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‘I was like the harassed foolish father
in a Greek play. This was no milieu for a city informer. Next
thing I would find myself buying pornographic oil lamps to leer
at in the office and giving myself flatulence as I worried about
inheritance tax.’
Chosen by reader, Helene Ilg
Plot Summary
Now it's stippling and scumbling:
fun with home makeovers - until the latest machinations of
cast-off lover Anacrites pose a darker threat than normal. Falco
and Helena take as many of their family as possible away from
danger. Five years after they met in Britain, they go back there
- to the fabulous royal palace at Fishbourne, its grand
extension still on the drawing board and likely to remain there
without careful management. Public Building projects never run
smoothly, but few have as many hitches as this one. Two
different architects jostling to take charge of the site don't
help - though that may be dealt with - and the place is awash
with dodgy contractors.
From the odoriferous gift left behind
by bath house supremos, Gloccus and Cotta, to the fresher corpse
in the Great King's opulent quarters (and the other body!) Falco
faces one challenge after another, all the time auditing scams
for Vespasian and trying to teach his grumbling assistants how
to be of use to him. Will he ever get to London? (No, but then
he doesn't want to go!) A night out watching a dancer sounds
excellent relaxation - but the dancer may be Perella, Anacrites'
murderous agent, the dive where she whirls her stuff is a dingy
downtown bar full of fighting labourers, and even the artwork
may turn nasty. Not the moment for toothache, especially with a
dentist you don't know.
This is the one with a favourite sweet
character from the past - who has grown up!
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