SPQR XI: Under Vesuvius

By: John Maddox Roberts

Narrated by: John Lee

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.

With his SPQR novels, John Maddox Roberts has written a satisfying and entertaining historical mystery series. The stakes just keep getting higher in this latest atmospheric puzzle.

©2007 John Maddox Roberts (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Outstanding story, and my favorite narrator!

I absolutely love all of John Maddox Roberts SPQR series. outstanding story and my favorite narrator John Lee.

His best work yet

I've been listening to all of the SPQR novels over the last couple of months and I must say I haven't enjoyed one more than what I just listened to, and I rate this series extremely highly. While I enjoy the power politics of the other books immensely this one was an amazing deviation. Never has human emotion been such a factor in one of these plots.
The characterizations are impeccable as always, his ability to portray the Romans way of thinking across a spectrum of personalities and just how peculiar Decius is has always been one of my favorite things about this series.
That's sufficient praise heaped onto this book, stop reading the review and buy it.

Rome unlike you would imagine

What about John Lee’s performance did you like?

He is a great narrator, I will be looking to see if he is narrating any other books!

Any additional comments?

Explains life in Rome, as you would imagine it might be. Slavery is common, everybody seems to own a few. Historical characters are involved and you get a feeling Rome was not such a good place even for the nobles.

Great Series!

Narration superb and another entertaining novel with humor and intrigue . Maddox makes it come to life!

great narrator

I'll listen to anything by this guy. I've heard the series through once already, this is my second time.