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Murder In Absentia: Urban Fantasy in Ancient Rome (Stories of Togas, Daggers, and Magic Book 1) by [Assaph Mehr]

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Assaph Mehr

Murder In Absentia: Urban Fantasy in Ancient Rome (Stories of Togas, Daggers, and Magic Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Assaph Mehr (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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This is a story of Togas, Daggers and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.

"Mehr creates a vivid cast and an equally vivid setting in which magic just seems to fit in perfectly."
-- Richard Knaak, NYT best-selling author ofauthor of Legends of Huma

"Mehr's imagined world based on ancient Rome feels at once familiar and dreamlike."
-- Ruth Downie, author of the Medicus series of Roman mysteries

"Hardcore Historical Fantasy - Felix the Fox is Sherlock Holmes in Ancient Times"
-- Jonathan Maas, award-winning author ofFlare

A young man is found dead in his bed, with a look of extreme agony on his face and strange tattoos all over his body. His distraught senator father suspects a cult death, and knows who to call for discreet resolution.

Enter Felix the Fox, a professional investigator. In the business of ferreting out dark information for his clients, Felix is neither a traditional detective nor a competent magician -- but something in between. Drawing on his contacts in shady elements of society and on his aborted education in the magical arts, Felix dons his toga and sets out to discover the young man's killers.

Murder In Absentia is set in a fantasy world. The city of Egretia borrows elements from a thousand years of ancient Roman culture, from the founding of Rome to the late empire, mixed with a judicious amount of magic. This is a story of a cynical, hardboiled detective dealing with anything from daily life to the old forces roaming the world.

Length: 310 pages	Word Wise: Enabled	Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
Page Flip: Enabled	Language: English

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Review

"This book gave me a 'book-headache' - I could not get my head out of the world of Felix for a few days after finishing it!" --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

About the Author

Assaph has been a Romanophile ever since he first got his hands on Asterix, way back in elementary school. This exacerbated when his parents took him on a trip to Rome and Italy - he whinged horribly when they dragged him to "yet another church with baby angels on the ceiling," yet was happy to skip all day around ancient ruins and museums for Etruscan art. He has since been feeding his addiction for books with stories of mystery and fantasy of all kinds. A few years ago he randomly picked a copy of a Lindsay Davis' Marcus Didius Falco novel in a used book fair, and fell in love with Rome all over again, this time from the view-point of a cynical adult. His main influences in writing are Steven Saylor, Lindsey Davis, and Barry Hughart. Assaph now lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife Julia, four kids and two cats. By day he is a software product manager, bridging the gap between developers and users, and by night he's a couch potato. Unless he's writing - he seems to do his best writing after midnight. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

ASIN : B015TXPPG6
Publisher : Purple Toga Publications; 4th edition (19 October 2015)
Language : English
File size : 3025 KB
Simultaneous device usage : Unlimited
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 310 pages

Best Sellers Rank: 181,009 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 1,139 in Historical Fantasy (Kindle Store)
- 1,702 in Historical Fantasy (Books)
- 3,481 in Urban Fantasy (Kindle Store)

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75 ratings

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Kindle Customer

Stunningly vivid and superbly written

Reviewed in Australia on 10 August 2016

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The author creates an ancient world based on ancient Rome and describes everything so brilliantly I felt as if I were there. Part mystery part fantasy with a little history of Romanesque food and customs it is a triumph of storytelling. The main character is Felix a sort of ancient detective with a knowledge of basic magic. He is commissioned to discover the strange death of a wealthy merchant's son. The author deftly balances mystery and fantasy and the addition of magic is never over the top or too unbelievable. Considering the belief in ancient Gods and fortune telling it meshes together brilliantly. This story had me guessing right up until it's conclusion. I eagerly look forward to more novels featuring the character of Felix. You should definitely read this one!

