The Year of Confusion

SPQR #13

by John Maddox Roberts

Gaius Julius Caesar, now Dictator of Rome, has decided to revise the Roman calendar, which has become out of sync with the seasons.

As if this weren’t already an unpopular move, Caesar has brought in astronomers and astrologers from abroad, including Egyptians, Greeks, Indians and Persians. Decius is appointed to oversee this project, which he knows rankles the Roman public: “To be told by a pack of Chaldeans and Egyptians how to conduct their duties towards the gods was intolerable.”

Not long after the new calendar project begins, two of the foreigners are murdered. Decius begins his investigations and, as the body count increases, it seems that an Indian fortuneteller popular with patrician Roman ladies is also involved.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical, Crime, Audiobook

288 pages, Hardcover

First published February 16, 2010

About the author

aka Mark Ramsay

John Maddox Roberts is the author of numerous works of science fiction and fantasy, in addition to his successful historical SPQR mystery series. The first two books in the series have recently been re-released in trade paperback.

Reviews

[Georgina Ortiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

And so the end has come. For the series, the Caecilii Metelli, Decius Caecilius Metellus. And for me, a great fan of SPQR, it is more bitter than sweet. Consummatum est.

If you loved the entire series, for all its hits and misses, warts and all, you would love SPQR XIII, too. SPQR XIII is one of the series' many hits, actually. And lest you misunderstand, the "misses" of the series are too few to make any difference. Say that I'm biased, flocci non facio.

The one thing I love about this series is it actually improved toward the end. Even with the protagonist getting older with each installment, the mysteries (and the adventures) become even more entertaining. John Maddox Roberts is extremely talented. If I'm going to be a series writer, I want to write like him.

I've said this before and I will say it again: if you love Ancient Rome (and the wealth of history that comes with the subject) and you want to be thoroughly entertained, this series won't fail you.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great entry in the SPQR series.

Things are in turmoil in Rome. Julius Caesar is dictator, and is changing everything, including the calendar. Decius gets appointed as the man in charge of the calendar, which is being concocted by a bunch of foreign astrologers.

Of course, one of the astrologers gets murdered, sending Decius down another rabbit hole.

A great mystery in a time of turmoil.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent historical detective novel set in Rome at the time of the introduction of the Julian calendar.

Well plotted, well paced story with lots of historical detail. John Maddox Roberts is good with his research, but doesn't let the details intrude on the story.

Excellent read. Highly recommended.

[Geordie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most of the SPQR series, the story-telling, immersion and characters are great. However, yet again, the mystery is convoluted and unbelievable, and the conclusion is rushed and over-dramatic. I would definitely encourage it to anyone who's been up on the series, definitely! A fun and engrossing read, I just constantly have trouble with Roberts' endings.

[Mikhail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A respectable capstone to the series, though I do wish Roberts had written an actual finale as opposed to just stopped writing them. Still, a perfectly respectable historical mystery series, and one I do appreciate.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

How sad to reach the end of this series. I have so enjoyed Decius, Hermes, and Julia and will miss their adventures. Like many of Roberts's books in this series the mystery is good, but not the best part of the book. The best part as always is Roberts imagining of the key figures of the Roman republic and the nuance he manages to squeeze out of seemingly small situations. Here he takes on the Roman calendar and the fascination with astrology. In doing so the mystery of who killed an astronomer intersects with the final parts of Caesar's dictatorship. Watching Caesar sink into the trappings of a king and lose the respect of the aristocracy (including even his own niece Julia). The mystery here is good, but watching Decius interact with the various key players (Caesar, Antony, Servillia, Brutus, Cleopatra, and Atia) is just so fun. A great ending to a great series.

[C.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Number 13 in this strong series finds our hero Senator Decius Caecilius charged with the unpopular of introducing the new calandar that Dictator Julius Ceasar (one of his better accomplishments, but it did not go down easily according to the plot of this book). Soon he has bigger problems, namely the murder of one of the foreigen astronomers that were recruited to create the calandar. Then a second one is killed. The mystery, although a good one, is not nearly as interesting as these events. We have followed Ceaser up the ladder, and, we will follow him down again and all the players that make that happen are supporting characters in this book. Mostly, I like that he writes these as an only man telling his life story and he is a true grumpy old man.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a melancholy Decius in this last SPQR book. The Republic he knew & loved is gone and Cesar is dictator. In the war between this book & the previous one, his family, the Metelli, chose Pompey and lost everything. Except him. Married to Cesar's niece in a political plan that anticipated just this scenario, Decius is safe, for now.
Cesar puts him in charge of implementing the new calendar & then investigating the murders of two of the astronomers that created it. They were murdered in a highly unusual manner that leaves everyone wondering how they managed it. The investigation leads Decius into the dangerous world of women's politics and the question of who Cesar's heir might be.
I'm so sad its over, but it ends on a high note.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Run-of-the-mill mystery. Not one of the better ones in this series.
In "the year of confusion", Caesar, with the help of astronomers from distant lands, is setting up his revolutionary new calendar since the present one is so out of joint. Decius is appointed as overseer of the project and stumbles upon two murders; two of the astronomers are done in by a method not seen before. Decius and Hermes get on the case. The author's touches of humor and wit [?] fell flat with me.

