Blurb
When a sacret woman’s rite in the ancient city of Rome is infiltrated by a corrupt patrician dressed in female garb, it falls to Senator Decuis Caecilius Metellus the Younger, whose investigative skills have proven indispensable in the past, to unmask the perpetrators. When four brutal slayings follow, Decius enlists the help a notorious and dangerous criminal. Together, they establish a connection between the sacrilege and the murders, and track the offenders from the lowest dregs of society to the prominent elite of the upper class, finding corruption and violence where Decius least expects it.
My Review
This is book three in the SPQR series about a precocious patrician turned murder detective—or however you would call that in ancient Rome. This is the first book I discovered in the series, but, with a working knowledge of the historical personages, I had no trouble picking up the threads. Our protagonist, Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger, has just returned to Rome from a year in Gaul, and his return happens to coincide with Pompey’s anticipated triumph and a fresh scandal surrounding his mortal enemy Publius Clodius Pulcher. Decius views their relationship with a large serving of sarcasm:
“Well, that’s—“ My words were cut off short when a man standing next to Caesar but with his back to me turned around. His face was malignant, dark and flushing darker. I should have recognized that squat, neckless form even from behind.
Somehow I managed to control my natural impulse to reach for a weapon. Just as well, since I was unarmed.
“Why, Publius,” I said, “I rejoice to see your face again.” And indeed I did. It always did my heart good to look upon the scars I had put on that misshapen countenance.
Needless to say, things go from bad to worse. Decius is directed to investigate the sacrilege connected with the ancient rite of Bona Dea—where Clodius snuck in disguised as a woman—along with a series of murders that seemed to relate to the scandal. There was also the uncomfortable near-miss where he was almost poisoned, himself. Who is behind the assassinations and the attempt on his own life? Decius keeps trying to get himself killed while solving the mystery, giving us a very unlikely set of circumstances (in my opinion), and a far-fetched conclusion (also, in my opinion). Nonetheless, it is fun to read and the characters themselves seem true to form.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sacrilege-SPQR-John-Maddox-Roberts/dp/0312246978
