Firstly, I should say that I very much enjoyed this book. Several years ago, I read the Falco stories, but I had missed the more recent ones involving Flavia Albia, so I was interested to see if the ‘new’ character held up. She did. The story is set in AD 89 when Rome is under the rule of Tacitus’ hated emperor, Domitian, and Flavia Albia is caught up in the investigation of several gruesome, myth-related murders associated with a troupe of actors known to her adopted parents, Marcus Didius Falco and the senator's daughter, Helena Justina. Davis is experienced in complex plots and, as in all good detective stories, clues are scattered from page one, although I had not completely guessed who the perpetrator was until Flavia Albia did, and I am an old hand at Marple and Poirot stories! The action happens largely in the Campus Martius of Rome and in the numerous theatres, public spaces and racetracks there – a handy map is provided to allow the reader to plot the course of the action, and there is plenty of background information about the various structures, which are well integrated into the story, rather than clumsily inserted as they sometimes can be. Flavia Albia is British by birth, and her reaction to Roman architecture, and indeed culture, is that of an outsider (as we are), so the careful descriptions and explanations are welcome, as well as providing much needed relief from the horror of the case. I wondered at first whether there was too much gore (so careful do teachers now have to be of their charges), but, on reflection, no needless detail is given and those that have knowledge of the myths will be well aware of the detail anyway. There is also plenty for ancient theatre buffs to enjoy; references to Plautus’ Rudens and the construction (or lack of) in Roman comedies is discussed by some of the minor characters, which does rather bring the whole thing to life. We sometimes forget that the Romans and Greeks that we study in class were real people, who had everyday problems and who would have had views about the entertainment they were offered; but this may not be the sort of criticism we see in the textbooks. These plays are seen from the viewpoint of the actors who took part in them, and actors are often the best critics of a playwright's work since literary excellence does not always work in practice on the stage. I definitely think this would be a good addition to a school library – Year 7 and above, perhaps: it has made me scour my bookshelves to find copies of the Falco investigations.
Open access