[Georgene · Rating 3 out of 5]

This may be titled "Year of Confusion", but I really think it would be a good title for every one in the series. Did I LIKE this book? Of course, I did!

[Maj · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know there are short SPQR stories I haven't read yet, but I'm still hoping this is not the last proper book in the series!

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

And thus ends the SPQR series. It had its ups and downs, but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

There is a big time jump in-between this book and the last one. The civil war is over, and Caesar is now dictator. During the in-between, it appears the vast majority of the Metelli clan backed the wrong horse in the civil war, leaving Decius as the only survivor. His father, the Elder, much of died, because Decius is never referred to as the Younger in this story.

Caesar is setting up his new calendar, as the one Rome had was incredible out of sync. He tasked Decius to oversee the final stages of it, also having him be the one to introduce it to the populace., who aren't really thrilled with the changes. Naturally, some murders occur, and Decius is charged with finding out the culprits. He goes about this task with his loyal freedman Hermes at his side. His patrician wife, as well as Caesar's nieces, Julia Minor still features heavily as his confident and does her own investigating.

Much is made of Cleopatra's presence in Rome, and Caesar's eventually selection of an heir. I always get a kick how Decius always refers to young Augustus as that Octavius brat. He never refers to him as Augustus, when speaking as the older Decius, always "The First Citizen" and never in favorable terms. Many famous historical figures feature in this book, Brutus, Cassius Longinus, Servilia (Brutus's mother), Antonius (Mark Antony), and even Cicero has a brief appearance, along with other characters throughout the series that are still alive during this point.

The mystery is a little convoluted, but entertaining enough. Per usual, Decius arrives on things near the end, and the conclusion is a little rushed and dramatic. I'm sad to see the end, and will miss Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger and company.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

So sad to have reached the ending novel to this excellent series. Every one enjoyed, and the last two were tops. Great plot in this one as it highlights the inner gossip and interchange between mighty powers and culture of the time. Especially in regards to all the patrician and highly placed women. Antonius and Brutus too- just as I imagined they both would be. Swagger /staidness opposites, of course.

Caesar rules. Our prime couple are both set with tasks. Some of them are direct orders, and others done in afternoon astrology sessions that have become the Matrons' preferred entertainment. The descriptions are fine here within every chapter. Places, food, inner rooms. Planning the massive constructions to the improved Rome and also the "new" houses outside the original town city state walls of Rome. All is in great change and in vast dangers to please or not. No censors anymore to curtail Senatorial corruption either.

First year of the new Julian calendar. What to do about the 3 month's rent for those periods that no longer exist? Humor and grain primes. All kinds of problems to oversee regarding "time".

Good ending. He didn't need caps of finality. We all know what happened with these crux movers and shakers. Plus Decius is sad and knows his age and vitality predict few victories ahead. Swordplay and gymnasium work with Hermes will not delay it much either. His wisdom is fully entrenched.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've enjoyed all of Robters' SQPR mysteries-- and this is no exception.

It shares many of the best qualities of the prior ones-- the wrily cynical protagonist, witty writing, a cast of rogueish characters (both men and women) from all levels of Roman society (as well as foreginers), and a plot that links the experience of everyday life in ancient Rome (e.g. the grain trade) to political machinations at the highest order. Particularly clever is the use of Julius Caesar's introduction of a new calendar as the context for the murders that unfold.

Despite this being a fun page-turner, I am only giving it 3 start because I feel that the wrap-up and resolution was far too sudden and hasty. Also, the ultimate plots that are revealed-- both the one regarding the murders and another 'secret' unearthed by Decius are so improbable that they challenge plausibility and suspension of disbelief.

In short, while this was a satisfying addition to the SPQR series, and it may be the last (it look slike Roberts hasn't written any others since this came out in 2010, it's not necessarily the best.

[Gerry Connolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Maddox Roberts’ 13th in his SPQR series, the Year of Confusion, finds an aging Decius Caecilius Metellus summoned by Dictator Julius Caesar to investigate a strange murder of an astronomer who is part of Cleopatra’s Egyptian entourage. His death is followed by another, this one an astrologist, and a third grisly death of a gambler. Metellus and his freedman Hermes are drawn into the murky world of astrology and pursue the case in female circles to uncover the guilty. The subtext of Caesar’s growing autocracy and egotism in 45 B.C. Adds spice.

