'A tumultuous Ancient Rome with a delightful modern eye' Sunday Times
'Fast-moving, funny and full of atmosphere!' Mail on Sunday
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LOVE, DEATH AND POLITICS UNDER VESUVIUS
Rome, AD 71: Against his better judgement, Marcus Didius Falco secretly disposes of a decayed corpse for the Emperor Vespasian, then heads for the beautiful Bay of Naples with his best friend Petronius. It's an opportunity to forget his doomed romance with the beautiful and bright Helena Justina.
He conveniently forgets to mention to his companion that this will be no holiday - they've been sent to investigate the murderous members of a failed coup, now sunning themselves in luxurious villas and on fancy yachts.
Nor does the idyllic seaside location help matters with Helena. The deeper he probes, the more it seems she is inextricably connected to the elite plotters, in ways that the smitten Falco cannot bear to contemplate. . . .
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Readers love Lindsey Davis:
'An exciting and gripping mystery!' ***** Reader review
' I could not put the book down' ***** Reader review
'Gripping right from the beginning' ***** Reader review
'Very addictive' ***** Reader review
'My advice is BUY IT and READ IT as you won't regret it!' ***** Reader review
The characters are still enjoyable but the story here could have been told in half the page count and I do not think much would have been lost. As invested as I am in Falco and Helena’s relationship, the weaknesses in the mystery and adventure elements undermine the novel and make it feel somewhat directionless.
Read my full review on Mysteries Ahoy!