292141984153600
-pin on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/pin/188658671861325554/
susanw28 (at) mindspring (dot) com
I haven’t read a good historical mystery in a while. I’m just in the mood for it. Thanks.
Thanks to all of you, especially Jess. Your kind comment makes it feel worth all the work! Connecting good books and appreciative readers is fun but it does take a lot of time.
I would love to read this! Thank you for the giveaway!
-tweeted (at)LiteraryChanteu
Margaret(Literary Chanteuse)
singitm(at)hotmail(dot)com
I discovered you thru this giveaway and am now a new follower! This looks like a really interesting read!
readerrabbit22 at gmail.com
To guiltlessreading, your blog looks great. I’m following you also. So glad we connected.
Folks, this is Martha Marks, the author of Rubies of the Viper. I’ve been enjoying your comments on Judith’s wonderful review of my novel, and I’m grateful to her for letting you all know about it.
Good luck in the drawing!
PS… thanks too for your tweets about the giveaway!
Thank you for the giveaway! Would love to read this one.
truebookaddictATgmailDOTcom
shared on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michellestockardmiller/posts/112836872198453
truebookaddictATgmailDOTcom
Sounds like a great read, I love novels set in the ancient world.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a historical from this era, awesome!
+2 https://plus.google.com/101211296922528678816/posts/bVkwpcdWvFP
Judith – I have a copy of Rubies that is still on my TBR list but I thought I’d drop by to let everyone know that Martha Marks is an amazing person not just an author dedicated to bringing Rome to life in as an authentic a manner as possible.
Thank you for that review. I like how Marks doesn’t put blinders on concerning Roman slaves. In so many Roman-period books, that is a side bar at best, and usually just glanced over.
This is an excellent choice for the giveaway.
nrlymrtl [at] gmail [dot] com
Thanks for sharing your love of readin!
Thank you for the giveaway…
ronnkelly3@aol.com
https://twitter.com/ronnkelly03/status/239891859856584705
This sounds like a fascinating read…and a definite “late-nighter”
Thanks so much for giving us the opp to read it!
This book sounds great.
gardnerad@juno.com
Thanks for the giveaway, I’d love to read this book !
Thanks for your enticing review. I think I’ll read the book,however the giveaway will end.
Nice review. The book sounds intriguing.
This book sounds very interesting. I’ve not heard of it before your review.
booklove at sawcatsverse dot com
Thanks, the book looks very interesting!
I’m glad to see so many people eager to read Martha’s Roman mystery. You’re all entered. A couple more days of the contest to go.
Hi Judith, the book looks wonderful,please enter me,
authordeborahswift at gmail dot com
Hi everyone. I did an old fashioned drawing this morning (scraps of paper in a bowl–no technology) and came up with the 4 winners: Debra Brown, Renee, Michelle of the True Book Addict blog, and Suz Reads. The rest of you will have to click on the photo of the book cover in this post and buy a copy! You won’t want to miss Martha’s wonderful book.
Emails have been sent to the winners.
Many thanks to everybody who posted here for a chance to win a copy of my novel and congratulations to the four winners. I hope you’ll all enjoy reading it!
And Judith, a very special thank you to you for selecting my book for your blog-hop feature. I look forward to reading your novel just as soon as it appears in print.