[Erie L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved reading this latest volume in the SPQR series, not first and foremost for the murder mystery itself but for the wide array of entertaining characters, the humurous voice of the narrator/sleuth Decius and the lively portrayal of ancient Rome! Thumbs up, I hope there will be a volume 14 soon...

[Jacqueline Patterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this series, but there was something missing with this book. Maybe things felt rushed because this is the last book in the series?
What I liked:
-the characters. The author does a great job bringing historical figures to life.
-the way Rome is brought to life
-Cleopatra

Excuse me while I revisit the earlier books in the series.

[Linda Humberstone · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know why this book did not seem to have the same impact or hold my interest as the others in this series. I suppose this happens sometimes with a long series but nonetheless I found it disappointing.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series. So disappointed this is the last one.

[Cutestar · Rating 5 out of 5]

cute :)

[Dorothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decius Caecilius Metellus, now Senator Metellus and married to Caius Julius Caesar's favorite niece, Julia, is tapped by Caesar to oversee his current pet project of revising the calendar. It is 46 B.C.E. and the calendar currently in use in Rome has become hopelessly out of sync with the seasons of the year. Caesar, in his best, practical, problem-solving manner, has called in astronomers and astrologers from around the known world to put matters right by inventing a new calendar that will keep time accurately and not have to be revised every few years. Much as they love Caesar, his fellow Romans hate the idea of having their old calendar tinkered with, and so when the astronomers start dying in violent ways, there is no shortage of suspects in the murders.

Two of the astronomers are killed by means that even the best doctors in Rome cannot decipher. How will Decius ever figure it out and catch the culprit?

The SPQR series is truly one of my favorite historical mystery series. The character of Decius Metellus is meticulously drawn. The stories are written as his memoirs when he is an old man living in the time of the "First Citizen" Octavian, or Caesar Augustus. With a certain sly humor, Decius looks back at the time of Julius Caesar and his plans for a bigger and better Rome. The portrait that is painted here of Caius Julius one instinctively feels is probably very close to who the real man was, and we see the history of that turbulent period through the clear eyes of the very observant, if somewhat cynical, Senator Metellus. As we look at the actions of Cicero, Cassius, and Brutus, as well as Atia and Servilia, even though we know how it is all going to end for them, we hang on every word. Roberts' writing is that good.

The key to this outstanding series is, of course, John Maddox Roberts' research. He knows ancient Rome. He understands and is able to evoke the life of the streets, the action in the Forum, the revelries at the palace of Cleopatra, and the everyday concerns of ordinary citizens and slaves in the great city.

One of those concerns of the ordinary citizens was the uprooting of their normal day-to-day planning and routines by the institution of a new calendar that changed everything. Caesar had faith that they would learn to accept it when they saw its benefits and that faith in ordinary plebeians was probably not misplaced. Unfortunately, his faith in his own class, the patricians, was not borne out as we know all too well from history and as we shall surely see in some future book in this series. I look forward to reading that book when it is written. Meantime, The Year of Confusion is a wonderful and aptly-named lead-in to that final act.

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most recent of the series, as of this writing, is book 13 of SPQR. In this, Decius Metellus is a senator, having reached the heights of his ambitions. At some point between books 12 and 13 house Metellus chose poorly in the civil war when Caesar took control of Rome and lost its status and wealth. now on his own Decius is a friend of Caesar and reasonably safe, but no longer has the backing of a powerful and wealthy house and noble name.

Caesar has chosen to change the calendar from its old 8 months to a new 12 months, because the old one was strangely out of date due to its truncated length. There are a lot of social and legal problems with this system and people are unhappy at Decius who has to announce and explain it. To complicate matters, one of the astronomers who helped work on the new calendar for Caesar has been murdered in a curious way, and Decius has been tasked by the dictator to find out what happened.

This is a complex story, with a lot of layers of plot lines. The main story of the mystery interweaves with the political situation of Caesar's absolute power and the opposition of powerful men, and that in turn interweaves with the women of Rome, particularly wealthy and powerful wives and deciding who may be Caesar's heir to all his wealth and power, and finally the plotline of astrology and mysticism versus astronomy and reason.

This book has less action and violence in it than previous ones, focusing more on the interaction between characters, political maneuvering, and discussions as Decius attempts to unravel the murders that take place. As always, the book is packed with interesting and entertaining historical details and gritty attitudes and behavior from the time and culture presented as simply common place and typical rather than commented on or explained as if the narrator knows the reader is not from Rome.

