The Catiline Conspiracy - John Maddox Roberts

   1991; 204 pages.  Book 2 (out of 13) in the “SPQR” series.  New Author? : No.  Genres : Historical Fiction; Intrigue; Roman History; Suspense.  Overall Rating : 7*/10.

 

    Rome, 63 BCE.

 

    Somebody has stashed a bunch of swords and shields in the Temple of Saturn.  Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger (let’s just call him “Decius” from now on) wants to know who.

 

    Well, Decius has every right to ask; he’s a quaestor in charge of keeping tabs on the inventory of offerings at the temple.  Granted, his main purpose is to deter people from walking away with those offerings, and weapons are rarely if ever given as donations.  But hey, a job’s a job.

 

    It’s funny though, those swords and shields are not of the highest quality.  Why would someone think Saturn would be grateful for used weapons?  And maybe whoever they belonged to just wants to temporarily hide them, not to donate them to Saturn.

 

    Someone who might want to overthrow the current government in Rome.

 

What’s To Like...

    The Catiline Conspiracy is the fifth book I’ve read in John Maddox Roberts’ “SPQR” series.  The 13 books present the crime-solving adventures of Decius chronologically, but I don’t think it’s necessary to read them in order.

 

    If you like reading deeply researched Historical Fiction, you’re going to love The Catiline Conspiracy.  John Maddox Roberts paints a vivid picture of life in Rome at the height of the Republic, showing the daily life of both the upper-class Patricians and the common people.  There's also plenty of Suspense and Intrigue in the storyline, if those genres float your boat.

 

    I liked the way the issue of slavery is dealt with.  Despite a quaestor being a low-level public official, Decius owns several slaves, all of whom are content with their position in life.  The famed Spartacus Slave Revolt had occurred just a few years before (71 BCE), which perhaps impacted how the Roman citizens now treated their servants.  I also appreciated the mention of Hannibal and enjoyed learning about the out-in-the-sticks rival empire called Parthia.

 

    Early on, Decius's neighborhood is jolted by a sudden spate of killings, and he is appointed to figure out who did what.  His sleuthing method reminded me of Peter Falk’s Columbo character—attend get-togethers where ambitious powermongers are gathered, and ask nonthreatening but insightful questions.  Hey, it worked for Columbo, and it works here.

 

    The ending is logical, albeit not particularly exciting.  The commoners that were swept up in the conspiracy fare poorly, but the powers manipulating them seemed to all get away.  Perhaps that was the message John Maddox Roberts wanted to leave us with.

 

Kewlest New Word ...

Myrmidons (n.) : followers or supporters of a powerful person.

Others: Rapine (n.); Sacerdotal (adj.), Extramural (adj.); Lustrations (n.), Sophistry (n.).

 

Ratings…
    Amazon:  4.2/5 based on 275 ratings and 41 reviews.

    Goodreads: 3.91/5 based on 1,703 ratings and 102 reviews.

 

Excerpts...

    I saw a man walking toward me through the rejoicing throng.  He wore a purple-striped senator’s tunic and his feet were bare.  I groaned.  A Senator’s tunic coupled with bare feet meant one thing: Marcus Porcius Cato, the most formidably boring man in Roman politics.  He attributed all the ills of the day to our failure to live as simply as had our ancestors.  He regarded himself as the exemplar and embodiment of antique virtue.  The early Romans had not worn shoes, so he didn’t either.  (pg. 8)

 

    “He wants a return to the evil days, when Romans killed Romans in the very streets of Rome?  I always knew he was pernicious, now I know that he is mad.”  He looked at me with a frosty smile.  “This has been most sagacious, Decius.  I know of no other man whose mind works like yours, sifting evidence and placing seemingly disparate facts together to construct a—how shall I put it?—a model of how things might have happened.  You should have been a philosopher.”  (pg. 157)

 

“Asklepiodes, you must let me kill you.”  (pg. 150)

    The Catiline Conspiracy was a slog for me, mostly because I was expecting it to be a Historical Mystery where I could tag along with Decius and try to solve the murders before he did.  That was a mistake on my part; there is very little Mystery-Investigating here.

 

    Cussing is almost non-existent —just two damns in the whole book.  There is one roll-in-the-hay, plus one “adult situation”, but neither is done lewdly.  I only spotted two typos, which is actually quite clean, since this particular version was published in 1991, and I doubt auto-correct was around back then.  One plot thread remained unresolved: a budding romantic relationship between Decius and one of the characters.  I imagine this gets further developed in the next book in the series.

