It's AD 76 during the reign of Vespasian, and Marcus Didius Falco has achieved much in his life. He has joined the equestrian rank, allowing him to marry Helena Justina, the woman he has been keeping time with for the past few years. But that doesn't mean all is quiet for Falco, Helena, and their two young daughters.
By trade he is an informer, a man who looks into sticky situations, and he has been hired to pry his errant brother-in-law away from a murder investigation, which means Falco himself must take it on. To investigate the suspicious goings-on and the shady dealings of a fly-by-night travel agency connected to the case, Falco and his wife, Helena, travel to Olympia in Greece under the guise of being tourists interested in the classic sites. With two people already missing from the packaged tour, things only get stickier when two more--including Falco's brother-in-law--disappear in what is Falco's most complex and dangerous case yet.
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 :
"A bittersweet solution that's a tribute to the complexity and depth of this series...Elegant and intelligent."
-- "Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"
"Davis provides vibrant period detail, from majestic Greek temples and teeming Roman slums to reprehensible rulers sporting tunics trimmed with gold...A marvelous conceit."
-- "Booklist (starred review)"
"Every book in this series is a delight, the characters so finely drawn that they have become good friends and the plots so unusual and frothy with humor that it comes as a surprise when the climax is so shocking and original."
-- "Library Journal (starred review)"
"Prebble['s] rough-hewn, slightly raspy voice gives the proceedings an appropriately noir feel. Prebble speaks in an informal, conversational manner, as though he's talking directly to the listener...A masterful performance of a wonderful novel."
-- "Booklist (audio review)"
"The author's vivid picture of life in AD 76 and the sparkling characterizations, particularly the amusing byplay between Falco and Helena, will satisfy most readers."
-- "Publishers Weekly"
"Wickedly convoluted...Falco's facetious tongue and domestic complications are the real fun."
-- "Time"
