Balbinus Pius, the most notorious gangster in Emperor Vespasian’s Rome, has been convicted of a capital crime at last. A quirk of Roman law, however, allows citizens condemned to death “time to depart” and find exile outside the empire. Now, as every hoodlum in Rome scrambles to take over Balbinus’ operations, private eye Marcus Didius Falco has to deal with an unprecedented wave of crime—and the sneaking suspicion that Balbinus’ exile may not really be so permanent after all.
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“In this latest installment of Davis’ impeccably executed series…Falco remains as delightfully irreverent and insightful as ever; and Davis, as usual, brings the time to life while handling the eternals—worry, danger, love and in-laws—just as deftly.”
— Publishers Weekly
“Roman history and culture are nice accessories for the more durable tool that Davis employs—hilariously good writing.”
— Washington Post“Davis is both a deft storyteller and a scholar.”
— Newsday (Long Island, NY)“Davis turns her prodigious talents once again to ancient Rome…Dependable entertainment.”
— Library Journal“Davis continues her excellent series of historical mysteries set in ancient Rome…An artfully crafted caper featuring plenty of suspense, comedy, and history.”
— BooklistLindsey 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.