 

    So learn from my misstep, and read this book for its most excellent Historical Fiction aspect.  Ignore the fact that our protagonist does almost zero sleuthing.  I suspect that John Maddox Roberts’ found his planned plotline was hampered by historical facts.  See the next section re this.

 

    7 Stars.  One last thing.  In doing research for this review, I was astounded to find that it is based on historical fact.  Catilina really did exist, and he really did head a failed attempt to seize control of the Roman Empire in 63 BCE.  Read the Wikipedia article on this here.  Catilina’s biography really does limit what John Maddox Roberts can do with the storytelling.

The Sacrilege - John Maddox Roberts

   1992; 204 pages.  New Author? : No.  Book 3 (out of 13) in the “SPQR” series.  Genres : Murder-Mystery, Historical Fiction; Rome.  Overall Rating: 8*/10.

 

    These are busy times for Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger (hereafter we'll just call him “Decius”).  He’s just arrived back home in Rome after a stint with the Roman army in Gaul, and thanks to some family string-pulling, he’s now a Senator.  But that’s not why he’s busy; new Senators are expected to show up for sessions, cheer and clap when appropriate, and otherwise keep their mouths shut.

 

    But when a Patrician friend is murdered, people look to Decius to find out who did it, since he’s known to have a flair for asking questions and poking his nose into things.  This will tie up Decius for a while, since no one can think of anybody who’d want to kill the Patrician.

 

    Then there’s that scandal at the recent “Rite of Bona Dea”.  The secret ceremony is off-limits to all males, yet Clodius, who Decius is not on good terms with, somehow wormed his way into it and has now fled the scene, since the penalty for such an infraction is death.  Again, People Decius is expected to look into the matter.  It’s going to be a challenge since Clodius is in hiding and all the women are sworn to secrecy about the ritual.

 

    On top of all that, someone just tried to poison Decius, via a furtive sprinkling of a white powder on his pastry.  How in Jove’s name will Decius solve all these mysteries, especially the one where he was the target?  Can things get any busier?

 

    Yes, they can.  And they do.  When more bodies are found.

 

What’s To Like...

    The Sacrilege is set in the city of Rome in the year 693 via Roman reckoning, or 70 BC via our dating.  It is an era chock full of notable Romans.  Julius Caesar is a youngster on the rise, Cicero and Cato are at the height of their Senatorial careers, and Pompey and his mighty army are camped just outside the walls of Rome, waiting for the Senate to ask him to lead a glorious parade celebrating his recent victories.

 

    The storyline is equal parts murder-mystery, historical fiction, and action-intrigue.  This is a turbulent time in the world – the Roman Republic is threatened by those who wish to turn it into a dictatorship, or even something new and bizarre - a triumvirate.  The ordinary citizens would much prefer to keep it a republic, but there are several nobles who are both powerful ambitious, and would love to rule as Emperor over the whole civilized world.

 

    The story is told in the first-person POV, Decius’s.  This is the book that introduces Hermes, a young slave who will also grow to be a friend that’s both insolent to, trusted by Decius.  I’m not reading the series in order, so it was neat to see how and when Hermes came in.

 

    I always enjoy the historical angle of the book in this series.  John Maddox Roberts uses a slew of Latin words in the text, and the 12-page glossary in the back comes in very handy.  I was surprised to learn the Romans had things like greenhouses and wigs, employed the use of fortune-tellers and Etruscan soothsayers, and even asked philosophical questions such as: “would men stop lying just because they’re dead?”

 

    The ending is good, with an ample amount of thrills-&-spills, including a requisite chase scene, and some always-appreciated plot twists.  Not everyone gets their just desserts, in fact almost no one does.  The plans and schemes of just about everybody, including Decius, fall through.  I loved it.

 

Excerpts...

    “Come here, boy, let’s have a look at you.”  The lad complied.  He appeared to be about sixteen, of moderate growth and wiry.  His face was narrow and foxy, with a long, thin nose that provided far too little distance between his eyes, which were an alarming shade of green.  His dense, curly hair grew to a sharp peak over his brow.  His whole look was shifty and villainous, with a touch of surly arrogance.  I liked him instantly.  (pg. 9)

 

    “Am I to understand that you have taken upon yourself one of your inimitable investigations?”

    “It helps pass the time,” I said.

    He grew very serious.  “Decius, my friend, I have known many men who courted death for the sake of glory.  Others do the same in pursuit of wealth, power or revenge.  You are the only man I know who does so as a sort of intellectual exercise.”

