We consider R + R 2 relativistic quantum gravity with the action where all possible terms quadratic in the curvature tensor are added to the Einstein-Hilbert term. This model was shown to be renormalizable in the work by K.S. Stelle. In this paper, we demonstrate that the R + R 2 model is also unitary contrary to the statements made in the literature, in particular in the work by Stelle. New expressions for the R + R 2 Lagrangian within dimensional regularization and the graviton propagator are derived. We demonstrate that the R + R 2 model is a good candidate for the fundamental quantum theory of gravity.