El regreso del centurión
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- Create Date：2021-05-22 10:16:03
- Update Date：2025-09-23
- Status：finish
- Author：Harry Sidebottom
- ISBN：8467062606
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Summary
145 a。 C。， Calabria。 Cayo Furio Paulo regresa convertido en héroe a su ciudad natal， Temesa， tras duros años de guerra defendiendo el buen nombre de Roma。 Pero parece que un presagio de muerte sigue acechando su destino: pocos días después de su regreso， aparece el cuerpo descuartizado de un vecino， y Paulo se convertirá en el principal sospechoso del asesinato。 Paulo tendrá que deshacerse de sus fantasmas personales si quiere dar con el asesino y limpiar su nombre。 Porque sabe que es solo cuestión de tiempo antes de que se convierta en el próximo objetivo。
Un thriller histórico， tan apasionante como Aquitania。 Más adictivo que Juego de Tronos。
Para todos， un héroe。 Para la muerte， uno más。
Vuelve Harry Sidebottom， éxito internacional de la novela histórica。
Un thriller histórico， tan apasionante como Aquitania。 Más adictivo que Juego de Tronos。
Para todos， un héroe。 Para la muerte， uno más。
Vuelve Harry Sidebottom， éxito internacional de la novela histórica。
Reviews
Dennis Steussy
，
As one of my Goodreads friend's Kate and the author， Harry Sidebottom described， The Return is a murder mystery set in Roman times。 It is a great book and very enjoyable。 Some people may not like the flashbacks the author uses to speak of another murder in the book。 Another thing I enjoyed in the book is how the author shared the feelings and emotions of a veteran Roman soldier who has returned home after 3 years in the army and how he tries to start again。 Also， we get to see how the socio-econ As one of my Goodreads friend's Kate and the author， Harry Sidebottom described， The Return is a murder mystery set in Roman times。 It is a great book and very enjoyable。 Some people may not like the flashbacks the author uses to speak of another murder in the book。 Another thing I enjoyed in the book is how the author shared the feelings and emotions of a veteran Roman soldier who has returned home after 3 years in the army and how he tries to start again。 Also， we get to see how the socio-economic and cultural clashes of this community-run their course and how greedy people try to take advantage of these situations and superstitions。 There are lots of battle scenes in the book to enjoy both in Greece and at home。 I would give a big thumbs up for this novel。 。。。more
J S
，
A SLOW START BUT BEAR WITH ITThe construction of the story jumping back and forth in time doesn't allow you to get into the characters properly until at half way through。 But the second half of the book has pace and is much better。 Really grew on me。 A SLOW START BUT BEAR WITH ITThe construction of the story jumping back and forth in time doesn't allow you to get into the characters properly until at half way through。 But the second half of the book has pace and is much better。 Really grew on me。 。。。more
Jane
，
Departure for this author--setting in the Roman Republic。 Heretofore， he's planted us in the later Roman Empire。 A soldier returns from war in Greece with PTSD， herein manifesting itself as flashbacks to "the last house and what happened there" in Corinth and visions of the Fates。 Several people are killed and the hero is accused of the murders。 Beforehand， he does convince the people the murderers are not a spirit and the killers are unmasked: literally since they wear animal skins over their h Departure for this author--setting in the Roman Republic。 Heretofore， he's planted us in the later Roman Empire。 A soldier returns from war in Greece with PTSD， herein manifesting itself as flashbacks to "the last house and what happened there" in Corinth and visions of the Fates。 Several people are killed and the hero is accused of the murders。 Beforehand， he does convince the people the murderers are not a spirit and the killers are unmasked: literally since they wear animal skins over their heads。 We get a taste of the life of small farmers of that period and how their land is grabbed by the rich to increase their property holdings。 This will lead to the big plantations [a sort of agribusiness]， mainstays in the empire later on。 A quick read and nice mixture of historical novel and murder mystery。 。。。more
John Francis
