[close] Playboy detective Decius Caecilius Metellus returns in the newest SPQR mystery from John Maddox Roberts. After an enormously successful term as an aedile, Decius is dispatched to seek glory by ridding the Mediterranean of pirates. As if the pirates themselves werent enough of a problem, Decius must humor an overenthusiastic Princess Cleopatra, who is visiting Cyprus, and decipher the clues hinting at a much larger conspiracy behind the upswing in piracy. An explosive collision of Roman, Greek, and Egyptian interests make this an intriguing addition to the series. [close]