    “Every man finds his pleasures where he will,” I said, quoting an old saying I had often seen carved on tombstones.  (pg. 102)

 

Kewlest New Word ...

Recondite (adj.) : esoteric, abstruse, obscure.

 

Ratings…
    Amazon: 4.3*/5, based on 44 ratings.

    Goodreads: 4.07*/5, based on 1,079 ratings and 45 reviews

 

“It is always inadvisable to take liberties with the diet of professional killers.”  (pg. 65 )

    There are several nits to pick, none of which are show-stoppers.  For a 204-page book, you meet a lot of people, many of which have compound names, so a Cast of Characters would’ve been quite useful.  I was surprised to find a couple typos – danger/dagger, plaze/plaza, god/good – in this published paperback version.  Perhaps Avon Books needed a better editor; but then again, maybe these errors are all cleaned up in later editions.

 

    I only noted three instances of cussing – two poops and a penis – in the whole book.  There are a couple brief and subtle references to homosexuality (Decius refers to it as the “Greek” way), but they really play no part in the tale.  Homophobes and prudes can pretty much read in peace.

 

    The titular “Sacrilege”, while certainly a factor in the story, is not the main plotline; the four murders are.  Finally, there’s a deus ex machina near the end that conveniently documents all the reasons for the murders.  Without this godsend, Decius would not have solved anything, let alone have any proof.

 

    But that’s okay.  I read John Maddox Roberts stories mostly for the historical fiction and action-adventure, and within those genres, The Sacrilege is one fine novel.  I’ve got one more book from this series on my TBR shelf, which I'm looking forward to.  After that, I’ll either have to hit the used-book stores while braving the pandemic or hope that John Maddox Roberts occasionally discounts the Kindle versions.

 

    8 Stars.  The Sacrilege was my fourth SPQR book, and John Maddox Roberts has yet to disappoint.  If you like murder-mysteries set in ancient Rome, this is definitely a series to get into.

Saturnalia - John Maddox Roberts

    1999; 261 pages (not including the glossary).  Book #5 (out of 13) of the SPQR series.  New Author? : No.  Genre : Historical Fiction; Crime Mystery.  Overall Rating : 8*/10.

    Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger (just call him plain old "Decius") has been summoned to Rome and given a daunting task.  A relative of his, a fellow by the name of Celer, has died suddenly and it is suspected that he was poisoned.  Of course, this is in the time of Julius Caesar, and proving it was poisoning is difficult, if not impossible.

    Decius’s dad, as well as the rest of his family (and most of Rome, for that matter) are sure that Celer’s wife Clodia did the dirty deed.  So their charge to Decius is not to find out who’s guilty, but to find evidence proving Clodia is the guilty party.

    But Clodia’s brother, along with the rest of her family, who are powerful political rivals of the Metellus family, have also contacted Decius.  Their instructions to Decius are not to find out who’s guilty, but to find evidence proving Clodia is innocent.

    It’s a pretty good bet that someone’s going to be very disappointed with Decius’s efforts in this case.

What’s To Like...

    Saturnalia is part of John Maddox Roberts’ “SPQR” series, which combines Murder-Mystery sleuthing with some excellent Historical Fiction depicting daily life in the Roman Empire at the height of her glory.  I’ve read two other books in the series; they are reviewed here and here.  The author’s attention to historical accuracy is so well-researched that it is possible to give a particular year (I’m trusting Wikipedia on this) in which each story takes place.  Here, Julius Caesar’s star is still rising, and I liked the way he’s portrayed – powerful and ambitious, but also having keen insight into the things and people surrounding him.

    The story is written from the first-person (Decius’s) POV.  There’s an extensive glossary of Roman Empire terms in the back of the book, but I think it also could’ve used a Cast of Characters at the front, since there are a slew of them to follow, and just about everyone is a suspect.  We tag along with Decius as he asks questions, gets threatened, gets lost, and gets in everybody's hair.

    As the title implies, this particular tale takes place during the annual Roman celebration of Saturnalia, and it was really neat learning about this holiday.  For a brief time, social taboos such as public gambling are allowed, and slaves and masters temporarily are equals.  To boot, if witches are your thing, you’ll enjoy interacting with their various orders – the saga, the striga, and the venefica.  The Romans consider these women pagans, preferring to get their fortunes told by augurs, haruspices, and the Sibylline books.

