The plot
Roman gumshoe Falco hasn't had a chance to enjoy his new position in the middle class. His sister is being stalked by a psycho spymaster; he has acquired two incompetant assistants; and there's putrid smell in his new bath house, suggesting that the builders have left more mess than usual. Suddenly, the emperor's polite suggestion that Falco should leave the sunny comforts of Rome and go to the cold shores of Britain to investigate irregularities and sudden deaths on a palace building site is a little less unattractive.
What I liked
Historical whodunnits, for a start -- Lindsay Davis is funnier and less predictable than Ellis Peters, the Cadfael lady.
Falco -- he is cynical and curmudgeonly and well aware of his own failings; yet he has a certain honour, he loves his girl and his family, and he is interestingly observant.
The setting -- the British part of the story is at a fascinating site on the south coast, Fishbourne Palace. These days, there are foundations and floors left. I thought it was interesting that Lindsay Davis chose to write about it half-built, as in some ways it feels similiar walking round an excavation to walking round a building site.
What I learnt
Don't let your research show -- I am a complete sucker for historical detail. I imagine that if I ever wrote a historical, it would be very difficult for me not to show off what I've found out. Although this book is rich in detail, you never feel that you are being told things un-naturally. This is partly because of Falco's character -- he's investigating; and he's not entirely familiar with the building trade. Having a character who is naturally observant and has a good reason to nose around makes writing a historical (or a fantasy) much easier.
I always had this dim idea in the back of my head that the romance stops short when the hero gets his girl. But I've been taking note lately of what a good writer does with an ongoing relationship. Falco still thinks Helena is wonderful, and she is plainly dotty about him; he is a tiny bit insecure -- he is always secretly convinced that someone is going to take Helena away from him.
More information: Lindsay Davis' website
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