Caveat emptor, by Ruth Downie

 

I continue to be impressed with the excellent writing in this series. Caveat emptor is the 4th in the Medicus series which follows a 2nd century doctor in Roman Britain. In this entry, Ruso is back in England with his now-wife, Tilla, and looking for a job as a doctor. His friend Valens had promised to help him find a position, but instead he found him a temporary job as an investigator for the tax office. A tax collector in a nearby town has gone missing along with the month's tax receipts, and his wife Camma is strongly denying that he is responsible for the theft. Ruso and Tilla go with Camma and her infant back to their town to investigate, and are later helped by the arrival of Albanus and Valens. They follow the money trail, which leads to a potential forgery ring, but find the town leaders, all British, to be eager to cover up what has happened. I really enjoy the period detail provided in these books, including everything from the food to clothing and decor, and I find them to be very well written.