PLOT SUMMARY: Albia novel 3
When a decaying corpse is discovered by her father’s staff as they prepare for an auction, Flavia Albia steps in to take responsibility and get the container washed hygienically. For a better view of her suspects as the bidding hots up, she takes over the gavel. I can already hear the outraged cries of hidebound traditionalists who think Roman men were men and their women stayed invisible. Albia has her own ideas of helping a family business.
Meanwhile Manlius Faustus is helping an old friend stand in what passes for an election in undemocratic imperial times; he persuades Albia to help dig up dirt for spin-doctoring purposes, allowing them to marvel at the appalling candidates and see more of each other. Albia soon starts to suspect a mysterious link to her corpse – but surely no one would murder a candidate or a voter; can politics be that dirty? Then where, she soon wonders, is the supposedly devoted wife of the ‘good family man’ that Faustus wants them to support?
And can it be that the romance she keeps telling us isn’t going anywhere is going somewhere?…
Reader favourite
‘Isn’t thirty-six rather old to run away from home?’ I asked.
‘I believe in waiting until you are old enough to enjoy things.’ Chosen by Vera Hough
Reviews
…a welcome return of Flavia Albia. Lindsey Davis blends wit and meticulous research with a cracking plot. Flavia is caustic and cynical making this a wonderful antidote to the general election ennui. – The Times
In Deadly Election Davis makes us breathe the sultry Roman air as we immerse ourselves in a Rome long lost but never forgotten. Deadly Election is beautifully written and flawlessly researched. A damn good read for fans of Historic Crime Fiction.’ – Crimewarp
I’m very much looking forward to reading Albia’s next adventure. If you enjoy a well-written, humour-infused, Roman mystery then you can’t go wrong with Deadly Election and the Flavia Albia series as a whole. – a fantasticallibrarian.com
As always, Davis vividly paints an ancient Rome full of grandiose architecture and ominous dark alleyways in the sweltering summer heat. Her characters are equally well designed, with distinct personalities that complement the winding mystery. – Library Journal
Flavia isn’t a Marcus clone; she shares some of her father’s traits, but she’s her own person and quite an interesting one, too. Whether you call this a new series or an extension of the Falco series, it’s a fine book, either way. – Booklist
Davis makes us breath the sultry Roman air as we immerse ourselves in a Rome long lost but never forgotten. Deadly Election is beautifully written and flawlessly researched. A damn good read for fans of Historic Crime Fiction.’ The crime warp
Packed with vividly colourful details of life in AD89 Rome in the reign of the paranoid emperor Domitian, Flavia Albia proves to be as good a detective as her famous father. Irish Independent