Mysterious Press, Sept 2002, 24.95, 304 pp.
ISBN 0892967714
Cotta and Gloccus were incompetent workers who installed informer (the ancient Roman equivalent to the modern day private eye) Marcus Didus Falco's new bathhouse. A terrible odor emanating from his new edifice forces Falco to dig up the floor where he finds the remains of a man who was murdered. Cotta and Gloccus are nowhere to be found, but Falco thinks they might be headed for Britain where King Togidubnus, a favorite of the Roman Emperor Vespasian, is having a palace built with imperial funds.
Falco accompanied by his wife, children, and sister travel to the outpost of the Roman Empire to find out why there so many overruns and unexplained deaths in building the palace. Falco's sister Maia wants to escape Rome to elude a deadly spy who has taken to stalking her after she broke off their relationship. After investigating the building site, Falco finds corruption, graft and wholesale stealing but that doesn't explain why somebody murders the manager or why the partner of Maria's stalker's is in the area.
Readers who see the world through the eyes of a Roman living in 79 AD notice just how primitive and barbaric they feel Britain is compared to Rome. The protagonist's difficulties with various family members lighten up a very dark and serious story line. The mystery is a clever who done it with so many viable suspects that readers won't be able to guess who the perpetrator really is.
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book descript. of violence and chases - 10% Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30% How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 40%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain?
- Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story:
- ancient rome
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 60%
Kind of investigator
- hard boiled/private eye
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- life in that culture
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- private investigator
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- just the right amount
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- money/treasure
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- Italy
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 3-4
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
