Review: The Song of the Gladiator

The Augusta Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, has long held a fascination for the Christian sect. Her son marched into Rome after he had a vision of their Holy Cross, after all, even though neither he nor his mother are followers of that religion. Helena now scours the Empire searching for holy relics: a sliver of the cross, a nail driven into the Christ’s palm, the spear thrust through his side. So far, her greatest find has been the Sanctus Gladius, the Holy Sword reputed to be the instrument of St. Paul’s martyrdom.

But now a rift has developed in the sect; some Christians hold that Christ was not the son of God, and the scholars have become locked in debate. Helena invites orators from both sides of the schism to Villa Pulchra for debates. Then the Sanctus Gladius disappears, and one of the orators is murdered. Helena calls upon her “little mouse,” Claudia the spy, to find out who killed Dionysius and who stole the sword.

Claudia has a mystery much closer to home to solve, as well. Her gladiator beau, Murranus, has been accused of poisoning his most recent opponent, Spicerius. She needs to find out who tried to kill Spicerius and place the blame on Murranus, and why, in order to salvage Murranus’s honour. As she digs into these separate worlds, gambling and politics, she uncovers the solution to a crime in her past and discovers that perhaps these worlds are not so different after all.

The Song of the Gladiator is another in the Claudia series set in ancient Rome. As with all of Doherty’s historical mysteries, the research is meticulous; the author really brings to life the teeming streets of Rome, the horror and heroism of the Coliseum. Central to it all is Claudia, one of Augusta Helena’s Agentes in Rebus. Subject to the Augusta’s whims yet never bowing to them, Claudia wends her way through the mysteries with which she’s presented with a combination of logic and intuition.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Catherine Thompson - RAM

Book Review: The Song of the Gladiator