‘Lindsey Davis has seen off all her competitors to become the unassailable market leader in the ‘crime in Ancient Rome’ genre . . . Davis’s squalid, vibrant Rome is as pleasurable as ever’ – Guardian
‘For fans of crime fiction set in the ancient world, this one is not to be missed’ – Booklist
Private investigator Flavia Albia is always drawn to an intriguing puzzle – even if it is put to her by her new husband’s hostile ex-wife.
On the Quirinal Hill, a young girl named Clodia has died, apparently poisoned with a love potion. Only one person could have supplied such a thing: a local witch who goes by the name of Pandora, whose trade in herbal beauty products is hiding something far more sinister.
The supposedly sweet air of the Quirinal is masking the stench of loose morality, casual betrayal and even gangland conflict and, when a friend of her own is murdered, Albia determines to expose as much of this local sickness as she can – beginning with the truth about Clodia’s death.
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Praise for Lindsey Davis and the Flavia Albia series
‘Davis’s prose is a lively joy, and Flavia’s Rome is sinister and gloriously real’
The Times on Sunday
‘Davis’s books crackle with wit and knowledge . . . She has the happy knack of making the reader feel entirely immersed in Rome’
‘For fans of crime fiction set in the ancient world, this one is not to be missed’ – Booklist
Private investigator Flavia Albia is always drawn to an intriguing puzzle – even if it is put to her by her new husband’s hostile ex-wife.
On the Quirinal Hill, a young girl named Clodia has died, apparently poisoned with a love potion. Only one person could have supplied such a thing: a local witch who goes by the name of Pandora, whose trade in herbal beauty products is hiding something far more sinister.
The supposedly sweet air of the Quirinal is masking the stench of loose morality, casual betrayal and even gangland conflict and, when a friend of her own is murdered, Albia determines to expose as much of this local sickness as she can – beginning with the truth about Clodia’s death.
****************
Praise for Lindsey Davis and the Flavia Albia series
‘Davis’s prose is a lively joy, and Flavia’s Rome is sinister and gloriously real’
The Times on Sunday
‘Davis’s books crackle with wit and knowledge . . . She has the happy knack of making the reader feel entirely immersed in Rome’
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Reviews
Praise for Lindsey Davis and the Flavia Albia series
Davis's prose is a lively joy, and Flavia's Rome is sinister and gloriously real.
Davis's books crackle with wit and knowledge. She has the happy knack of making the reader feel entirely immersed in Rome.
This excellent Roman mystery, enriched by Davis's characteristic wit and thorough understanding of the period, takes a darker turn as Flavia delves into Rome's poorest streets, rife with prostitution, exploitation, thuggery and murder.
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. In PANDORA'S BOY, the spotlight falls on Falco's strong-minded daughter Flavia. Davis's squalid, vibrant Rome is as pleasurable as ever.
For fans of crime fiction set in the ancient world, this one is not to be missed
The quite brilliant Lindsey Davis never fails with her witty mysteries set in first century Rome. From the dreadful 'Chelsea set' of rich young things, busy drinking their parents' money, to rip-off restaurants offering the gullible 'fresh oysters' from Britain; the artful street vendor selling lettuce as an aphrodisiac backed by the legend of a phallic Egyptian god; to pompous lawyers, backstreet bars and posh villas, first century Rome is there in its glorious and sinister reality. I guarantee if you are new to her work, by the time you've reached the final surprising denouement, you'll want to read more of it.