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Barbara Underwood

Immensely enjoyable

Reviewed in Australia on 28 March 2016

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It was hard to put this book down once I started reading, and even after I had finished, my thoughts lingered in the world of Felix the Fox in Ancient Rome. Some knowledge of Ancient Rome is not a requirement for enjoying this novel because the story, characters and writing style are so engaging that they more than satisfy the most demanding of readers. It is written in the first person, allowing the reader to see and experience life in Ancient Rome through the eyes of a man hired to investigate the mysterious death of a wealthy man’s son. Yet this is not the average detective mystery set in an historical or fictional setting which could be transplanted anywhere in time and place. The story and characters are skilfully crafted to create a perfect world for the reader; world based on Ancient Rome, complete with magic and mythical creatures, and a plethora of Latin words and names. As such, it is immensely entertaining and also amusing at times, while still keeping the reader in suspense as Felix the Fox continues to search for answers in his investigation. This particular case leads Felix into the world of forbidden magic, mysterious rites and a cabal which meets secretly, all of which sound very authentic and convincing, allowing the reader to become fully immersed in Felix’s world. I had so much fun in this world that I am greatly looking forward to all the books in this series!

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Nikki D

Unique detective historical/fantasy story

Reviewed in Australia on 14 July 2018

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This was a pretty unique concept - a detective fantasy story set in ancient Rome. I liked the idea and the flow of the story however it was a bit heavy on the world-building for my tastes so at times it struggled to hold my attention.

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This was my first foray into this genre...

Reviewed in Australia on 25 January 2016

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This was my first foray into this genre coming from a background of reading fantasy and science fiction books, but with a great interest in the history of ancient Greece & Rome, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The detailed descriptions of gladiatorial combat scenes were a personal favourite.

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Great for Fans of Fantasy, Detective, and Adventure Genres

Reviewed in Australia on 23 April 2017

His father disgraced and impoverished, Felix the Fox uses his cunning and magical training to ferret out secrets for paying customers. When he's called upon to investigate the mysterious death of a young man from a patrician family, Felix finds himself in the midst of a black magic cabal with sinister intentions.

"Murder in Absentia" takes the tropes of the fantasy genre and combines them with the detective novel, set in a world that's based on Ancient Rome. The Roman-esque setting is fully realized, reminding me in its detail and verisimilitude of Deborah Davitt's Valkyrie books, Ben Kane's Eagles of Rome historical adventure books, and, most of all, Steven Saylor's excellent Roma Sub Rosa series. The difference is that "Murder in Absentia" is set in an actual fantasy world that only resembles the Roman Empire, rather than in Rome itself. Readers looking for some kind of exact, historically accurate recreation will be disappointed; for readers who enjoy something with that "Roman flavor," it's all great fun, and provides much entertainment if you want to figure out which of the characters are "Greek," which are "Egyptian," and so on.

The plot is also great fun, with not one but TWO conspiracies, the main one only being revealed at the very end, not to mention pirates, mages, sibyls, etc. etc. The characters are fairly stock standard, and I may have rolled my eyes a tiny bit when Felix ended up in bed with yet another sexually available/aggressive woman, while experiencing romantic tension with the haughty and virginal maiden in need of rescue due to her own impetuousness, but for fans of the fantasy, detective, and adventure genres, this book provides plenty of thrills and excitement, with an unexpected twist at the end.

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What an awesome book!

Reviewed in Australia on 27 November 2016

I really loved this book and I am very much looking forward to read the next book in the series!
As someone who enjoys reading fantasy, mysteries and books on Ancient Rome, Murder in Absentia was a real treat as it combines all of that in a seamless way. To my delight the author has also added the right amount of humor to the mix.
The story takes place in Egretia a place in a fantasy world called Nuremata with roots in our ancient classical world. There are gods, monsters, a very interesting social order(greco-romanesque in Egretia) and… magia – a raw power that has several facets, one of them so powerful and dangerous that its use and teaching is forbidden – the Nefastum scientiam. Of course we always get someone interested in forbidden things and much the more when they can potentially give you such great power over others…
The main character is Felix a professional fox who has some very useful knowledge of magia and is hired by a grieving father to investigate his young son’s untimely and strange death. Felix sees himself drawn into all sorts of adventures and dangers to unravel the mystery surrounding Caeso’s death, during the investigation he gets help from friends and he finds many clues and to understand them he visits several specialists to help him out. As we follow on Felix’s steps this interesting world with its denizens, places of power and raw magia unfolds right before our very eyes… Get the book and marvel at this gem cut by the hands of the master Assaph Mehr.
(A circleofbooks.com review)

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BEEJ

It was an excellent investment. This is a story which took me ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 January 2017

