Roman Games (Plinius Secundus Series)
Macbain’s debut novel transports readers to Rome in 96 CE. It is time for the Ludi Romani (Roman Games), a festival that brings the business of the law courts to a halt for 15 days. In the midst of the festivities, Sextus Verpa, a notorious senator who is both an informer and a libertine, is stabbed to death in his bedroom. The cruel, insane emperor Domitian commands Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, better known as Pliny the Younger, to investigate. He races against time, hoping to save Verpa’s slaves from death in the arena. With assistance from the decadent poet Martial, the young senator and lawyer unravels a complex plot that involves Jews and Christians (atheists in the eyes of the Roman polytheists), Egyptian cultists, and a horoscope predicting the emperor’s death. Macbain, a professor of ancient history, vividly captures the violence and decadence of Roman life while enticing readers to turn the pages. This will appeal to fans of Lindsay Davis, Steven Saylor, Robert Harris, and John Maddox Roberts. --Barbara Bibel--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.