When Germanic troops in the service of the empire begin to rebel, and a Roman general disappears, Emperor Vespasian turns to the one man he can trust: Marcus Didius Falco, a private informer whose rates are low enough that even the stingy Vespasian is willing to pay them.
To Falco, an undercover tour of Germany is an assignment from Hades. On a journey that only a stoic could survive, Falco meets with disarray, torture, and murder. His one hope: in the northern forest lives a powerful Druid priestess who perhaps can be persuaded to cease her anti-Rome activities and work for peace--which Falco is eagerly hoping for as, back in Rome, Titus Caesar is busy trying to make time with Helena Justina, a senator's daughter and Falco's girlfriend.
About the Author :
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.
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.
Review :
"Davis is both a deft storyteller and a scholar...a top drawer series."
-- "Newsday"
"Falco's never-ending wise cracks, humorous self-abasement, and genuine niceness are more than enough to captivate readers; the rich historical details add a caloric layer of frosting."
-- "School Library Journal"
"Her most ambitious to date...Davis has found a winning formula. The tempo is presto, the language pert."
-- "Daily Telegraph (London)"
"Lindsey Davis doesn't just bring Rome to life--she brings life to Rome better than anyone else ever has."
-- "Detroit Free Press"
"Lindsey Davis doesn't merely make history come alive--she turns it into spanking entertainment and wraps it around an intriguing mystery. She is incapable of writing a dull sentence."
-- "Peter Lovesey, Macavity, Barry, and Anthony Award-winning author"
"Past and current students who survived Tacitus are in for a double treat if they like Roman history and detective stories."
-- "Booklist"
"Seamless blending of humor, history, and adventure."
-- "Publishers Weekly"
