The Ides of April

Hylas is a young Greek slave in the household of Caius Pomponius, a Roman Senator involved in political schemes. When the senator is found mysteriously murdered, the household slaves (including Hylas and his mother) fall under suspicion. Hylas escapes capture long enough to enlist the aid of a young tribune, Camillus Rufus. The desperate attempt to unravel the threads of the political intrigue carries Camillus into the very presence of Nero and brings Hylas into contact with the new secret sect of Christians.

This one is a murder mystery, set in ancient Rome at the time of Nero. A senator is murdered and one of the slaves is suspect. By law, when one slave is found guilty of murdering his or her owner, all of the slaves must die. (I think the logic is that the rest of the household might be "tainted".) One of the slaves, Hylas, has escaped and now he must elude the police and try to find the true killer before the rest of his household is executed. It's a nicely written tale, with engaging characters. Worth checking out for a couple of hours of reading pleasure.
--J.