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Murders and mystery。I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 Paullus returns home from the Achaean war， winner of the Civic crown and a hero。 All he wants to do is return to his farm and get back to a normal life。 Obviously， that doesn't happen。 A great fast paced novel from one of the best historical fiction writers out there。 You also learn how the Roman army is trained and organised at this time。 Terrifying is the first word that comes to mind。 Another great read from Harry Sidebottom。 Murders and mystery。I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 Paullus returns home from the Achaean war， winner of the Civic crown and a hero。 All he wants to do is return to his farm and get back to a normal life。 Obviously， that doesn't happen。 A great fast paced novel from one of the best historical fiction writers out there。 You also learn how the Roman army is trained and organised at this time。 Terrifying is the first word that comes to mind。 Another great read from Harry Sidebottom。 。。。more
Ruth Harwood
，
Oh yes， I enjoyed this！ In my opinion， this is Sidebottom's best novel to date， and from what he says in the afterword， he enjoyed writing it as well。 A couple of lads eager for adventure。 Two leave， one returns。 Hope there's no spoilers there， but the adventure lies in the back and forth between the 'what happened？' and the 'what's about to happen'， the suspense is skillfully and masterfully handled， and the story is obviously one that's been percolating in the mind of the author for a while， t Oh yes， I enjoyed this！ In my opinion， this is Sidebottom's best novel to date， and from what he says in the afterword， he enjoyed writing it as well。 A couple of lads eager for adventure。 Two leave， one returns。 Hope there's no spoilers there， but the adventure lies in the back and forth between the 'what happened？' and the 'what's about to happen'， the suspense is skillfully and masterfully handled， and the story is obviously one that's been percolating in the mind of the author for a while， the result a well-written tale that tells a story， or rather more than the one story， in such a way that it's just impossible to put down！This could be set anywhere， anytime， any location， though those chosen are probably the best I can think of for this atmospheric masterpiece。 A story for anyone who loves a historical novel or a crime novel， the setting doesn't matter there， it's similar to many more contemporarily-set stories， so blurs the line between genres， and gives a whole new audience to Sidebottom's writings， I hope。 It's definitely one I'm recommending to anyone who loves a good story that unfolds at it's own pace and gives atmosphere and suspense skillfully x 。。。more
Scott Byers
，
This was great work by the author and I really enjoyed it。 Seemed to flow really well and the characters formed really well。I enjoyed the story and like the way his heroism in battle was revealed slowly across the book。I would like to read more like this。
GBL
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Another classic tale from the pen of Harry Sidebottom has Roman soldier， Paullus return from the destruction of Corinth to his farm in the Calabrian countryside。Paullus returns from his time in the army as a wealthy man， but he has a dark secret from his time in the army。 Soon after his return to his home， there are terrible killings in the area around his home。 Paullus becomes a suspect， but he is being set up by local landowners who see him as a threat to their power。 Sidebottom’s knowledge of Another classic tale from the pen of Harry Sidebottom has Roman soldier， Paullus return from the destruction of Corinth to his farm in the Calabrian countryside。Paullus returns from his time in the army as a wealthy man， but he has a dark secret from his time in the army。 Soon after his return to his home， there are terrible killings in the area around his home。 Paullus becomes a suspect， but he is being set up by local landowners who see him as a threat to their power。 Sidebottom’s knowledge of the Roman world and military history underpins all his writing and is clear here in this novel here he combines the murder mystery with a historical setting。 。。。more
Karen Breakell
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Not a fan 。。。 I love historical and detective genres but this didn’t work for me 。。。 there was too much war and not enough detecting 。。。 overall a weak plot and I ended up skipping through yet more battle stories。 。。。 yawn
Gary B Thompson
，
Top FormAnother excellent book from Mr Sidebottom。 It reminded me of Donna Tarts The Secret History at times with its theme of guilt and remorse。 It wasn't a great surprise at the end but it was well constructed and the whole story was entertaining throughout。 It was a good length and never dragged。 It also had echos of Cicero in its look at Roman laws and the inequalities。 The dog that didn't bark is one of my favourite stories I tell my students when discussing the importance of looking for wh Top FormAnother excellent book from Mr Sidebottom。 It reminded me of Donna Tarts The Secret History at times with its theme of guilt and remorse。 It wasn't a great surprise at the end but it was well constructed and the whole story was entertaining throughout。 It was a good length and never dragged。 It also had echos of Cicero in its look at Roman laws and the inequalities。 The dog that didn't bark is one of my favourite stories I tell my students when discussing the importance of looking for what isn't seen。 The death by pitch also reminded me of the scene in Spooks in the kitchen with poor Lisa Faulkner。 I read it in a day and and it was a day well spent。 Cheers Harry。 。。。more
