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David Wishart
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Bodies Politic Paperback – January 1, 2011

by David Wishart (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 326 ratings
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David Wishart's Roman sleuth Marcus Corvinus returns in this gripping mystery. When Marcus Corvinus is given a letter from Sertorius Macro, the Emperor Caligula's erstwhile adviser forced into suicide for plotting against him, claiming that he was innocent and asking Corvinus to clear his name, he isn't keen on the job at all: sticking your nose into the political dirty laundry basket is currently just too damned dangerous. However, when the inconsistencies begin to mount up, Corvinus is firmly hooked. It'll take him two near-death experiences, a lot of fancy footwork in avoiding the fatal attentions of Rome's great and not so good, and some serious riot-dodging in Alexandria before he works it all out, mind...
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  1. Book 13 of 21
    Marcus Corvinus
  2. Print length
    192 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    PlashMill Press
  5. Publication date
    January 1, 2011
  6. Dimensions
    6.14 x 0.41 x 9.21 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0956500757
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0956500755
  9. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ PlashMill Press; First Edition (January 1, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0956500757
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0956500755
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.14 x 0.41 x 9.21 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 326 ratings

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David Wishart

David Wishart

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
326 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Berys Rowe
5.0 out of 5 stars Bodies politic
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2013
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Marcus Corvinus, a Roman private investigator, receives a letter from a senator who committed suicide some three months earlier, asking him to clear his and his wife's name with the emperor Gaius Caesar. His investigations in Rome eventually lead him to Alexandria which is in the throes of an uprising between the Greeks and Jews. His investigations bring to light two conspiracies both involving members of the imperial family.
A very absorbing story, well written and kept my attention throughout.
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Anchises
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2014
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Fun and entertaining. A most enjoyable read for fans of historical mysteries.
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Margy W
5.0 out of 5 stars Best Marcus Corvinus Yet
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2012
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Bodies Politic is the best Marcus Corvinus novel yet. I knew I was going to be highly entertained when I read the opening line "Organizing weddings is a pain in the rectum".

David's historical knowledge is first rate, and anyone who knows little about the period can read all the Marcus Corvinus novels in the secure knowledge that this is a man with a great respect for the past. Not to mention a downright wicked sense of humor.

Fast paced and exciting, "Bodies Politic" is a great introduction to the genre, and a feast for fans of Marcus Corvinus.
9 people found this helpful
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D. G. Hulan
4.0 out of 5 stars Moving Past Tiberius' Reign
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2017
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At this point the Marcus Corvinus series has moved past the death of Tiberius; Gaius Caesar, better known these days as Caligula, is now the emperor, and Rome is even more bound up in intrigue than it had been previously. Marcus Corvinus is given a letter by a man who claims to be the secretary of a prominent Roman who’d committed suicide a few months earlier on the order of the emperor. The letter is signed by the dead man, and claims the he is innocent and asks Corvinus to investigate and clear his name. And thus begins a complex dance, including a shopping trip to Alexandria in the course of which Corvinus is nearly murdered. Corvinus is one of the better first-person narrators in the mystery field, for my money; he’s not as good as Archie Goodwin or Marcus Didius Falco, but I can’t think of any other that I like better, though he’s definitely cruder than either of the foregoing, even though he’s of much higher birth than either of them. If you’ve tried Wishart you’ll know whether you like Corvinus’ style; if you do this is a decent outing for him.
One person found this helpful
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Ms. Cathy Howat
5.0 out of 5 stars Best Marcus Corvinus yet
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2012
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I ahve always loved the Marcus Corvinus books, but was saddened when--for reasons unknown, David left his publisher. Thank God for kindle! This is easily the best of the series. Set in the reign of Caligula, and just as his madness is starting to become aparrent, this has it all, Backstabbing, dirty politics, palace coups, just like Washington, London or Canberra on a normal workday :) Plus mMarcus has to deal with a wedding and shopping for the perfect material for Bridesmaids's dresses!n (poor man) Ave Marcus Corvinus, and I hope david will continute to publish on Kindle
5 people found this helpful
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Sherry Mazzetti
3.0 out of 5 stars A decent read but not compelling
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2015
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The plotline is fairly complex and somewhat interesting, although the conclusion was not a particularly stirring ending. I was not able to become interested in Corvinus or his family. I wish that those of us unfamiliar with other Corvinus books (because they are not available on Kindle) had some greater insight into who they are. There is virtually no description of Marcus, Perilla or some other characters who seem to be ongoing in the novels. I applaud the attention to historical detail, while the language is somewhat discombobulating at times, as it is both slangy and VERY English. I much prefer Lindsey Davis' Falco novels which also use "familiar" and occasionally coarse language without being quite as jarring.
2 people found this helpful
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Jim G.
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best in this excellent series
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2020
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The author continues to do a masterful job of interweaving history with the solving of a mystery. The historical notes at the end of each book are well done and important.
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Anne Mills
4.0 out of 5 stars but for my money that's what makes these books fun, along with the detailed classical Roman background
Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2017
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Corvinus is back in the political swing here, trying to determine how to deal with a letter suggesting a deep conspiracy. First, is there a conspiracy? And second, if there is, how should Corvinus deal with it, given that said conspiracy could target his charming emperor, Caligula? This time round, the ending is a bit undefined: just keep reading the series. As usual in this series, the style is more British noir than classical Latin, but for my money that's what makes these books fun, along with the detailed classical Roman background. If this is the sort of thing you like, you will like it. If not, other reviews suggest, you won't.
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Top reviews from other countries

