Books

The Grove of the Caesars

Flavia Albia, book 8

With Tiberius Manlius called away to the country, Albia takes charge at home. She receives a nasty imperial present that she cannot give away. Her tasks include looking after their building firm, with Tiberius hoping for a contract in the Transtiberina. But people are warning her Don’t go to the Grove. The bridge across the Tiber is a rackety old thing, which leads to much more curious events than sending the innocent apprentice for a bucket of rainbow paint…

Despite the distraction of bundles of unearthed old scrolls by unreadable authors, our girl cannot help noticing that the legendary gardens Caesar left in his will to the Roman people hold terrible secrets. Deaths occur. The untrustworthy Seventh Cohort of Vigiles has made no progress in two decades, and sending in Julius Karus – still keen to arrest the wrong suspect – won’t help. Albia possesses the skills, she has the grit and the contacts, so whatever rustles in the dank undergrowth under the ancient plane trees will be dragged into the open – even if it involves an auction, a trireme fight, a pushy fountain contractor and dodgy booksellers (surely not!)

All that while Uncle Tullius hints that life may be about to change for ever…

Reader Favourites:

“I have architectural knowledge,” hedged the visitor. Got it. He never finished the training. Chosen by George Bell

I hauled Galanthus with me upstairs to the office. This sanctum, overloaded with a gallimaufry of real specials and complete tat, had always been a seedy refuge for my male relatives.  It made a discreet snug in which to entertain favoured clients, serving tots of fortified peppermint tea to weaken their resistance, while expensive goods were paraded.  Perhaps these bazaar tactics sometimes worked, but mostly the Didius boys just hid out there. Chosen by Nancy Bidlack