SPQR XI (SPQR, 11) MP3 CD – Unabridged, May 10, 2016

Decius, the main character of the SPQR novels gets a new position and temporarily becomes a detective in the lap of luxury. Decius, a born investigator, becomes a man of leisure, living in a grand villa with hundreds of staff and attendants..Decius Caecilius Metellus finally has an office with imperium. He was elected as praetor peregrinus, essentially the magistrate who judges all cases involving foreigners in Italy. Imperium means power over people, power to decide disputes between them, and the power to punish those who violate the law. As judge of cases involving foreigners he gets to travel to all of Italy's resort towns.His first trip is to Campania which is near Mount Vesuvius and the luxury resort towns of Cumae, Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Baiae. As the second highest official in the Roman republic, Decius is invited to lavish dinners and parties. He is accompanied by his wife Julia and two of her friends, who focus and comment on the lavish dresses and decorations in the homes of the rich.The tranquility of Campania is disturbed when the daughter of a priest of Apollo is murdered in the garden near Decius's villa. Instantly residents blame Gelon, the young son of a prominent slave merchant. Decius arrests the boy and places him under guard to avoid mob execution. While the boy is in captivity, someone murders his father. Decius, despite being the senior magistrate decides to investigate these crimes himself to avoid mob rule. The investigation is difficult and complicated.As in most of Maddox's SPQR series, numerous information is explained concerning ancient Roman customs. First we learn that Baiae has streets that are brightly lit at night for safety and commerce. The city also constructs massive awnings that shade the streets so that pedestrians can shop without suffering from the hot sun.The wealthy citizens of Campania have special caves to keep ice even in the summer. Laborers bring ice and snow to Baiae from high mountains and stock the caves so the rich can have cold drinks in the hot summer.The Romans borrowed from the Greeks a tradition called euergesia. Euergesia requires that rich people provide public works for the people. Failure to comply can result in being ostracized.Under Vesuvius is an excellent novel filled with action and suspense. This tale has it all - suspense, action, plot twists and a surprise ending. I recommend this story for those who enjoy historical fiction and mysteries.

I'm a big fan of this series and have them all. I ordered this last summer, as soon as I knew it was coming out and was happy to get it. The series is well written, literate and fascinating. The author really knows his stuff and provides a good glossary at the back so you can look up what he's talking about when it doesn't translate to modern times - without slowing down the action with explanations. He uses humor effectively, writes very well, plots well, and has engaging characters. I did think this wasn't up to some of the earlier books - it almost felt as though he tossed off the ending - it was plenty plausible, but somehow felt pasted on and had too many explanations in the last few pages, rather than bringing them out along the way. I'm still happy I got it and will order SPQR XII as soon as it is available. I would recommend starting with some of the earlier books, however and then read this one. Not because you need the background, each book stands alone, but because I think they were better books. Incidentally, one reason I love these mysteries is the absence of several pages or paragraphs full of "I had ....." he's able to give you what you need to know without this sad, sloppy, amateur technique and I thank him for it. He writes other series, including a Conan series, but this series is far and away superior.

This is a strong addition to the series and also works well as a standalone novel. Roberts both captures amusingly the atmosphere of the late Roman Republic and provides a tightly written murder mystery.Our hero and narrator, Decius Caecilius Metellus the younger, has now advanced to a senior magistracy as Praetor Peregrinus in charge of court cases involving foreigners in Italy. With his wife and entourage he is stoically enduring the extravagant delights of the resort town of Baiae. As always, Decius portrays himself as a would-be playboy, reluctantly diverted by civic duty. His relaxed assumption of upper class superiority amidst an endlessly indulgent social swirl sometimes remind me of Bertie Wooster. But behind the facade, Decius is both intelligent and remorselessly diligent. Roberts skillfully namedrops through late Republican society, with Caesars and Antonii and Cicero himself dropping by.Beside the resort atmosphere, Baiae also provides a complex murder mystery for Decius to solve, with many interlocking roles, hints, and misdirections. In some other novels of the series, the atmosphere and politics are interesting, but the murder mystery itself is weak and unconvincing. "Under Vesuvius" fixes that problem. The plot is complex, but the pieces ultimately fit together well, with a surprising and satisfying conclusion.Although this is the 11th member of the series, it is also a fine place to begin. It is one of the strongest of the recent volumes and requires no prior knowledge of the other novels. A very enjoyable five stars.

I have read this series 4 times over the past 10 years. Just to be back in this world. Thank you Mr Robert’s!!

Another fine addition to a solid, entertaining, and informative Roman era mystery series. Decius is at the height of his power, right before Caesar takes over. His job is to oversee areas outside Rome in the Italian peninsula, particularly acting as a magistrate. Naturally, everywhere he goes is plagued with particularly challenging troubles.

Decius is a praetor peregrinus. He finally has status and power and he wants to enjoy his time away from Rome. When he visits Camapnia he investigates a murder which seems it was a lovers quarrel gone terribly bad but the deeper he digs the more secrets come to the surface

This is a hugely enjoyable series, and Under Vesuvius is no exception. Gordianus only more so. I've balked at the price of some of the series and sourced them on Amazon Marketplace, but my only regret is that I've now read the lot.

Probably one of the best books from SPQR series.