Mary Heron
5.0 out of 5 stars Corvinus back working for the Emperor, sort of.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 5, 2023
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Macro and his wife had been forced to commit suicide by Emperor Caligula just a year after the death of Tiberius. Now six months later Corvinus has a visitor, the man has with him a letter from Macro declaring himself innocent of the crimes for which Caligula wanted him dead. He asks Corvinus to look into things now some time has passed and if he can prove Macros innocence to the Emperor and thus maybe help improve his children's current situation. Not forty eight hours later Corvinus is almost killed in a staged accident. Obviously there is something to investigate and someone, or several.someone's that do not want Corvinus poking his nose in. Perilla is terrified, people who annoy the Emperor end up dead (or exiled then dead) she doesn't want her husband to be one of them. Especially as they have Melissa's wedding to work on, there's only four months left nd still.so.much to do. Including a trip to Alexandria for material...........................
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travelswithadiplomat
4.0 out of 5 stars Finally!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 30, 2013
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Marcus Corvinus is a character whom I love as much as Marcus Didius Falco. I was immensely disappointed in 2008 when it all seemed to come to a crashing end in "Illegally Dead" and I tried to move on with the likes of Ruth Downie's 'Ruso' novels or Rosemary Rowe's 'Libertus' series. Yet, as palatable as those alternatives were, I sorely missed the wisecracking Corvinus, the oddly modern vernacular Wishart chooses to give his bright, wealthy investigator. The pairing of Marcus and Rufia Perilla, stepdaughter of Ovid, was in serious danger of being as iconic as Marcus Didius and Helena Justina. When Marilyn Todd stopped her adventures of the "champagne loving, irreverent Claudia Seferius" in 2006 I was consoled with Corvinus. Then, as we know it all stopped - publisher issues. The kind of thing that readers give not a fig for, yet are forced to endure.
And then, five years later I stumbled across Bodies Politic and the next - No Cause For Concern. Both kindled instantly; I then saw the upcoming 'Solid Citizens' was due in July and a big grin spread over my face.
Happy? I kid you not, I was delighted.
OK, I may be two years behind but I sat and read this novel in two hours, devouring every word. It was all so familiar; like the thumbed nose Wishart gives to the language - we have Marcus using words that didn't exist till hundreds of years after his time, like: "Chop-Chop!", "boy-band", "top-bracket", "Very bonny", "In spades", "snazzy", "local wide-boy", "rubber-necking", and finally, the glorious sentence: "dirty-linen-furkling business."
The plot is what you'd expect of Wishart - this time Marcus receives a mysterious visit from one Dion, freedman and nervous informant passing what purports to be a letter from the deceased Macro asking him to investigate the charges of treason that led to his passing. In a few pages we discover the letter is bogus but that doesn't mean Marcus' sleuthing appetite hasn't been whetted and he trots off to see Caligula in order to get a sanction to investigate the "treason" and the "four top suicides in the space of eight months". In turn this leads him to Alexandria to both help Perilla buy some wedding cloth, but, more importantly, see where civil unrest is brewing under the suspiciously laconic Governor Flaccus. It's all very murky, the political maneuvering incredibly dangerous what with our hero dodging runaway carts, ad-hoc muggings, and obtuse suspects. In fact, as Marcus puts it: "this thing wasn't like a straightforward murder with a definite victim and a definite perp. Oh sure, there were bodies enough, but they were bodies politic and they'd killed themselves...it wasn't a matter so much of whodunit...as why it was done."
The only topic that got uncomfortable was the rabid antisemitism of Agron's wife Cass. I understand Wishart is setting up a riotous assemblage between the Greek and Jewish inhabitants of Alexandria as vital to the secondary plot but the vituperous monologue by the lady is repeated more often than is necessary. Sure, it shows how prejudice by the masses is based on vicious rabble-rousing rather than individual critical thinking, but I found it didn't add anything to the plot.
Anyway, Marcus Corvinus is back and this reviewer is delighted....
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Kat Man Do
5.0 out of 5 stars Couple of flaws, but otherwise Corvinus is on top form.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 15, 2011
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Firstly I think David Wishart must be thankful that kindle exists. Since he left his publisher trying to get hold of this book for a reasonable price has been a nightmare. No presale, or if there was I missed it. Couldn't even get it at the library. So when I was trawling again I found the Kindle version, great.

