The King's Gambit

(A revision of an earlier review) A great novel rich in historical detail about Rome, especially the complexities of politics and how people rose to power. We also learn a lot about daily life in Rome: meals, customs, slavery. We also learn a lot about crime and street thugs in ancient Rome. Many peop......more

I read this book while taking a break from Steven Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa series. Because I only had two Roma Sub Rosa books left to read, I was scouting for another series set in Ancient Rome (can't get enough of this genre). I saw Roberts' SPQR while surfing the Net, bought the first book in the se......more

A 3.5 star mystery but an absolute, unequivocal 5 stars for the rich and vibrant setting of Rome. Really incredible cultural, societal, and historical info in here. If you're interested at all in Roman life, that alone is worth the price.......more

I’ve been disappointed with several of the Roman mysteries on offer and found myself looking back fondly on the old SPQR and Falcoseries. I remembered these books as standouts and was curious how tainted my memory was by nostalgia. I’ve learned a lot about the ancient world since reading these books......more

First book in the SQPR series. Decius is just starting out in his first public office, as sort of a low level fire chief/peacekeeper, when not only is somebody murdered, but a building is set on fire. Decius starts to investigate, and the clues take him into ever higher social circles. Things keep he......more