[Shawn Thrasher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Follow Decius (who is now semi-respectable but still an old reprobate at heart) through Rome, from the upper crust through the dregs. I found SPQR around the time HBO's Rome was (crushingly, disappointingly) ending and I'm so glad I did. Just like the HBO show, Roberts has this divine delightful ability to make Ancient Rome seem like it's just down the road. The mystery in Confusion wasn't all that profound. What I think Roberts does a great job of doing is mixing actual historical figures (Caesar, Fulvia, Marc Antony, et. al.) with fictional characters (starting with good old Decius the detective himself). In most historical mysteries, the actual historical characters are never even suspects - they are always window dressing, to give the mystery some street cred. You know Queen Elizabeth isn't going to be the murderer. Roberts doesn't play this game. Because of the lawlessness of this time period and the brutality (true or not) of some of the main players, occasionally the real people have been the murderers (and gotten away with it, too!) - so everyone is a suspect. Red herrings abound to make you suspect these famous people as well. Brilliant fun!

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the last book in the series to date. Although it is told in more confined circumstances, only in Rome, within a few weeks, and with a focus on a small number of characters, it is of high quality. There is a feeling of aging to the protagonist, Julius Caesar, and others in the standard cast.
Roberts brings his chronicle of events up close to the killing of Caesar, but not actually there. There is still room of another novel, but in the three/four years since he completed this book he has not written a final novel. And I don't believe he needs to or wants to. All signs point toward the Ides of March, some months away, but another book's backstory would be much like this one, #13, and the death of Caesar would certainly dominate any "secondary detection plot.
I think the author is most reluctant to end his excellent series with the actual death of Caesar, his protagonist "out of work", and chaos in Rome. And why should he? The title of this "last" book actually alludes to what is coming: The Year of Confusion.
And of course Roberts ends the novel with one of his excellent afterwards of Latin definitions and explanations of Roman customs.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Without being critical, Roberts novels seem to me to be the literary equivalent of potato chips: easy, quick, and enjoyable, even addictive.

The story: our protagonist, Decius, is closely allied to the mighty dictator, Julius Caesar, as he (Caesar) restores the Republic. Decius is tasked with implementing Caesar's new calendar, designed by a bunch of foreign (eastern) savants. This provokes a fair amount of resentment from the Romans. Not important, until two of these easterners are found dead—murdered dead.

Decius investigates, and finds a long, winding tangle of intrigue, that leads deep into the squabble over the selection of Caesar's eventual successor. The usual range of prominent Romans (and Cleopatra) are involved, all against the busy backdrop of late Republican Rome.

This novel is not central to the history of the time, no one great or powerful is a central character. Just the little people, dying.

Fun, intriguing, rich: recommended.

[Phair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have only read one other SPQR book, an early one if not #1, and recall I was not that enthusiastic about it. This one was also merely good - it did not blow me away. Having just read Cleopatra's Daughter about "the next generation" it was interesting to go back and see Caesar, Anthony & Cleo before things got out of hand. The book had plenty about Roman politics at this period when it was transitioning uneasily from republic to single ruler and change was in the air: building projects, influx of 'foreigners' and a brand new but not particularly popular calendar. I enjoyed the homely details about food, houses and everyday life and even the politics was kept on a personal scale. The mystery was not particularly engrossing but provided a clever way to bring in all manner of interesting topics and diverse characters. It was also a quick read.

[Mark Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decius is becoming respectable, the consequence of which is that he has to do more of the dull administrative activity that respectable Romans used to have to do. This time Caesar has decided to use Decius as his scapegoat to be the front man on the change of the calendar, something no one really wants, yet all Rome needs, as the present calendar is wildly inaccurate, with spring starting when it begins snowing. One of the astrologers brought in to help with the calendar (they brought astronomers, too) is found dead, followed by the usual spate of dead bodies. Decius puts it together just in time, as always, but no one can save Caesar. But you knew that, didn't you?

[Vicki Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes place during 45 B.C., the year before Caesar's assassination. Two of the scholars Caesar has brought to Rome to reform the calendar have been killed. Caesar tells Decius to find the person responsible. Many of the men who will later figure in Caesar's death appear in the book, as do some of the most famous women in Rome, including Cleopatra and Caesar's former lover Servilia. A very satisfying mystery. I wonder what the next one will be about, if it will include Caesar's murder or events following that.

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why do I get the idea that the author is attempting to "wind down" his SPQR series? Or maybe it's just me. There has been a civil war between Caesar and Pompey but it's not been put into either book XII or book XIII. Did I miss something here? Decius Caecilius Metellus has seen his family's power decrease (I'm guessing as a result of the civil war?) and I take it his father has died (even though that too is not discussed).

I truly enjoy the series but the sequential "flow" is beginning to annoy me. Will monitor this author to see if he continues with these books.

[KayDee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caesar is now dictator of Rome and has decided to revise the Roman calendar. He brings in a group of astronomers and astrologers from various countries to accomplish this task and appoints Decius the task of publicizing it. With public opinion firmly against the new calendar, it isn’t long before two of the foreign astronomers are murdered and Decius is given the job of finding the murderer and preventing more deaths even as the Senate becomes alarmed that Caesar is on the verge of proclaiming himself King of Rome.