Death on the Tiber by Lindsey Davis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


First Thought: OMG!

Second Thought: The Didius Boys Strike Again. Actually the entire family.

I awaited the release of this book with a bit of trepidation. Having read the entire Falco and Albia series, I knew Albia’s backstory and her propensity for…strong reaction and response. I’ve seen her tempered as a result of her relationship with Manlius Faustus but there has always been an undercurrent of the fiery temper we knew from her days in Britain when Falco & Helena rescued her.

After the last couple of books where Faustus and the rest of the household were barely in evidence, it was nice to have them all back, front and center. Having more of the extended family just made everything better.

One of the more interesting aspects of this series is the way Lindsey Davis has pulled threads from earlier books (from both series) and brought them forward. Folks were wanting more after Pandora’s Boy and they got their wish. To be honest, I almost was another character list/spreadsheet to keep all the folks straight.

Florius’ return to Rome after decades away has upended the delicate balance of the various crime families in the city. Everyone is jockeying for control, if not just more opportunity to make more money as a result of their various illegal endeavors.

What starts out as an innocent trip to the riverbank turns into Albia’s next case when a body is pulled from the river. It is clear from the very beginning that lots of things just don’t add up. Unraveling the mystery strikes the match that starts on her quest to find (and kill?) Florius.

Family is the overarching theme of this book. Who is, or is not, part of the family? For Albia, the folks who make up her family have a history with many of the other characters we encounter, some going back years.

For Florius, the relationships he has developed over the years create quite a complicated, if not dangerous, web that could get him killed way before Albia finds him.

The original question is Who killed the lady pulled from the river? Early on I found myself thinking it would be the person it ended up being but there was a lot (!!!!) that surprised me.

If you have read Nemesis (Falco #20) you know that solution. If you have read both series you already know what the Didius family are made of. The solution to the original question in this book brought us to a resolution that surprised me…until I thought about what I knew about everyone involved.

Buckle up! It is going to be an interesting read!





View all my reviews