Spqr I: The King's Gambit: A Mystery -- John Maddox Roberts

<p><b>Blackmail, corruption, treachery, murder--the glory that was Rome.</b> <p/>In this Edgar Award-nominated mystery, John Maddox Roberts takes readers back to a Rome filled with violence and evil. Vicious gangs ruled the streets of Crassus and Pompey, routinely preying on plebeian and patrician alike, so the garroting of a lowly ex-slaved and the disembowelment of a foreign merchant in the dangerous Subura district seemed of little consequence to the Roman hierarchy. But Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger--highborn commander of the local <i>vigiles</i>--was determined to investigate. Despite official apathy, brazen bribes, and sinister threates, Decius uncovers a world of corruption at the highest levels of his government that threatens to destroy him and the government he serves.</p><br><br><b>Author:</b> John Roberts<br><b>Publisher:</b> St. Martins Press-3PL<br><b>Published:</b> 08/24/2001<br><b>Pages:</b> 288<br><b>Binding Type:</b> Paperback<br><b>Weight:</b> 0.75lbs<br><b>Size:</b> 8.40h x 5.50w x 0.80d<br><b>ISBN:</b> 9780312277055<br><p><b>About the Author</b><br><p><b>John Maddox Roberts</b> has written numerous works of science fiction and fantasy, in addition to his successful historical SPQR mystery series. <i>SPQR XIII: The Year of Confusion</i> was published in 2010. He lives in New Mexico with his wife.</p></p>