The Eyes of Aurora: A Fifth Case from the Notebooks of Pliny the Younger
During the glory days of the Roman Empire, Pliny the Younger, a brilliant lawyer and a copious writer, had an unknown side to his ventures, according to our author: murder investigation. A poor, hungry young woman searching for her husband befriends Aurora, Pliny’s personal slave, who vows her master’s help. Trouble brews as soon as Pliny and his friend, Tacitus, come upon the aftermath of the savage murder of a young woman pinioned to a wooden wheel, shocking the sensitivities – and stomachs – of both men. The problem appears more serious than a missing husband when they find an obscure palindromic sign (a ROTA) on the wall of a tavern, which Pliny vaguely hopes will reveal a clue to lead them to the murderer. But the truth is far more complex, as complex as Aurora’s significance in both the novel and her master’s life. The historically defined characters echo that era of Rome, yet occasionally there’s some modern “attitude” in the tale – but not enough to take the reader out of the story. Perhaps the author is merely pointing out the timelessness of crime?
