Ostensibly to recover from a break-up with Aliqua, lover and former colleague, Pomponius is sent by his boss, Masculus Masculinius to Rome on the behest of an old friend of Mascuinius, a senator. Pomponius becomes involved in finding out the truth concerning the deaths of two young women for whom the senator's nephew has been convicted. On the way to the young man's execution, he is pardoned by a Vestal. His uncle is accused of staging this meeting and will be sued. Pomponius lives in the palace where two slaves, a well-informed older man and a teenager, are his only helpers. He does connect with an old lover, Valeria, who is one of the imperial court. He does seek help from his old nemesis, Scantilla, and Paulus, her brother. They sometimes help but other times are obstacles. The most exciting part was where someone was after Corinthus to kill the youth, and the chase that followed where Corinthus feels he has heard Nero singing and playing his lyre. A bit of magic realism: from time to time Pomponius hears the voice of Aliqua, who gives him good common sense advice on both the case and his love life.. So she still "lives in his head", so to speak. This novel kept my interest all through. ( )