“Lindsey Davis has seen off all her competitors, notably US author Steven Saylor, to become the unassailable market leader in the ‘crime in Ancient Rome’ genre. Her books featuring the Roman sleuth Falco marry persuasive historical elements and compelling storytelling…Davis’ squalid, vibrant Rome is as pleasurable as ever.” Guardian (London)
Description
A suspicious death that leads to a murder sends Flavia Albia down a twisted path to expose corruption, betrayal, and gang activity bubbling under the calm exterior of one the best areas of Rome.
First-century Rome is not the quiet, orderly city that it pretends to be. and in this environment a very clever private informer can thrive. Flavia Albia, daughter of Marcus Didius Falco, is a chip off the old block. She has taken over his father’s old profession, and, like him, she occasionally lets her love of a good puzzle get in the way of her common sense. Such is the case when one such puzzle is brought to her by the very hostile ex-wife of Albia’s new husband.
It seems that over on the Quirinal Hill, a naïve young girl, one Clodia Volumnia, has died, and there’s a suggestion that she was poisoned by a love potion. The local witch, Pandora, would have been the one to supply such a potion. Looking into the matter, Albia soon learns that Pandora carries on a trade in herbal beauty products while keeping hidden her much more dangerous connections.
Albia soon discovers the young girl was a handful, and her so-called friends were not as friendly as they should have been. The supposedly sweet air of the Quirinal hides the smells of loose morality, casual betrayal, and even gangland conflict. When a friend of her own is murdered, things become serious, and Albia is determined to expose as much of this local sickness as she can—beginning with the truth about the death of little Clodia.
Praise
“Lindsey Davis has seen off all her competitors, notably US author Steven Saylor, to become the unassailable market leader in the ‘crime in Ancient Rome’ genre. Her books featuring the Roman sleuth Falco marry persuasive historical elements and compelling storytelling…Davis’ squalid, vibrant Rome is as pleasurable as ever.” Guardian (London)
“By using the essentials of her trade—methodical inquiry, reasoning, memory, and persistence—[Flavia] provides a satisfactory conclusion to this complicated but lively tale…Not to be missed.” Booklist (starred review)
“The story moves along at a cracking pace…We catch up with news of Falco, and we may even shed a tear at another death, one much closer to Albia’s heart. This is definitely a book not to be missed.” Bookbag (5 stars)
“Davis’ close attention to detail, such as a reference to Emperor Domitian’s proscription against sidewalk cafés, makes the past vivid.” Publishers Weekly
“The always reliable Davis has written another compelling mystery conveying a vividly detailed ancient Rome, with characters who possess unique personalities and come from all walks of life.” Library Journal
Details
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Release Day | Jul 2, 2018 |
| Release Date | July 3, 2018 |
| Number in Series | 6 |
| Series Display String | The Flavia Albia Mysteries |
| Release Date Machine | 1530576000 |
| Imprint | Blackstone Publishing |
| Provider | Blackstone Publishing |
| Categories | Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery, 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
Jane Collingwood is an actress, voice-over artist, and audiobook narratior.
Overview
A suspicious death that leads to a murder sends Flavia Albia down a twisted path to expose corruption, betrayal, and gang activity bubbling under the calm exterior of one the best areas of Rome.
First-century Rome is not the quiet, orderly city that it pretends to be. and in this environment a very clever private informer can thrive. Flavia Albia, daughter of Marcus Didius Falco, is a chip off the old block. She has taken over his father’s old profession, and, like him, she occasionally lets her love of a good puzzle get in the way of her common sense. Such is the case when one such puzzle is brought to her by the very hostile ex-wife of Albia’s new husband.
It seems that over on the Quirinal Hill, a naïve young girl, one Clodia Volumnia, has died, and there’s a suggestion that she was poisoned by a love potion. The local witch, Pandora, would have been the one to supply such a potion. Looking into the matter, Albia soon learns that Pandora carries on a trade in herbal beauty products while keeping hidden her much more dangerous connections.
Albia soon discovers the young girl was a handful, and her so-called friends were not as friendly as they should have been. The supposedly sweet air of the Quirinal hides the smells of loose morality, casual betrayal, and even gangland conflict. When a friend of her own is murdered, things become serious, and Albia is determined to expose as much of this local sickness as she can—beginning with the truth about the death of little Clodia.
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