The Murder of Cleopatra: History's Greatest Cold Case

A very interesting read although there will the usual number of people who will say this is fiction it is a rethinking of what is called history. Pat Brown is a criminal profiler and brings her expertise to the problem of Cleopatra's death. She is quite open on how she became interested in the problem and develops her thesis slowly, at times a bit too slowly but thoroughly. Her pointing out that there are numerous conflicting stories of Cleopatra's death, how she died and the facts, such as they are, were not reported until years later make the official story or stories, there are at least a couple, seem a like a cover up. Read with an open mind, this is a good book and shows that history does deserve to have second and maybe third looks taken over incidents that we consider truth.

Does history need to be rewritten? Was Cleopatra murdered, rather than committed suicide? CSI Pat Brown makes a strong argument. It is interesting reading and well written. You decide.

After reading this you will rethink your history. This will make you see the events in a totally new way which makes much more sense than the traditional & historical way the events of that time are now known.

I lost interest after awhile because there was so much information that didn't pull me in. After awhile I didn't care how Cleopatra died! But, Pat Brown was nothing if not articulate and accurate in her research.

Did not like the point of view

well researched and plausible, changes my thinking about how history gets written - winners write history and it doesn't have to be true. Written interestingly enough to get you through the technical stuff. Very plausible.

Interesting speculation, but not convincing.

I, unfortunately bought this book. It is written by someone who obviously does not know anything about Roman history, and is fascinated with Cleopatra because of Hollywood mind imprinting of a great empress, whose legacy has to be cleared. Author does not understand that 20th century Judeo-Christian and USA based values and behavior have nothing to do with the Egypt of Octavian's time. Cleopatra was an opportunist and a hero (in her own way) of her people who tried to manipulate Roman rulers into relinquishing part of the power they vielded in Egypt to her, and her son, Cesarion. It would not work with Octavian Augustus, since anybody who even superficially studied Augustus should realize he was completely calculated person and a ruler par excellance. This book is someone's wishful thinking, kind of as if a pro-nazi writer wrote a book about how Hitler was a good guy because he liked him.

I think my problem with this book is that I wasn't quite sure if I was reading a serious biographical work setting out new theories about Cleopatra's death or a piece of fiction. The style was uncomfortably novel-like in places, and this detracted from it, for me anyway. An interesting take on Cleopatra's life and death, but I'm note sure it left me feeling convinced.

Interesting book. Highly recommended read.

This is a new approach to the death of that great hstorical figure, and to her entourage. Up until now we only had the biassed historical writers to rely on, as well as Shakespeare's over-romanticized play. I'm not saying that Pat Brown's findings are absolutely true, but they could be, especially in the light of Rome's foreign politics and Octavian's ruthlessness and ambition.