Mike Mason
，
Wow this was an excellent read。 My copies arrival on Amazon was delayed some months last year。 But like the last John Connolly I decided to put off reading。 Whilst I have read all the Charlie Parker series I have not read many/ enough of Harry Sidebottoms works。 I will put this right。 This is a detective story in the present interspersed with chapters in the past。 That works very well。 I liked the character of Paullus and the demons that tormented him。 A very good story。
Robert S Wilce
，
Good Roman storyI enjoyed this novel。 The characters are believable and you get to know them。 Decent insights to the historical issues， which always sells a book to me。
Nick Slater
，
Despite a fairly obvious conclusion， thoroughly enjoyable with an interesting contrast shown by the jumping back and forth throughout the main characters life。
Liviu
，
This tried to combine a historical novel with a murder mystery set in Calabraia （Bruttium） in 145 BC （with flashbacks to the Achaean War and the sack of Corinth） and it didn't really succeed as the historical part was quite interesting but the murder mystery part was kind of boring and didn't fit that well。 Overall fairly dissapointing This tried to combine a historical novel with a murder mystery set in Calabraia （Bruttium） in 145 BC （with flashbacks to the Achaean War and the sack of Corinth） and it didn't really succeed as the historical part was quite interesting but the murder mystery part was kind of boring and didn't fit that well。 Overall fairly dissapointing 。。。more
Peter
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This is set primarily in the Calabrian region of Southern Italy to where Gaius Furius Paullus returns in 146BC after heroic service in the Legion culminating in the sack of Corinth。 In Calabria， ritualised murders upset the locals and haunt Paullus who is carrying a secret from Corinth （although when revealed that secret seems quite underwhelming）。 With suspicion attached to Paullus he must uncover the killers。 It's more about contemporary life and times and Paullus’ battlefield experiences than This is set primarily in the Calabrian region of Southern Italy to where Gaius Furius Paullus returns in 146BC after heroic service in the Legion culminating in the sack of Corinth。 In Calabria， ritualised murders upset the locals and haunt Paullus who is carrying a secret from Corinth （although when revealed that secret seems quite underwhelming）。 With suspicion attached to Paullus he must uncover the killers。 It's more about contemporary life and times and Paullus’ battlefield experiences than the uncovering of the fairly obvious perpetrators but it's still an immersive， entertaining and non-anachronistic read。 。。。more
Adam Lofthouse
，
Harry Sidebottom returns with another immersive thriller from ancient Rome。 I have to admit I didn't love this book。 It's good， incredibly detailed with a short and sharp plot。 But it didn't grip me。 I was indifferent to picking it back up every time I put it down。 The details around Roman farming and life in a small town in southern Italy are extraordinary， but for me there lied the problem。 It was so detailed it slowed the story down， I learnt more of farming in the ancient world than I ever r Harry Sidebottom returns with another immersive thriller from ancient Rome。 I have to admit I didn't love this book。 It's good， incredibly detailed with a short and sharp plot。 But it didn't grip me。 I was indifferent to picking it back up every time I put it down。 The details around Roman farming and life in a small town in southern Italy are extraordinary， but for me there lied the problem。 It was so detailed it slowed the story down， I learnt more of farming in the ancient world than I ever really wanted to！Apart from that I thought the characters were well formed and their intentions and motivations shone through。 The plot as I said was short and to the point， well developed and the ending was satisfactory。 A good book， all in all。 Looking forward to seeing what he does next 。。。more
Alan Porter
，
Very average
Keith Neville
，
Really good read would recommend
Clemens Schoonderwoert
，
