"Roman Games" is a successful "Whodunnit", where you also happen to get better acquainted with the Roman daily life. Bruce McBain is classical scholar and knows what he writes - he manages to give a genuine ancient Rome to life. Some of Plinius` views and morals are perhaps a little too much latter day / christian influenced, but all in all he is a very successful character. The other figures are drawn believable and with their strengths, weaknesses, fears and hopes very empathetic and humane. The story itself is nicely written and told interesting. Some one suspects indeed already before Pliny finds out (what I take is to at least partially even intends ultimately Pliny is not the allertalentierteste investigators), but another came also different from what I had expected - insofar as it was so quite exciting until the end. All in all, a historical thriller with claim, level and depth, which is fun and very consistent.
