It might all have been different if I hadn’t burnt the mistletoe. Our troubles started on that freezing December day, and I’ve often wondered about it since. Did I bring down the vengeance ofthe old gods of Britannia, because I, a Roman, dared to destroy one of their sacred plants?”
Thus begins the second story concerning Aurelia Marcella who runs a nice little mansio near Eboracum (York) with her sister Albia and her (mostly) absent brother. It’s during the winter of 95 AD that Aurelia starts her narrative and, while preparations for the Saturnalia festival are in full swing, several things happen at once: her brother turns up unannounced and secretly, giving her the news that the family are threatened by enemies in Rome and - as a consequence of an affair - he is no longer a trusted government investigator. A local gang of troublemakers want to “encourage” Aurelia to “invest” in protection for the mansio. Finally, a group of wealthy and influential Romans arrive to stay and disrupt everyone with their demands and feuding. To top it all, when a guest dies it is Aurelia who is chief suspect!
Running a good inn in a quiet part of the countryside is trying enough but such incidents happening at once almost proves too much for the determined and sensible Aurelia. The problems soon interweave to make the ladies of the Oak Tree Mansio despair of safety, let alone a peaceful and enjoyable Saturnalia. It takes the intelligent wiles of Aurelia and the practical yet emotional efforts of her sister Albia, not to mention the staff and regulars of the Oak Tree, to try to sort out the truth, the fairness and the solution to so many problems.
The owner of a business named after the oak burning mistletoe? It really wasn’t a good idea! Once again, Jane Finnis excels in her storytelling. Aurelia and her family are given believable life, their personality quirks and feelings made vivid by the “voice” of Aurelia. The plots and inventions that permeate the novel are both realistic and understandable. The clues might not be obvious but they exist; the solutions are completely logical. This isn’t a modern puzzle dressed in toga and sandals - this is an intriguing mystery of Roman life and politics.
A Bitter Chill by Jane Finnis
Published by Poisoned Pen Press, 2005
ISBN: 1-5905-8193-8
Verdict: Entertaining, involving and
charming - I highly recommend this story!
