"Solstice Sigil," by Michèle. Laframboise, in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, January/February 2026.
A lot of good stories in this issue, I must say. Copy-editing, not so much.
I have read a lot of mysteries set in ancient Rome. Most of them feature protagonists who have a properly cynical and noirish sentiment about the eternal city but have no doubt that Rome is and deserves to be the ruler of the world. The best thing about this story is it's refreshing counterpoint to that view.
Our protagonist is a Nubian slave and former gladiator but before that he fought for the army of Carthage. To say he has no love of this city is an understatement. "Latin was a strange dialect, with the words changing clothes..." he notes. "Another stupid Roman custom," he grumbles later, and you will agree with him.
It is Saturnalia, the holiday in which slaves are allowed great liberties. Our hero (if his name is mentioned, I didn't catch it) has been drinking and gambling when he stumbles over a corpse. When an army officer sees him near the body he figures he is doomed, but Publius is not a person who jumps to easy conclusions.
Realizing that failure to solve the murder will result in Publius's death (yet another stupid Roman custom) the slave reluctantly decides to help his former enemy out. The result is a search through Subura, one of the city's nastiest slums.
Very entertaining.