      As always, John Maddox Roberts’ wit and writing skills are on display; as is his attention to historical detail.  One small example:  in those days, the term  “janitor” denoted a slave serving as a doorkeeper.  Kewl stuff.

Kewlest New Word...

Fillip (n.) : something that acts as a stimulus or boost to an activity.

Others : Proscription (n.); Skirling (v.); Sophistry (n.).

Excerpts...

    “Suppose I found myself plunged into deepest despair?”

    “Try a skilled whore and a jug of wine.  That should fix you up nicely.  Improve your outlook no end,”

    I was almost beginning to like her.  “But this is a melancholy beyond bearing.  I must end it.”

    “Try the river.”

    “That would be ungentlemanly.  You get all bloated and fish nibble at you.”

    “You look like you’ve spent some time with the legions.  Fall on your sword.  You can’t get nobler than that.”  (pg. 49)

    “Did Ariston remark at the time upon, oh … any irregularities in the manner of Celer’s passing?”

    “No, in fact he stated rather emphatically that the symptoms were those common to death from natural, internal disorders such as attend a great many common deaths.  This time, he declared, the only unusual circumstance was the seemingly robust health enjoyed by the deceased.”

    “You say ‘seemingly robust health,’” I pointed out.  “May I know why you qualify it thus?”

    “Well, first of all, he was dead.  That alone means he was not as healthy as he had seemed.”  (pg. 214)

“If you’re going to lie to me, you might as well get drunk and do it convincingly.”  (pg. 77)

    The quibbles are minor.  The Murder-Mystery is well-crafted, but choosing the culprit seemed rather arbitrary.  So take my advice: instead of trying to determine who the murderer is, concentrate on figuring out why Celer was killed.

    I also found the final resolution of the crime-solving to be a bit unconvincing.  The murderer, having received a message from Decius letting him know the jig is up, opts for an honorable confrontation to decide matters.  If I were the guilty party, I would’ve tried something less honorable, and sneakier to silence Decius.  Something involving a dark alley perhaps.

    Finally, there are several conversations about the politics of the times, and though they are important to the storyline, they got confusing and tedious.

    But these are all minor things.  Saturnalia is another fine offering from John Maddox Roberts, and I’m sure I’ll be reading more books from this series, especially since my local library has most of them.

    8 Stars.  7 Stars for the Murder-Mystery; 9 Stars for the Historical Fiction.

SPQR - John Maddox Roberts

   1990; 215 pages.  New Author? : No.  Updated Title : The King’s Gambit (SPQR 1).  Genre : Historical Adventure; Murder-Mystery.  Book 1 (out of 14, plus some additional short stories) in the “SPQR” series.  Overall Rating : 8*/10.

    On the streets of Rome, in 70 BC, someone has murdered the ex-gladiator, Marcus Ager.  They didn’t even do it the Roman way (with a sword); they strangled him.  Oh well, there are slayings every night in Rome.  What's one more dead commoner?

    It is Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger’s responsibility to look into crimes in this neighborhood and he feels honor-bound to do so.  But no one expects him to be thorough about it.  Indeed, there are some who strongly encourage him to curtail his snooping and just turn in a sanitized report.

    Then the bodies start to pile up.

What’s To Like...
    If you read SPQR as a murder-mystery, you may be a tad disappointed.  You’ll probably figure out the “who” of the whodunit early on; and while the “why” is uncovered gradually, there aren’t any major twists to the investigation.  The intrigue behind the plot is complex, though, and figuring out the “who” behind that is more of a challenge.

    But as a Historical Adventure, SPQR is superb.  You’ll go to the markets and the public baths with Decius.  You’ll slog through ordinary workdays and attend festive holidays.  You’ll enjoy everyday meals and lavish feasts.  And of course, along the way, you’ll look for clues and try not to get mugged (or worse) when it gets dark.

    Decius makes a fine protagonist and an excellent narrator.  He has no qualms about pointing out the “warts” of Roman politics; but he’s just as quick to show the strengths of the Roman psyche.  There are a slew of characters to meet, greet, and examine as possible suspects.  For the most part, the characters are gray – some of the highborn are scoundrels; some of the lowborn, if lacking in charm, at least have a measure of integrity in them.

    The ending is well-crafted.  The investigation may be straightforward; but its resolution has a couple of nice twists.

