If you love detailed historical novels that give you the really interesting obscure facts about Roman colonies and Legionnaires, then you will love "The Inquest". You'll even learn how many Roman soldiers slept to a tent. However, if you are looking for a plot that holds up till the very end -- look elsewhere.
Julius Terentius Varro is 34 years old in 71 AD. He's athletic, dark-haired, clean-shaven and serving in Antioch, Syria under General Gnaeus Collega. By the way, to follow the story line -- be sure to make your own character list as you go along -- otherwise you won't be able to tell a centurion from a lictor. General Collega gives our hero the mission of going to Jerusalem and points along the way to try to find witnesses, documents, etc. to verify whether Jesus indeed rose from the dead after crucifixion. During his investigation, we are provided with all the information found in the various books of the Bible about the Crucifixion and the days leading up to and following that event. The author does a very good job of providing this information in dips and dabs as we find documents and witnesses to the event. However, as anyone could probably guess before reading the book -- no author would be able to come up with solid evidence either pro or con. The author does a good job of providing two old Legion veterans who said they were with the execution squad that put Jesus on the Cross -- but they claimed Joseph of Arimathea bribed Centurion Longinus and the four-man execution squad to fake Jesus's death by giving him a drug to make him appear dead and then taking his live body down from the Cross and handing it over to followers of Jesus. Then when Varro has finished his written report for General Collega -- mystifying events take place resulting in the report being destroyed and Varro being led away into the sunset by an 8 year old Jewish girl.
Another disturbing thing about this novel was the VERY poor editing. I can't remember ever reading a book with as many typographical errors as this one.
Altogether though, I am glad I read the book. Except for the last chapter, I found all the material of great interest.
