Review: Under Vesuvius by John Maddox Roberts

by Chriss Cornish published: May 21, 2010 No Comments

U is for Under Vesuvius

This Book Is About

Things are going well for Decius Caecilius Metellus. He is Praetor Peregrinus, which means he has to judge a case or two, but those cases are outside of the City. His cases will be those dealing with foreigners, and all of Italy is his province. His first stop is Campania, ‘Italy’s most popular resort district’. Decius and his wife, Julia, are happy for a change of scenery. But the good times end when, in a town near Vesuvius, a priest’s daughter is murdered. Decius must find her killer and keep the mob off a young boy who everyone blames but he believes to be innocent. Decius may have acquired more prestige, but he’s also acquired more trouble.

My Thoughts On This Book

I enjoyed Under Vesuvius, it’s a fun read with an exciting mystery in a historically ‘real’ setting.
The plot was exciting, the story well paced, the writing nicely visual, and the historical detail was good.

I have a tendency to start reading new series in the middle or towards the end. Something that miffs some people, but that I feel shouldn’t matter with a well written book. it In that grand(?) tradition, Under Vesuvius is the 11^th novel in the SPQR historical mystery series set in ancient Rome.

This particular SPQR book is set during the time of Julius Cesare’s rise to power, and the story opens several months after his conquest of Gaul. The plot mostly takes place in a notorious party town on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius, and if you guessed ‘Pompeii’ as the town you would be wrong.

Under Vesuvius takes place in the ultra hedonistic and uber lush and corrupting resort town of Baiae, which was notorious and fabulously rich. Part of what makes the book interesting is how the town’s capitalistic hierarchy and values, so like our own today, contrast sharply with the mindset of the rest of ancient Rome. It’s an interesting way to get a window on the culture of Italy at that time via comparison with a subculture more similar to reader’s.

The main character, Decius, is sort of a judge for all cases involving foreigners in Rome (the empire, not just the city), but he started out as something closer to a police officer. His wife is a strong, patrician woman who’s a cousin of Julius Cesare. They’re both pretty interesting characters and I have the feeling that their relationship forms and develops with the novels. I want to go back and read all the previous ten books now just to ‘watch’ them some more.

Having not read any of the other books in the SPQR series, I had no trouble understanding who people were and what their relationships are. Like all good books in a series this one can stand on its own. There is a little who’s-who guide in the front of the book for the benefit of the reader, though.

There’s also a glossary of terms in the back of the novel. I never needed to refer to it, though, because the author never leaves the reader confused about what things are during the novel. The glossary’s more there to give you some extra information about what certain words meant during that particular time period.

So this is a good mystery book in a well researched and presented historical setting.