Bruce Macbain
2 SeriesBruce Macbain is an author of historical fiction and mystery novels, with a deep interest in Greek and Roman history. He holds a Master’s degree in Classical Studies and a doctorate in Ancient History. Macbain has taught courses on Greek and Roman civilization at Vanderbilt University and Boston University.
In "Roman Games," the first Plinius Secundus novel by Bruce Macbain, the notorious senatorial informer Sextus Verpa is found stabbed to death, and suspicion falls on his household slaves. Emperor Domitian orders Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, known as Pliny the Younger, to solve the murder before the end of the Ludi Romani, or the slaves will face execution in the arena. Pliny collaborates with the struggling poet Martial to navigate a complex web of religious factions, including Jewish and Christian groups, Egyptian cultists, and Roman gods. Their investigation uncovers a missing horoscope that predicts the emperor's demise, adding urgency to their quest for the truth.
