This was my first Harry Sidebottom book, and I can't say I would read another. I don't say this because I have anything against The Return as a work of fiction, but because his subject matter does not appeal to me particularly, both from what I have read of this book and his other books.

I understand that the author is a historian of some kind and that comes out very much in this book. It is very well researched and by someone who clearly knew his subject. I know something of ancient Rome myself, so I can tell that this was more than mere research, but true enthusiasm and passion for the subject. The premise of the book sounded a little dubious to me from the start I have to say, and it was really the fact that the book appeared to be a murder mystery set in Ancient Rome that appealed to me rather than anything else. Sadly, my initial doubts regarding the plot were born out.

Unfortunately, as well written as the book was and as well researched and accurate the historical aspects, it didn't really work on any level. For one thing, there was way too much of war in this for me. This was clearly a man's book (and I don't care how that comes across - it is quite true!) The in-depth descriptions of Roman martial life were a bit much and formed quite half of the book. Also, the oft and minutely described scenes of fighting and violence were also not quite what I was expecting. I was up for a Roman historical novel but I expected more of Lindsey Davis and less of Simon Scarrow. One half of the story, which is told in flashback, is an account of Paullus, the main protagonist's life a short while before the events of the main storyline take place. He, a young farmer, and some local friends join the legions for a chance of fortune and glory, and the story follows their fortunes until some dramatic event during the sack of Corinth. The other half of the story is the supposed mystery that unfolds when Paullus returns from the army, and these chapters alternate with the chapters of the army storyline.

As the mainstay of the story, Paullus is not exactly unlikeable, but it is difficult to like him. He is so flat, and any attempts to develop him as a character fail to succeed. In fact, there is no character development at all, and the person with the most character in the book is the girl Minado, a potential human sacrifice offered to appease a vengeful spirit but rescued by Paullus. Paullus is clearly suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, although one supposes that this would not be recognised in Roman times, so this makes him a dour and humourless fellow. Clearly there is some event in his recent past that troubles him with feelings of deep guilt and remorse, and the army flashbacks are laying the ground and taking us inexorably towards this event. Again, as with the murder culprits, it is not difficult to work out what this event was, so no real mystery there either. A thing that made me laugh was that several characters in the book mention to Paullus that he had changed since returning from the wars. Indeed, this was used as the main reason he was arrested for the murders. Of course, a youth who joined the army as a young, carefree lad, was taught to maim and kill, spent a few years doing just that, along with sacking, raping and pillaging, then came home to a quiet, rural farm would be exactly the same man he was when he left it!

Sadly, the mystery thread also fails to grab. It is presented in a strange format which seems to require no buy-in at all from the reader. There are no real clues and the detective - Paullus himself - seems to do no investigating whatsoever. We are presented with a couple of horrific murders, and the finger of suspicion is at first pointed at a supernatural culprit. Paullus does not believe this and sets about attempting to solve the murders. However, his method of accomplishing this is puzzling in the extreme. He questions no suspects, discovers no clues, performs no discernible investigation, yet appears to come to a conclusion. He goes through a lot of introspection, but we are privy to only the conclusions, not the thought processes, so the reader is not at all invited to attempt to solve the crime himself. All the same, the culprit is quite obvious for all that. There is not enough there to keep any mystery reader interested, and I have to say that, with the army sections that I found profoundly uninteresting, and the mystery that was singularly uncompelling, this was not the best of reads.

Even the section when Paullus was arrested fell flat. It was quite clear what was going to happen as soon as he was called to the third murder (or was it the fourth), and he gave in so meekly. His reaction to the accusation was so weak and dispirited, I could scarcely believe it. He said barely a word in his own defence and seemed content to sit back and let Roman justice take its course, until his slaves took the initiative and sprung him from jail. And as soon as he was out, he suddenly knew who the murderers were and immediately sprang into action, but such action as I could scarcely credit. His method of bringing on the denouement made no sense at all. He bushwhacked one of the conspirators and used him as a tethered goat to lure the others out. Then he used the captive as a bargaining chip against the others. But the captive was a slave and the other conspirators Equestrians, if not Patricians, so why Paullus should think his life was worth anything to them was beyond me. Needless to say, the thing ended up with even more fighting and bloodshed, but there was a happy ending and Paullus did get a wife.

Continuing the trend started in his last 2 books, Sidebottom has written another easy to read Roman action thriller. This is a fun read, the plot switches between past and present cleverly, and no pages are wasted as the story races to a pretty swift conclusion.

As enjoyable as it is, the depth and quality of writing that made Sidebottom stand out in his early work is missing from this book. His Warrior of Rome books were fully of knowledgable insights into Ancient Rome, along with high quality prose. Sadly, his writing has simplified too far, taking with it a lot of the quality.