Kewlest New Word. . .
Fructifying (adj.)  :  making (something) fruitful or productive

Excerpts...
    “It is always good to know what men of power are saying in Rome these days.  And while Hortalus was the only man present tonight who wields real power, the rest show great promise for the future.”
    “Even Curius and Catilina?” I asked.
    “Men don’t have to be intelligent or capable or of good character to play an important role in the high affairs of state.  It is quite sufficient to be bad and dangerous.”  (pg. 60)

    “It is the greatest game in the world.  It is played on a board made up of kingdoms and republics and seas.  The men are just counters.  They are placed on the board according to the skill of the players.”  She paused.  “And there is the uncertainty of luck, of course.”
    “Fortuna can be a whimsical goddess,” I said.
    “I don’t believe in the gods.  If they exist at all, they take no interest in what men do.  But I believe in blind chance.  It just makes the game more interesting.”  (pg. 187)

“He's a patrician.  You can kill them, but they don't take humiliation well."  (pg. 130)
    This is the second book I’ve read in this series.   My first one (Book 4), The Temple of the Muses, is reviewed here.  They were both enjoyable reads, particularly for their historical “feel”.  One is set in Rome; the other in Alexandria.  At just over 200 pages each, they are both “thin” books.  But if you’re a history buff, the detailed descriptions in both will keep them from being quick reads.

    There are some subtle differences between the two books.  The Temple of the Muses seemed to me to have more wit and humor, and the writing felt more polished.  OTOH, it also has one or two WTF moments; I didn’t notice any of those in SPQR.

    8 Stars.  Which is what I gave both books.  They’re fascinating looks into life in the Roman Empire at the height of its power.  That’s good enough for me.

The Temple of the Muses - John Maddox Roberts

1992; 203 pages.  Book #4 of the SPQR series.  Genre : Historical Adventure; Murder Mystery.  New Author? : Yes.  Overall Rating : 8*/10.

    Who would want to kill a crotchety old Alexandrian philosopher?  That's what our hero, Decius, wants to find out, even if it's technically none of his business.  He's part of a Roman diplomatic mission to Egypt, but his specialties are offending the natives and getting into trouble.  Fortunately, he's also pretty good at solving crimes.

What's to like...
    The story is set in Ptolemic Alexandria - slightly before the reigns of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar come to pass.  The Temple of the Muses is a history-lover's detailed delight - you can envision the streets and buildings of ancient Alexandria in its prime as Decius nakes his rounds investigating the murder.

    The story is told in the first person, and John Maddox Roberts gives our hero and abundance of wry wit.  Decius has some entertaining insights about religious cults (and religions in general) and political intrigue, which is the same in any age.  He also treats the subject of slavery evenly - horror stories are avoided, and Decius' slave, Hermes, is both a servant and a confidant.  But Decius is also aware that Hermes would bolt at the first chance if he was sure that he wouldn't be caught again.

Kewlest New Word...
Sistrum : a musical instrument of ancient Egypt consisting of a metal frame with transverse metal rods that rattle when the instrument is shaken.  See the Wikipedia article on it here.

Excerpts...
    The previous generation of Ptolemies had assassinated one another nearly out of existence, and an irate Alexandrian mob had finished the job.  A royal bastard, Philopator Philadelphus Neos Dionysius, who was, in sober fact, a flute-player, had been found to fill the vacant throne.  For more than a century Rome had been the power broker in Egypt, and he appealed to Rome to help shore up his shaky claim and we obliged.  Rome would always rather prop up a weak king than deal with a strong one.  (pg. 11-12)

    "That is the Temple of Baal-Ahriman, although in better days it was a respectable temple of Horus.  I would recommend that you avoid it, Senator.  It is a cult brought here by unwashed foreigners, and only the lewdest and most degraded of Alexandrians frequent it.  Their barbarous god is worshipped with disgusting orgies,"
    Hermes tugged at my arm.  "Let's go!  Let's go!".  (pg. 72)

A murder!  How thrilling!  (pg. 53)
   You'll find The Temple of the Muses in the Mystery section of your local bookstore or library, but if you read it for that, you'll be disappointed.  The key breakthrough moment is extremely contrived, and other logically important discoveries (such as a mercenary army training secretly in the desert) get mind-bogglingly ignored.

    OTOH, if you read this a historical fiction, you'll find it a fascinating story.  There's plenty of action, lots of intrigue, and a look at daily life in Ptolemic Egypt that you won't find anywhere else.

    At 200 pages, this is a quick read, and even though it is part of a series, it stands on its own quite nicely.  I liked it better than the Lindsey Davis 'Marcus Falco' book I read (reviewed here).  We'll give it 8 Stars, and if I run across any more of the series in the bookstores, I'm sure I'll pick them up.