I wondered if David Wishart was going to delve into the reign of Gaius, or skip it. The reign of Gaius is a bit of a historical minefield, but Wishart - as usual, manages to steer Corvinus through it; keeping body and sanity together - but forget Gaius's problems Corvinus's womenfolk are planning a wedding and that leads to some quite amusing asides.

Wishart is also very good at devious sub-plots and weaving them into a timeline which is more or less historically accurate but with more red herrings than an Icelandic fishing fleet. He does meddle a bit with timelines, the book being slightly out, but he admits this himself in the authors note bit, and it makes for a cracking pacey read. There was a minor bit of confusion at the start over who was aunt Marcia's husband but a really minor point.

I hope he sorts his publisher out or continues on Kindle or both.
6 people found this helpful
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Sheenagh Pugh
4.0 out of 5 stars Not before time!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 13, 2011
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It seems ages since there was a Corvinus and a recent online interview with Wishart reveals that a change of publisher may be part of the reason. Wishart has left Hodder for a very small print-on-demand outfit.

I'm not sure this was wise. Re production values, I note that the cover and, I think, the paper, are flimsier than in the Hodder books, and for the first time there is no map, either of Rome or of the book's other main setting, Alexandria, which would have been a big help.

As for the story, it is well up to standard and indeed manages, as he often does, to give us a strange frisson of recognition when Corvinus runs into Alexandrian Greek anti-semitism (Romans of his day weren't anti-semitic as such, or no more so than they were anti-anything non-Roman, but Alexandrian Greeks were another matter). When he, and we, hear a character we've met before and liked coming out with this sort of stuff, the distance of centuries suddenly doesn't matter.

I like the book a lot, which is why the carelessness I can see in it annoys me all the more. A couple of times before, Wishart has been careless about continuity in his series. In "The Lydian Baker", he gave the name of Marcus's mother as Volumnia instead of Vipsania; in another book he dithers about whether Aunt Marcia was Fabius's widow or sister-in-law. In this book he has done it again, twice. First, after stating that Marcia's husband was Fabius, he has someone refer to him as Paullus - I think, on the same page. Later he has Corvinus claim to have found out about the sexual tastes of Sulpicius Galba from the man's wife Aemilia, "one of Perilla's poetry-klatsch pals". Well, sorry, but I recall "Last Rites" very well, better in fact than its author seems to, and that ain't so. Perilla didn't know Aemilia and Corvinus didn't find this out from her. He is, I think, confusing her with the wife of Publius Vitellius in "White Murder", who was a friend of Perilla's and also had a peculiar husband.

This really won't do, you know. It gives the impression Wishart doesn't care enough about his own creation to get it right, and that's mildly insulting to all those who do care about it. Do your homework, man! Were it not for this irritant, the review'd be 5 stars.

Oh, and I hope we don't have to wait so long for the next...
27 people found this helpful
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C
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 2, 2023
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Good book - No problems with transaction
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