eviews
and Praise
for Nox
Dormienda
You'll
find blurbs and reviews below, as they become available.
If
you are a reviewer and interested in reading
NOX DORMIENDA, please email:
publicist@kellistanley.com
A Notable Debut in Writer's Digest (July-August, 2008)
… takes the reader on a colorful tour of this singular culture high and low, from jails and brothels to the corridors of power. First-timer Stanley is sure-footed and enthusiastic about history … and crafts a satisfyingly intricate puzzle …
Kirkus
... the author, with her background in classics and archaeology, has a good sense of time and place. The staccato movement of the narrative is very reminiscent of the hard-boiled detective genre she is trying to reinvent as "Roman noir" ...
Library Journal
The Roman conquest of Britain continues to interest writers, and Stanley has come up with a different angle, focusing on Arcturus, a half-British, half-Roman doctor who is the physician of Agricola, the provincial governor. A Syrian spy, widely believed to be carrying a message terminating Agricola's tenure, is found dead. But where is the message? And why was he carrying all this money?
There's lots of action, with threads involving Arcturus' servant, the spy's reluctant fiancee, a badly run brothel and the secret lives of those who follow the "old" (Druidic) religion. There's also plenty of blood, cruelty and political machination in this well-done story that will keep the reader guessing for many chapters.
Roberta Alexander, Contra Costa Times/San Jose Mercury News
In NOX DORMIENDA, Kelli Stanley has created a startling new genre of mystery: the Roman noir. Written in a fresh and uncompromising voice, here is a novel as evocative of ancient times as it is masterful in crafting a mystery as entangled and ingenious as any modern story.
I look forward to vanishing again into the world she has created. Don't miss your chance to do the same.
James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of The Judas Strain
NOX DORMIENDA (A LONG NIGHT FOR SLEEPING) nigh cost me a night's sleep! A Roman noir ... and with a depth of scholarship that should be off-putting but works beautifully. The language is a sheer treasure. Lest you think you're going to be wading through heavy Latin references, here's a typical line: 'Luckily for him, his ass isn't as narrow as his brain or he wouldn't be able to shit.'
From classical to sheer class and for a book that is so meticulously researched, it has a wild and wondrous sense of humour. What a series this is going to be! Imagine Ellis Peters re-written by Elmore Leonard and you'll have some notion of this gem of a novel—and it moves like a gladiator on speed.
Ken Bruen, Barry and Shamus Award-winning author of Priest
From first page to finis, NOX DORMIENDA by Kelli Stanley is chock full of chills, thrills, and breath-taking adventure. Fueled by fascinating characters and rich details from Londinium in 83 A.D., this unforgettable tale brings the past eerily alive while leaving you hungering for the next book in what surely will be an exciting series. Stanley is a terrific writer.
Gayle Lynds, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Spymaster
Kelli Stanley skillfully introduces readers to Roman Britain noir in NOX DORMIENDA. A credible mystery, a touching love story, sufficient suspense to keep the reader invested and eager to discern the guilty—and to discover whether or not the innocent will be spared from paying—all steeped in authenticity and a love for history that bodes well for the successful launch of a splendid, informative and entertaining series. Praeclarus nixus!
Vicki Hinze, www.vickihinze.com
Never heard of Roman Noir? Well you have now. Kelli Stanley, academic scholar and admitted noir fan, bursts onto the scene this summer with the first installment of her historical noir series ... Stanley combines classic noir and mystery elements with expansive research into first century Roman Britain. Her efforts pay off. It’s a combination that really works quite well.
Becky Lejeune, BookBitch
The plot has enough twists and turns to satisfy the most demanding mystery reader ... The writing is crisp and clean with little padding and minutiae which might slow down the pace. The atmosphere is compelling - this is neither “Roman Occupation Lite” nor is it just Marlowe in a toga but a realistically presented setting where the struggles and attitudes of the native and occupying worlds just about interact with some friction.
