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A review by raptorimperator
Nobody Loves a Centurion by John Maddox Roberts
5.0
Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger is far from home in this one, and the comforts of civilization. His nemesis Clodius has been elected Tribune of the People, so needing to get him out of Rome for the duration of Clodius's term in office, his family send him up (along with his slave Hermes) to Gaul to serve as an officer in Proconsul Julius Caesar's legion, the famous 10th Legion. Of course, Decius wastes no time getting himself into trouble once there, making a personal enemy in the person of Centurion Titus Vinius, First Spear of the 10th. Vinius is murdered, and Caesar orders Decius to investigate the death. At first I thought Decius would be considered the guilty party and have to work to clearing his name, but it was others, namely one of his client and his fellows whom he worked at clearing.
I always enjoy the story when it takes Decius out of Rome, and into new settings, this being the second time in the series that the story takes place out of the Eternal City. The case was actually pretty good, I thought, as I didn't see the twist at the end coming, like Decius, I had thought he'd solved the case, but there was more to it. But the vast majority of the story, from how I see it, is seeing Decius--a true city dweller--having to live and work in an army camp. Hermes accompanies this with his usually complaining and bemoaning, but even the harsh army camp life can't stifle his snark and insolences. The only downside in the setting was that we weren't treated to some witty banter between Decius and Julia Minor. Though Decius, once again, allows his weakness for the opposite sex to cloud some of his judgment in the personage of a German slave woman, whose attractive presence caused some of the problems that had got Decius in trouble with Vinius before the centurion was murdered.
Overall, this was a good, solid addition to the SPQR series, and I look forward to the next book.
I always enjoy the story when it takes Decius out of Rome, and into new settings, this being the second time in the series that the story takes place out of the Eternal City. The case was actually pretty good, I thought, as I didn't see the twist at the end coming, like Decius, I had thought he'd solved the case, but there was more to it. But the vast majority of the story, from how I see it, is seeing Decius--a true city dweller--having to live and work in an army camp. Hermes accompanies this with his usually complaining and bemoaning, but even the harsh army camp life can't stifle his snark and insolences. The only downside in the setting was that we weren't treated to some witty banter between Decius and Julia Minor. Though Decius, once again, allows his weakness for the opposite sex to cloud some of his judgment in the personage of a German slave woman, whose attractive presence caused some of the problems that had got Decius in trouble with Vinius before the centurion was murdered.
Overall, this was a good, solid addition to the SPQR series, and I look forward to the next book.