This book is not strictly for the lover of historical mysteries because it's a good whodunit that anyone who enjoys the genre can - and very likely will - find fascinating. Nevertheless, the setting is all-important. "Get Out or Die" takes place in northern England during August of 91 AD, some thirty years after the Romans suppressed the bloody revolt led by the native queen Boudicca. Aurelia, the narrator and protagonist of the story, runs a mansio, or inn, sponsored by the government, a sort of way station for imperial agents and military couriers to change horses, rest and eat. The "Oak Tree" is also open to non-official patrons, including the local tribesmen, the Briganti, many of whom have not yet accepted Roman domination. Aurelia and her sister, Albia, came to the raw frontier province as children, after their old home in Pompeii was destroyed in the famous eruption of 79 AD. Now in their 20's, their greatest wish is to live out their lives in peace with other Roman settlers and the natives, and mostly it's going well until the morning when Aurelia discovers a body in the forecourt.

Jane Finnis, the author, has studied the history of Roman Britain in great detail and has set the fictitious Oak Tree in a real location near modern York. In the afterword she compares researching Roman Britain with standing in the dark outside a large house and peering into the windows to see what's inside; some windows are brightly lit and others are dim or even totally black. The lighted windows are not adjacent, leaving questions but also great opportunities for the writer. Ms. Finnis has made the most of those opportunities, and I will be looking forward to a sequel to "Get Out or Die."

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