SPQR I: The King’s Gambit is an entertaining combination of murder mystery and light history lesson which takes us back to 44 B.C., to the bustling and powerful city of Rome. The protagonist is Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger. As Head of the Commission of Twenty Six, his job is to solve the murders in his district of Rome – a particularly rough neighborhood called the Subura. His father, Decius Caecilius Mettellus the Elder, is an Urban Praetor (or high officeholder) who laments that the Younger does not honor his family, and prefers “low company and disreputable pursuits.” Thoroughly enjoying his detective work, Decius ignores his father’s comments and maintains his position.
The story opens with the murder of a former gladiator named Marcus Ager. While investigating his death, Decius is summoned to a Senate chamber to hear that other events have taken place the same night. A warehouse has burned down and its owner, Paramedes – an Asian Greek from Antioch and a resident of the Subura district – has been stabbed to death. When Decius states that this is a matter for international police (so to speak) he is told that he, Decius, will work on the case – and will keep a low profile while doing so. The plot becomes more complicated and delicate as people of high rank and office are drawn into the mystery.
As with all good historical fiction, we learn a lot about the era, the people, the politics and the local customs. There are descriptions of the life of a gladiator, political posturing, the famous reclining dinner parties, and the very complicated social ranking of the times. The historical commentary is nicely woven into the story, although there were a few times when it was a bit obvious. Famous political figures – Caius Julius Caesar, Pompey and Crassus – become part of the story and we learn more of their actual histories as well.
Initially I listened to this book on CD, which allowed me to hear the strange and unusual words spoken, and gave the story an added intrigue. The disadvantage – which I realized when I picked up the book – is that I missed some of the details. The difficult names – and the political dealings – can make the story tricky to follow in audio version.
The first book in the series – SPQR – came out in 1989. John Maddox Roberts has continued to write about Decius Caecilius Metellus and recently published SPQR XII: Oracle of the Dead (2008). Check out all 12 volumes at WRL.
Check the WRL Catalog for SPQR: The King’s Gambit
Check the WRL Catalog for the SPQR series
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