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Murder in Absentia: by Assaph Mehr
Kindle £2.99 paperback £10.99
Togas, Daggers and Magic, that’s what the lead in on Amazon says and that fascinated me enough to buy the Kindle edition. It was an excellent investment. This is a story which took me well out of my comfort zone and could have left me floundering in an unfamiliar world of Latin terms and strange practices. But the characters are so comfortable with their world and so at home with the society they inhabit that I was carried along with them into the twists and turns of the plot. The son of a wealthy family dies in mysterious circumstances and a local investigator is called in to unearth the truth without the family name being besmirched. To learn more you must read this page turner, follow the clues and hit the brick walls along with Felix the Fox. You will not need a classical education as the Latin is neatly woven into the context and there is sufficient description of place and custom for you to follow in the detective’s footsteps. Kick off your sandals, recline on your couch and with the aid of a slightly watered cup of wine enjoy this wonderful fantasy.

One person found this helpful

Felicity

Magic, mystery & murder in a parallel Rome

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 July 2017

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This murder mystery is set in the fantasy city of Egretia, and follows the investigations of one of its citizens, Felix the Fox.. Egretia is in essence a parallel Rome, but one where magic plays a real and intrinsic part of daily life, not just in the minds and beliefs of the characters, but in evident reality, and is used in everything from seafaring to beekeeping. Egretia is full of the sights, sounds, smells, & harsh realities of the ancient world, and does not pander to our modern sensibilities in their portrayal through the narrative of the protagonist, Felix the Fox. Felix is an engaging companion, but my favourite character by far is his elderly slave woman Dascha. Though she barely speaks & her role is limited, she is in fact a pivotal character. It is quite clear that Felix relies on her very heavily, and she exhibits impressive presence of mind when he needs it the most. My favourite moment? When Felix grans a snack of squid on a stick - brought back memories of Pratchett's (mayherestinpesce) CMOT Dibbler- another author who masterfully blurred the lines between fantasy & reality

One person found this helpful

TL Clark

A sly fox sets out to solve a murder

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 December 2016

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A town borrowed from Ancient Rome, magic, a murder mystery being solved by a sly Fox...what's not to like?

This book is very cleverly written.
A fictitious town which borrows influences from different parts of Roman history, and melded together to create an intriguing story.

A young man is murdered using dark magic, and Felix the Fox is hired to solve the mystery. He's a rather colourful character with just enough darkness to make him fascinating whilst still be likeable.

The reader is taken on a magical journey around beautiful islands and even into taverns and brothels. I enjoyed the hot baths especially.
The world and people Assaph Mehr creates come to life off the pages. I could almost smell the fish!

This is a really fab book. If you like whodunnits and/or paranormal/historic novels you should read this.

One person found this helpful

Lady Fuchsia

A Flipping fantastic magical historical romp.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 March 2016

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I truly remarkable story which draws you in and makes it so you never want to leave. Felix was relatable even with his magic and is so likable you are willing him to succeed and not come to harm.

The pace of the story is nice and easy, flowing with suitable breathing spaces. You feel like you want to keep reading just in the hope Felix will find a new angle to his story and you are not disappointed. The mixture of magic and ancient Rome is a mixture I never thought would work, but it does, it so does and you find yourself visualising every aspect of the world Felix inhabits.

As a lover of all things Roma I was wonderfully suprised to see historical references and pop quiz shout outs as well.

I am recommending this story to everyone I know and I can not wait to be able to explore more of this world.

One person found this helpful

jane miller

Magical Rome at it's best!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 September 2016

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Well as an avid reader of Roman novels over the years I have a small to medium amount of knowledge about this ancient time, I have never however read a story that mixes Ancient Rome with a smattering of fantasy and magic....What a treat! Not only is this a page turner full of good meaty characters, but the sights,sounds and indeed smells are conjured up throughout the pages as you go on the journey with our hero Felix and the people he encounters on his way to solving the mystery. I love the use of humorous insults that are a sort of Roman banter between Felix and his peers and I feel that this is an element that is lacking in some more sombre and traditional tales of Rome and I laughed and enjoyed these moments alongside the actual plot. Book one hints at much more to learn about Felix, his past and his lost love Helena and I am looking forward to continuing on this journey immensely. Just as a footnote, the look and feel of the book with it's very tactile cover and solid weight added to an overall good reading experience.

One person found this helpful

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