SPQR I: THE KING'S GAMBIT

This well-researched mystery plays out in the back streets of ancient Rome. Writer John Maddox Roberts delivers a story of greed and corruption that has all of the elements of a classic mystery combined with the grandeur of an epic. Despite official apathy regarding violence in the streets, Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger, a detective of sorts, is determined to investigate two particularly bloody murders. What he finds threatens to bring down the highest levels of the Roman government. Narrator Simon Vance has never been better. He dives into character from the start, giving the story a polished reading. Vance’s crisp British accent is perfectly suited to the role of the protagonist. The result is a remarkable listening experience. L.B. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2008]