This new book from the lecturer/author， Harry Sidebottom， is according to the author written as a new kind of genre， a novel and murder mystery together。In comparison to the "Warrior of Rome" and the "Throne of the Caesars" series， this book is in my opinion inferior and less grand than those series mentioned。In those series political intrigue and assassination attempts are afloat， at court and on the battlefields， and they are brought to us in a terrific fashion， accompanied with very well docu This new book from the lecturer/author， Harry Sidebottom， is according to the author written as a new kind of genre， a novel and murder mystery together。In comparison to the "Warrior of Rome" and the "Throne of the Caesars" series， this book is in my opinion inferior and less grand than those series mentioned。In those series political intrigue and assassination attempts are afloat， at court and on the battlefields， and they are brought to us in a terrific fashion， accompanied with very well documented historical details。Now to come back to my review of this book， I like to say that storytelling is of a very good quality， the characters are all very lifelike， and the atmosphere and surroundings of Temesa， Calabria， in Republican Rome， and the battlefields against Corinth and the Achaean League are all very well pictured。At the beginning of the book you'll a well-drawn map of Rome and its surrounding areas around 146 BC， as well as a verse from Aeschylus， while at the back you'll notice an afterword with some interestinf explanations of terms。The book is set as from 147 BC until 142 BC， with the main part taking place in 145 BC， while the years 147 and 146 BC are being used for Paullus's flashbacks of the war against Corinth and about what happened at the last house there with his childhood friend， Alcimus。What follows is a murder mystery intertwined with Gaius Furius Paullus's flashbacks， so when he arrives back in his home town of Temesa with the civic crown and riches， he's confronted at first with a feigned friendship by the citizens of Temesa， but that will into animosity and finally into hatred， so much so that they will frame him of murders he did not commit， but at the end with the help from unexpected sources and from loyal military comrades combined with a well executed plot， the perpetrators will be caught， tried or killed themselves。Really recommended to all who like an easy Roman read with murder and mayhem in Republican Rome， and to encourage you all reading this thrilling adventure， I like to call it: "A Very Enjoyable Republican Roman Read"！ 。。。more
Alastair
，
This is my first Harry Sidebottom book。。。I was slightly worried it would run the risk of being one of those generic historical romps （Cornwell and Scarrow can be guilty of this） but this was quite different。 Rather than a military campaign-based story this is more of a murder mystery with a retired legionnary becoming drawn into a series of deaths in his home town。 There's an interesting look at PTSD （which seems to be a topic of some debate in historical circles） which runs through the story。 F This is my first Harry Sidebottom book。。。I was slightly worried it would run the risk of being one of those generic historical romps （Cornwell and Scarrow can be guilty of this） but this was quite different。 Rather than a military campaign-based story this is more of a murder mystery with a retired legionnary becoming drawn into a series of deaths in his home town。 There's an interesting look at PTSD （which seems to be a topic of some debate in historical circles） which runs through the story。 For those of you with a passion for the big battle stuff， there's plenty of that too in flashbacks which build throughout the story。 Compared with other books in this genre the characterisation was very good and the plot built nicely to a thrilling conclusion。Definitely recommended。。。 I've since picked up another of his books so it must be good！ 。。。more
Joe Knowles
，
Another fantastic novel by Harry Sidebottom。
Jos Deroo
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A Roman soldeer returns to his backwards province， facing not only PTSD but also a murder spree which he tries to solve。 Well written， very well researched and raising some excellent historical questions。 A welcome change from the swords and blood without content。
Libri e Altri Disastri
，
Recensione di DavidePaolo è un legionario， un soldato dell’antica Roma， che è in procinto di tornare a casa， sulla Sila， dopo aver combattuto nella campagna di Corinto， per poter finalmente continuare a coltivare la sua terra， in pace e tranquillità。Al ritorno però， una terribile sventura， lo porterà a trasformarsi in un cacciatore di assassini， spinto sia dall'esigenza di espiare una terribile colpa che lo ha portato a macchiarsi del sangue di un suo compagno d’armi， sia dalla sua indole di uom Recensione di DavidePaolo è un legionario， un soldato dell’antica Roma， che è in procinto di tornare a casa， sulla Sila， dopo aver combattuto nella campagna di Corinto， per poter finalmente continuare a coltivare la sua terra， in pace e tranquillità。Al ritorno però， una terribile sventura， lo porterà a trasformarsi in un cacciatore di assassini， spinto sia dall'esigenza di espiare una terribile colpa che lo ha portato a macchiarsi del sangue di un suo compagno d’armi， sia dalla sua indole di uomo retto e giusto e da un susseguirsi vorticoso di eventi。