Alan J. Bishop (for the entire review, visit the Criminal History website)
...I felt like I had bought a ticket to see "Gladiator" but made a wrong turn inside the cineplex and stumbled into Tarrentino's "Pulp Fiction". But as the novel progressed and I got to know the interesting cast of characters, especially the quirky half-Roman, half-Britain medicus who could be gently caressing a puppy one minute and groping in the abdomen of a nearly eviscerated legionary the next, I succumbed to this author's efforts to conjure up a unique view of ancient Rome and began to enjoy the bumpy ride as Stanley's protagonist tugged me through Londonium's back streets, down into a mithraeum, up the back stairs of a seedy brothel, then into the provincial governor's palace where a weary Agricola, one of Domitian's most successful and honored generals, brooded over rumors of his pending dismissal as he realized his old soldier's boots may not be the best footwear to navigate the tightrope of imperial politics. I think what I enjoyed most was becoming an invisible member of the raucous household of Julius Alpinus Classicianus Favonianus (that's Arcturus to you natives or Ardur to any rheumy-eyed Trinovantean females) whose members so eagerly attempted to assist the Dominus in his investigations ...
Mary Harrsch, Roman Times (for the entire review, click here for the Roman Times website).
If Raymond Chandler and Lindsey Davis collaborated on a book, this would be it.
The setting is Londinium in the first century A.D. Arcturus is a man caught between worlds - part Briton and part Roman, both sides tend to view him with distance and suspicion, if not outright hostility. But Arcturus' is protected by his role as physician to Agricola, Roman Governor of Britain. Too, he has made himself indispensable to Agricola in other ways, serving as an informal investigator for his mentor.
In Nox Dormienda (A Long Night for Sleeping), Arcturus is assigned to investigate the murder of Vibius Maecenas, a Syrian merchant who was carrying a message for Agricola at the time of his death. Was the message a commendation for Agricola or a summons to Rome? Unfortunately only a tattered piece of the document remains. Arcturus is in a race against time as he tries to solve the murder and possibly prevent Agricola from being removed from his position as governor.
Arcturus narrates the novel in the first person, as befits a noir novel. He has the perfect world-weary voice, slightly cynical but deep down wanting to believe in the very people he mistrusts. In the course of his investigation, he crosses paths with a beautiful femme fatale who may or may not be aiding his investigation with her cryptic clues and seductive gazes..
The mystery is well-paced and kept me guessing right up to the end. Kelli Stanley brings Roman London to life with her vivid descriptions of life at the time, and I enjoyed the liberal peppering of Latin phrases throughout. Normally, I cringe when I see a glossary at the back of a novel, but in this case it provided a fun glimpse into Roman legal terms as well as the everyday vernacular of the folks on the street.
Arcturus is witty and stubborn to a fault, and he makes a likable, realistically flawed protagonist. I hope this first book in Kelli's projected series is a great success, because I certainly want to hear more from Arcturus!
Lynn Reynolds (Dorothy-L; Library Thing)
Stanley has given us a rich tapestry of a world with depth of color and detail that makes the Londinium of 83 A.D. come alive. Each character has a backstory that comes out naturally in the narrative. The plotting is tight and with enough twists and turns to keep a reader interested. As a classicist, Stanley has used her knowledge of historical societies and culture to help pull the reader in and keep them in this ancient world of political power plays. There's also a glossary of Latin words and phrases used in the book as well as a list of references. I often pick up bits of historical information, and this one lets me peek into the windows to see how the people of this time lived. Readers of noir mysteries and of historical mysteries should find much to like in this, the first book of the Arcturus mysteries. Maledictus, the second book in the series is in the works, and I for one look forward to more adventures with Arcturus.
Gayle Surrette, Gumshoe Review (for the entire review and an interview with Kelli, visit the Gumshoe Review website)
... fans of ancient historical mysteries will enjoy this entertaining Britannia Noir as Arcturus escorts the audience to places not normally found in Roman Empire whodunits ... The story line is fast-paced from the moment the soldiers take the lead character to the crime scene and never slows down ... NOX DORMIENDA is an enjoyable first century amateur sleuth.
Harriet Klausner, Genre-Go-Round; Mystery GazetteOn Convivium
One of the highest compliments an author can receive is an award nomination. Convivium, the short story prequel to NOX DORMIENDA, was nominated for a SPINETINGLER AWARD for Best Short Story on the Web in November, 2007.
