Customer Reviews

SPQR V: Saturnalia

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After years of having the SPQR series published in Germany instead of the United States, Decius Caecilius Metellus the younger returns! Thank you, St. Martins Minotaur!

While others find the protagonist a bit stiff (including the same reviewer who confused Rhodesia, unknown to the Romans, with the island of Rhodes), I think he's a realistic representative of the attitudes of the Roman noble of this period. Unlike Lindsey Davis's Didius Festus (Philip Marlowe with a better attitude toward women) and Steven Saylor's Gordianus (very independent for a low-ranking citizen, and very modern in his attitudes), Senator Metellus may strike a reader as too conventional and priggish. However, if one reads his contemporaries, he seems very true to his time and place.

That said, I did not find the plot as satisfactory as ones in previous novels in the series, especially The Sacrilege and The Temple of the Muses. I thought the revelation of the villain and conclusion of the novel rather abrupt.

On the other hand, the recurring characters also strike me as being true to their time and place, and the local color and culture vivid and convincing.

... I had just read the Steven Saylor "Roma Sub Rosa" series, featuring the lovably human Gordianus the Finder, so I felt a bit disloyal even picking up a Maddox Roberts book, but, WOW! am I glad I did. Roberts writes with effortless skill, a keen understanding of complex Roman politics and social hierarchies, and, best of all, a delicious sense of mystery. SATURNALIA, is a wicked tale of murder and adultery, set against the twilight of Rome's Republic. The scandalous Clodia is accused of poisoning her husband (all of this is based on historical events), and Maddox Roberts takes the opportunity to explore some of Rome's darker sides in the process. Roberts' hero - a Junior Senator with the unwieldy name of Decius Caecilius Metellus - is a wonder: patrician by birth, he is able to walk with equal confidence in marble halls, and the stinkiest streets of the Subura. I highly recommend not only SATURNALIA, but all the other novels in the SPQR series. You'll fall in love with Decius, and discover sides to ancient Rome you never knew existed.

Both JM Roberts and Steve Saylor are writing a series of historical mysteries set in the same late republican era of Rome. While Roberts is not as good a writer as Saylor, either in his prose or in his individuation of the characters, in my opinion he has a more interesting perspective. By this I mean, firstly, that he takes the mores of this period on its own terms and does not bring in spurious late-20th-century sensibility as Saylor does; and secondly, that as he has become more confident in the genre his stories have diverged more and more from traditional mysteries/adventures into stories which place the protagonist into situations which explore the underlying stresses of the society in which he operates. An example is a later book in the series (currently only in German), "Revenge of the River Gods," where the hero must investigate a case of corruption in the building industry. As the story unfolds, the hero discovers that the theatre in which he is about to stage the annual games is a death trap, and the persons responsible include his own family. This is quite a different type of story from anything any of the other Roman detectives currently on the bookshelves might be given by their authors. While the earlier books in the series contain some errors, Roberts has evidently continued not just to research but also to think about this period of history and (unlike Saylor) he wears his learning lightly.

This is the volume 5 of the SPQR series. Before you read this book, you have to read the volume 1 (SPQR) and at least one of the volumes 2-4 in order to understand what this book's all about. My advice is to read all the books in the right order.

While "SPQR" is one of my favorite books ever, the three follow-up volumes were a bit disappointing. This one is, however, a worthy match for the first book. Decius is back in Rome and has a criminal case of greatest delicacy to solve. He will meet his usual friends and enemies, some of them under rather unusual circumstances. The final solution is very unexpected. Enjoy it!

Saturnalia is not as strong as the earlier SPQR books, but the theatrics are quite dramatic (the predictions about Decius, the fight at the end) and the humor is wry and cynical. Saylor's Gordianus provides such an excellent "you are there" presence that I overlooked Decius for a while. But then his attitude began to grow on me. He doesn't apologize for virtue; he doesn't worship power; he doesn't fawn over the great men of the day (I enjoy his fine contempt for most of them). The mystery itself is only mildly challenging (in that respect, Roberts does better in his short stories about Decius). But there are some interesting insights into upper-class Roman habits and attitudes, and alternate views of people from Caesar to Pompey to Clodia. For fun, compare the Milo and Clodius of Roberts to the same characters in Saylor. I don't know who's more accurate, but the differences are fascinating. The trick of the narrative being told by an elderly survivor of the period (Decius in his old age) works quite well. SPQR is a bit like eating pound cake; the flavor increases as the series continues. There are more? How nice!

At this particular point in time our old friend Deuisus is investigating a Pre-Roman fertility cult he has no real authority to do this but that has never stopped him before. With the usual cast of characters done of whom disappoint. The reason this particular installment sticks in my mind is because of a line surprisingly profound for a mystery book. The Fortunetellers words proved accurate I did indeed outlive all my enemies but I also outlived all my friends. Just occasionally you can be moved by an author you thought was the writer of fast little mysteries only. Surprising to say the least, expect the unexpected.

Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger has been sampling what he regards as the good life on the beautiful island of Rhodes, but that was never the intention of his family who exiled him there because of knack of causing trouble wherever he goes. Now he has been called back to Rome where his powers of deduction and mystery solving are sorely needed.

The head of a politically powerful family has been poisoned and as usual in these cases the number one suspect is his wife Clodia. It happens everyday, someone or other is murdered, but it is usually a stabbing or strangulation. Poison is different. Poisoning involves the laws against witchcraft. A trial of Clodia for poisoning could embarrass some of the richest and most important families in Rome.

Apart from that Decius thinks that Clodia is innocent. Our young sleuth has ever been a sucker for a pretty face, but to his credit he never lets it cloud his judgement, well until now anyway . . .

Up to now, I've read all the 9 (! ) books of SPQR published in Germany (last one dec 99 : Cleopatra's Ships), but to be honest, SPQR V is the last really good one. I wish JMR would take some more time for his series. They all start very impressively (SPQR, CINGULUM, TRELOAR) in the first 2 or 3 books and then he seems to loose interest. SPQR VIII and IX actually lack the humor and warmth of the series' beginning and read more like written to fullfil a contract. Sad so. I hope though, that interest stays high and that he will return to better form with books X to XX or so... (for more info about the german series look into amazon.de)

I have read all of the books in this series, and they are really great. The interpretations of historical characters are entertaining, the hero is very funny, the plots are interesting. Please write more!

And Decius Caecilius Metellus, fresh from Rhodes, has been asked to solve the crime. For you see, the man was the husband to Clodia, so everybody assumes she poisoned him. Witchcraft, politics, and Roman law make this book very interesting, while still being fun to read, full of action, humor, and Roman culture. Think James Bond in ancient Rome and you have some idea about the SPQR book series.
If you liked this one I would also suggest The Venus Throw: A Mystery of Ancient Rome [VENUS THROW] [Mass Market Paperback] which also is centered on Clodia. Enjoy!