“A witty satire of publishing and banking with striking contemporary resonance…hot, noisy, smelly, and full of unforgettable characters.” Guardian (London)
Description
Lindsey Davis is the internationally bestselling author who “makes Rome live” (Washington Post Book World). Funny, astute, and hard-boiled, her series detective, Marcus Didius Falco, now ventures into a new arena, the publishing world of AD 74, to prove that ars longa, vita brevis—and murder is timeless.
Can a tough detective possess the soul of a poet? After a public reading brings him rousing applause, Falco receives an offer to have his work published. But his ego takes a beating when the banker Chrysippus demands payment for putting the verse on papyrus. Hell hath no fury like an author scorned, and when Chrysippus turns up murdered—in the library, no less—it’s poetic justice. Appointed the official investigator, Falco’s soon up to his stylus in outraged writers and shifty bankers. Now it’s time to employ his real talents: deducing the killer from an assembly of suspects.
This classic whodunit is Lindsey Davis’ most satisfying mystery yet.
Praise
“A witty satire of publishing and banking with striking contemporary resonance…hot, noisy, smelly, and full of unforgettable characters.” Guardian (London)
“Davis juggles the crises and the numerous characters beautifully…and has us riveted.” Winston-Salem Journal
“A good mystery and, as such, the reader doesn’t suspect the perpetrator until all is gradually revealed, and then everything makes perfect sense…In the end, we leave Marcus Didius Falco with a wine flagon and a good scroll to read. Given the society in which he lives, he probably won’t be idle for long, much to his fans’ delight.” Publishers Weekly
“Marcus Didius Falco, everyone’s favorite ancient Roman gumshoe, is back in another cheeky mystery…As usual, Davis flings out a host of memorably unappetizing characters, raucous family encounters, and a sharp little mystery, wrapped up with a nice, unexpected twist at the end…As much fun as the rest of the series.” Library Journal
Details
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Release Day | Aug 30, 2016 |
| Release Date | August 31, 2016 |
| Number in Series | 12 |
| Series Display String | The Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries |
| Release Date Machine | 1472601600 |
| Imprint | Blackstone Publishing |
| Provider | Blackstone Publishing |
| Categories | Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery, Literature & Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction - All, Fiction - Adult, Bestselling Mysteries, Bestselling Mystery |
Author Bio
Lindsey Davis is an English novelist of historical fiction and best known for her award-winning historical crime stories set in ancient Rome and its empire, the acclaimed Marcus Didius Falco series and the Flavia Albia series. Her novels have won numerous awards, including the Crime Writers’ Association Ellis Peters Historical Dagger Award and in 2011 the Cartier Diamond Dagger from the Crime Writers Association for lifetime achievement. Born and raised in Birmingham, England, she read English at Oxford and worked for the civil service for thirteen years before becoming a writer.
Narrator Bio
Simon Prebble, a British-born performer, is a stage and television actor and veteran narrator of some three hundred audiobooks. As one of AudioFile’s Golden Voices, he has received thirty-seven Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie in 2010. He lives in New York.
Overview
Lindsey Davis is the internationally bestselling author who “makes Rome live” (Washington Post Book World). Funny, astute, and hard-boiled, her series detective, Marcus Didius Falco, now ventures into a new arena, the publishing world of AD 74, to prove that ars longa, vita brevis—and murder is timeless.
Can a tough detective possess the soul of a poet? After a public reading brings him rousing applause, Falco receives an offer to have his work published. But his ego takes a beating when the banker Chrysippus demands payment for putting the verse on papyrus. Hell hath no fury like an author scorned, and when Chrysippus turns up murdered—in the library, no less—it’s poetic justice. Appointed the official investigator, Falco’s soon up to his stylus in outraged writers and shifty bankers. Now it’s time to employ his real talents: deducing the killer from an assembly of suspects.
This classic whodunit is Lindsey Davis’ most satisfying mystery yet.
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