La trama， per questo classico romanzo storico ambientato più precisamente nell'antica Calabria， è inconsueta: l’autore riesce ad intrecciare in maniera egregia un giallo quasi moderno， nel quale si deve scoprire chi è il colpevole， con la vita， i ricordi e l’ambientazione dell’epoca romana。Leggendo questo libro， si capisce subito che la ricerca storica è stata fatta in maniera meticolosa e precisa， molto accademica: alla fine del libro si trovano， infatti， rimandi e citazioni prese sia da autori classici quali Pausania， Strabone， Catone， che da autori moderni quali addirittura Carlo Levi ed Ernest Hemingway！Il personaggio di Paolo rispecchia il classico eroe: coraggioso， devoto agli dei e alla patria， astuto e pronto a difendere i più deboli anche se questi sono dei semplici schiavi。La storia scorre veloce è accattivante， scritta in maniera fluida e senza refusi di sorta。Se non fosse per l’idea intelligente del giallo o per le varie nozioni storiche， la vicenda risulterebbe leggermente piatta con il rischio di confondersi tra altri romanzi storici di uguale o maggiore importanza: le figure del legionario， del gladiatore， dello schiavo o del senatore sono le più usate e si ritrovano facilmente in questo filone letterario così come - ad esempio - l’elfo，il nano， il mago o il guerriero in quello fantasy。Mi è piaciuto molto come l’autore ha cercato di descrivere il legionario Paolo nel suo profondo， le sue paure， le sue sensazioni durante e dopo la battaglia， al punto da fare in modo che il lettore si ritrovi in tutto e per tutto nei panni del personaggio principale di questa storia。Un buon libro， scritto bene con una trama alternativa， che avvicina in maniera facile e soprattutto accattivante， agli antichi scrittori， alla storia e a tutto il mondo che ruota intorno ad un grande impero， cioè l’Impero Romano。 。。。more
Andrea Mattasoglio
，
Interessante libro di Harry Sidebottom di cui avevo letto vicende ambientate nell’ impero del terzo secolo e con una più spiccata connotazione militare che non è assente neanche qui che è ambientato in Calabria in epoca repubblicana ed ha un simpatico intreccio giallo。
Nick Brett
，
At a superficial level， this is a Roman murder mystery， but there is a lot more to it than that。Veteran Paullus has returned from fighting for Rome and has taken up work on returning his family farm to its former glory。 It’s 146 BC and Paullus has returned from the horrors of the Achaean war and the sack of Corinth to find horrors at home too with a number of brutal murders。 He must use all his skills before he becomes the next victim。There is a lot in this， obviously a good historical mystery， At a superficial level， this is a Roman murder mystery， but there is a lot more to it than that。Veteran Paullus has returned from fighting for Rome and has taken up work on returning his family farm to its former glory。 It’s 146 BC and Paullus has returned from the horrors of the Achaean war and the sack of Corinth to find horrors at home too with a number of brutal murders。 He must use all his skills before he becomes the next victim。There is a lot in this， obviously a good historical mystery， but also how the experience of war can change people。 Paullus is a damaged character， he has brought back secrets with him and wants to forget his bloody past。 But these are superstitious times。 What makes this come alive is the setting and the glimpse of small town Roman life。 The slaves， the privileged Romans and the resentful displaced locals and of course the hard daily life of those times。 They all provide the perfect backdrop to our returning soldier swapping the horrors of war for the horrors that can be found at home。The author holds back on “forcing” history down the reader’s throat， here the history becomes a living thing that wraps itself around the story。Enjoyed this a lot。 。。。more
Peter Tattersall
，
How to write a review that gets across how enjoyable a book is and why， without giving away the plot， is a problem; I don’t even like to read the spoiler on the back of the book in case it gives away too much。 For me， reading a review of a historical novel， what I want to know is that: its subject matter matches my personal interests; is historically accurate in all aspects; has a plot that is believable and doesn’t get bogged down; includes characters that add to the story， rather than detract。 How to write a review that gets across how enjoyable a book is and why， without giving away the plot， is a problem; I don’t even like to read the spoiler on the back of the book in case it gives away too much。 For me， reading a review of a historical novel， what I want to know is that: its subject matter matches my personal interests; is historically accurate in all aspects; has a plot that is believable and doesn’t get bogged down; includes characters that add to the story， rather than detract。 