Review

In "Ovid," an historical fiction mystery by David Wishart, Corvinus, a patrician wino, fulfills his obligation as patron by solving two of ancient Rome's biggest mysteries: What did Ovid do to get himself exiled? and Why was the Teutoberg Forest disaster so enormous?

When an attractive client of Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus' family pleads with him to bring home her stepfather's ashes, Corvinus agrees, little knowing how firm and powerful is the opposition. The stepfather is Ovid who was exiled under Augustus and not allowed back even after Tiberius took power. Wishart looks at the possible motives of the imperial family to hold this grudge and arrives at interlocking conspiracies that explain the threat Ovid posed and the extent of the disaster at Teutoberg Wald under Augustus.

While trying to find someone to grant him permission, Corvinus faces the problems and advantages of life as a wealthy patrician in Imperial Rome under the Wart -- aka Tiberius. Both his parents (divorced) try to help Corvinus who has been sulking since their split and refusing to accept adult Roman male responsibilities. Corvinus is also a gourmet wino, with the purse to indulge himself. The beautiful client who sought the help of Corvinus, Perilla, appears to be the one person who may turn Corvinus into a responsible adult.

"Ovid" is a light-hearted historical mystery in the same vein as the Lindsey Davis Falco series. The time period and class of Wishart's sleuth are different (Falco lives in Flavian Rome and has just worked his way into the Equestrian class), but the characters of Corvinus and Falco are similarly appealing. This first in a series mystery tells a much better story than "White Murder," also by David Wishart.