15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Decius the Legionary snoop!, October 3, 2001
SPQR is probably the most approachable Roman Republic mystery series because of its amused self-awareness (as Lindsay Davis is the author for the Roman Empire). Also, you do not HAVE to begin with volume 1 of this series, for there is not a lot of biographical reference, development, or aging from one to another...nor is the chronology all that clear in fact. Considerable Roman lore can be found in these stories, but it is worn lightly and contributes to the plots or atmosphere rather than irrupting as distracting digressions.
The sixth novel is very different in setting and atmosphere from the others. It is a fine inside story of service and intrigue in a Roman legion, far from Rome on the wild Swiss frontier at the start of Julius Caesar's famous Gallic War, c. 58 B.C. Our man, Senator and temporary under-officer Decius Caecilius Metellus, joins a legion--whose units, roles, organization, and rationale is cleverly made clear as the plot develops--but quickly runs afoul of a vicious First Spear, the unloved centurion of the title. Soon Decius is again involved in murders and treachery threatening Julius Caesar, and Decius is ordered by this most vividly dangerous of Romans to uncover the evil. We also learn of the nature of Gauls and ferocious Germans, and of Caesar's plans to dispose of them. Decius, too, struggles with a great historical question, how did Caesar become such a charismatic leader following such a mediocre start?
In this story we learn Decius is honest, and not just an upright man in a temptingly decadent Republic. He is saved from being an insufferable prig by a complete lack of righteousness (which may offend PC readers), his sardonic outlook, and self-awareness (the stories are all written in the first person as if with the historical benefit of old age). Within the strict confines of a legionary camp under threat of imminent attack there is less scope for his entertainingly sharp comments on the corruptions and contradictions of ancient Roman life. Likewise there's no place for his betrothed, Julia, one of the more interesting developments of earlier novels.
Here Roberts is better at avoiding the need for a final stand-up scene where someone finally spills all the beans. We can discover more of the wide-ranging conspiracy before the final confrontation, which here is not only surprising but manages to add a final twist. Roberts is the continuing victim of somewhat casual publishers: the ugly art, the same old incomplete map of Rome (here wholly irrelevant), an expanding glossary (also nearly unnecessary here), and never an historical note to help us distinguish between the real and the fictional events. The publishers have finally rendered correctly the "SPqR" quote that always appears on the title page.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Amusing Mystery!, June 16, 2002
After randomly picking this book up at my local public library (it looked like something I would like; I'm a history buff and I like mysteries), it took me all of three hourse to devour this book (that includes snack time. Can't read any good mystery without a snack to power your brain!). Decius, accompanied by his slave Hermes, attempt to aid Julius Caeser is his campaign against the Gauls/Germans/whoever else he wanted to wipe out. However, Caeser decides that the honest and outspoken Decius poses a problem with his First Spear, Titus Vinius. But when Titus is murdered--guess what? There just happens to be a proven mystery solver in the camp!
There's an interesting twist in the end that I didn't catch on to (I guess those chocolate chip cookies I had for my snack didn't help) that really surprised me. In any case, Decius has an amazing sense of humor that was what really kept me going through the book. His personality and motives show through when he decides to do something extremely stupid to help others. All in all, an extremely funny read.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The marvellous series continues, September 10, 2002
There was a substantial gap in the writing time of the SPQR series and JMR returns with another installation that sees our erstwhile hero once more stepping outside Rome. In this case, he is heading to Gaul to serve under Caesar as military tribune in his confrontation with the Helvetii.
What follows is an enjoyable march through a legionary camp (JMR has clearly done some extensive research into the facts of a Roman army camp as the detail closely match historical findings) as the Primus Pilus Titius Vinius is murdered and the obvious suspects aren't so guilty to the eye of Decius.
This neatly sets the scene for him to investigate another murder that encompasses more than we intially are led to believe, but this time he is under pressure to find the guilty party before Caesar returns. With aplomb, he picks his way through the clues and deals with a variety of characters before the denouement that is as subtle as it is brilliant.
SPQR VI is an excellent addition to the series and is highly recommended.
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