Clearly， as I have awarded this book five stars， my minimum requirements have been met， indeed surpassed。It helps that the book was penned by an author that I know and trust。 Having said that， this was certainly a lot different to Sidebottom’s usual novels。The story is set in the period of the Roman Republic as it was growing into a regional powerhouse， with the Greek nations on the decline。 It follows a young man who， having returned from a war against the Corinthians， becomes involved in a spate of mysterious happenings。 Throughout the book， our hero seems to me to be suffering from post-stress disorder; that encourages flashbacks to his time in Greece， which slowly reveals the horrors he suffered。Of course， the mystery is ultimately resolved。 Harry didn’t try to misguide the reader， instead providing enough detail for me to work out what was going on and even how it could ultimately end。 （I think this is much better than the culprit being someone completely unexpected until the improbable evidence is revealed by Miss Marples）。 As a result， it was an enjoyable read that left me satisfied。 There was even a little dark humour as a character that I didn’t dislike， but certainly didn’t like， became endearing。 。。。more
Anne Robinson
，
I have tried to read a book by this author before， but gave up because I found it flat。 As a former student of all things Ancient Rome， I had thought that I would give his books another try and I did finish this one， but wonder why！In The Return， Sidebottom tries to combine his love of the Ancient Roman military with a mystery story。 Whereas he obviously revels in the scenes of army life and deeds， the “whodunnit” side is badly written。 His hero is a poor investigator and there is very little ac I have tried to read a book by this author before， but gave up because I found it flat。 As a former student of all things Ancient Rome， I had thought that I would give his books another try and I did finish this one， but wonder why！In The Return， Sidebottom tries to combine his love of the Ancient Roman military with a mystery story。 Whereas he obviously revels in the scenes of army life and deeds， the “whodunnit” side is badly written。 His hero is a poor investigator and there is very little actual mystery as it is so obvious who the perpetrators are。 They might as well wear signs saying “Wedunnit！”。 The tale wanders about， trying to build some tension， but instead goes down various side roads full of plot holes。And， finally， what can I say about the female characters？！？ At least there are some， but they are either stereotyped harridans or younger sketchily written ornaments。 There were strong women around in the Roman Republic！ 。。。more
Diane
，
This was my first Harry Sidebottom book， and I can't say I would read another。 I don't say this because I have anything against The Return as a work of fiction， but because his subject matter does not appeal to me particularly， both from what I have read of this book and his other books。 I understand that the author is a historian of some kind and that comes out very much in this book。 It is very well researched and by someone who clearly knew his subject。 I know something of ancient Rome myself This was my first Harry Sidebottom book， and I can't say I would read another。 I don't say this because I have anything against The Return as a work of fiction， but because his subject matter does not appeal to me particularly， both from what I have read of this book and his other books。 I understand that the author is a historian of some kind and that comes out very much in this book。 It is very well researched and by someone who clearly knew his subject。 I know something of ancient Rome myself， so I can tell that this was more than mere research， but true enthusiasm and passion for the subject。 The premise of the book sounded a little dubious to me from the start I have to say， and it was really the fact that the book appeared to be a murder mystery set in Ancient Rome that appealed to me rather than anything else。 Sadly， my initial doubts regarding the plot were born out。Unfortunately， as well written as the book was and as well researched and accurate the historical aspects， it didn't really work on any level。 For one thing， there was way too much of war in this for me。 This was clearly a man's book （and I don't care how that comes across - it is quite true！） The in-depth descriptions of Roman martial life were a bit much and formed quite half of the book。 Also， the oft and minutely described scenes of fighting and violence were also not quite what I was expecting。 I was up for a Roman historical novel but I expected more of Lindsey Davis and less of Simon Scarrow。 One half of the story， which is told in flashback， is an account of Paullus， the main protagonist's life a short while before the events of the main storyline take place。 