Gordianus calls himself the Finder. We would call him a gumsandal. He helps politicians uncover scandal about their opponents; he helps advocates collect evidence of an enemy's crimes, but he is discouraged that he seems no longer able to serve truth and justice. Rome has become a city of corruption and evil. Fortunately, he has inherited a lovely farm in the country with an adequate supply of slaves to run it.Such is the setting for Catalina's Riddle. Gordianus has forsaken Rome with its corrupt politics. When his loyalty to Cicero is appealed to ostensibly by one of Cicero's henchmen, who insists that the Finder's assistance is needed to keep tabs on Catilina's nefarious intentions, Gordianus refuses, only to discover a headless corpse in his barn a few days later. How could the body have been placed there without the knowledge of his family or slaves? He calls on his son, Eco, from Rome, for assistance. Eco has his father's uncanny ability to observe the smallest details.
Soon Catilina shows up at Gordianus' farm allegedly for rest and relaxation, but he exhibits extraordinary interest in an old silver mine filled to overflowing with the skeletons of slaves who had been murdered when the mine was shut down The mine also happens to be located on Gnaeius Claudius' property next to Gordianus' farm, and the Claudius family are still enraged that their ancestor should have left property to Gordianus that they felt should have rightly gone to them.
Gordianus travels to Rome for his son Meto's coming of age: he will become a full citizen with the right to wear the toga. It also happens to be the time of the election, and Saylor treats us to a vivid account of how Roman elections were conducted. But Gordianus has a problem. Marcus Caelius who claims to be Cicero's secret agent pretending to work for Catilina; but his actions betray a more sincere attachment to Catilina woos him. Who is he really working for?
Saylor integrates some of the actual speeches delivered by Cicero before the Senate into the story. The historical record is mostly antagonistic to Catilina; Saylor's tale is much more ambiguous.
A very good mystery in a fascinating setting.
