Pliny the Younger is the protagonist of the Pliny the Younger historical mystery series by Notebooks of Pliny the Younger. Based on the real Roman letter-writer and government official Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, the fictional Pliny is reimagined as an amateur detective who solves murders in ancient Rome during the reign of Emperor Domitian.
The real Pliny the Younger is best known to history for his extensive correspondence and his eyewitness account of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. In the novels, these historical details form the backdrop for mystery plots in which Pliny must navigate the dangerous politics of imperial Rome while pursuing killers. He investigates with help from his friend the historian Tacitus, while his forbidden love for Aurora, a slave in his household, raises the personal stakes.
Reading Order
See the complete Pliny the Younger reading order for all books in the series.