He， a young farmer， and some local friends join the legions for a chance of fortune and glory， and the story follows their fortunes until some dramatic event during the sack of Corinth。 The other half of the story is the supposed mystery that unfolds when Paullus returns from the army， and these chapters alternate with the chapters of the army storyline。As the mainstay of the story， Paullus is not exactly unlikeable， but it is difficult to like him。 He is so flat， and any attempts to develop him as a character fail to succeed。 In fact， there is no character development at all， and the person with the most character in the book is the girl Minado， a potential human sacrifice offered to appease a vengeful spirit but rescued by Paullus。 Paullus is clearly suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder， although one supposes that this would not be recognised in Roman times， so this makes him a dour and humourless fellow。 Clearly there is some event in his recent past that troubles him with feelings of deep guilt and remorse， and the army flashbacks are laying the ground and taking us inexorably towards this event。 Again， as with the murder culprits， it is not difficult to work out what this event was， so no real mystery there either。 A thing that made me laugh was that several characters in the book mention to Paullus that he had changed since returning from the wars。 Indeed， this was used as the main reason he was arrested for the murders。 Of course， a youth who joined the army as a young， carefree lad， was taught to maim and kill， spent a few years doing just that， along with sacking， raping and pillaging， then came home to a quiet， rural farm would be exactly the same man he was when he left it！ Sadly， the mystery thread also fails to grab。 It is presented in a strange format which seems to require no buy-in at all from the reader。 There are no real clues and the detective - Paullus himself - seems to do no investigating whatsoever。 We are presented with a couple of horrific murders， and the finger of suspicion is at first pointed at a supernatural culprit。 Paullus does not believe this and sets about attempting to solve the murders。 However， his method of accomplishing this is puzzling in the extreme。 He questions no suspects， discovers no clues， performs no discernible investigation， yet appears to come to a conclusion。 He goes through a lot of introspection， but we are privy to only the conclusions， not the thought processes， so the reader is not at all invited to attempt to solve the crime himself。 All the same， the culprit is quite obvious for all that。 There is not enough there to keep any mystery reader interested， and I have to say that， with the army sections that I found profoundly uninteresting， and the mystery that was singularly uncompelling， this was not the best of reads。 Even the section when Paullus was arrested fell flat。 It was quite clear what was going to happen as soon as he was called to the third murder （or was it the fourth）， and he gave in so meekly。 His reaction to the accusation was so weak and dispirited， I could scarcely believe it。 He said barely a word in his own defence and seemed content to sit back and let Roman justice take its course， until his slaves took the initiative and sprung him from jail。 And as soon as he was out， he suddenly knew who the murderers were and immediately sprang into action， but such action as I could scarcely credit。 His method of bringing on the denouement made no sense at all。 He bushwhacked one of the conspirators and used him as a tethered goat to lure the others out。 Then he used the captive as a bargaining chip against the others。 But the captive was a slave and the other conspirators Equestrians， if not Patricians， so why Paullus should think his life was worth anything to them was beyond me。 Needless to say， the thing ended up with even more fighting and bloodshed， but there was a happy ending and Paullus did get a wife。I received a free， galley copy of this book from the publishers in return for an unbiased review。 。。。more
Peter price
，
A good book to pass the time and enjoy Will look at more reading from the Author and will be looking forward to relaxing days on the patio Reading
Robert
，
Very EntertainingI loved this book and the Characters portrayed herein。 The story's pace was great and I pretty much read the excellent story in 1 sitting Very EntertainingI loved this book and the Characters portrayed herein。 The story's pace was great and I pretty much read the excellent story in 1 sitting 。。。more
Chris simpson
，
A very enjoyable whodunit！ This is the first book that I have read by this author and I will definitely return to him again。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=El regreso del centurión
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=El regreso del centurión&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft