Falco is back, and this time, facing the madness of Saturnalia. As those who know him might guess, he’s not a fan of the upside down world of the festival. His family and household are mad enough as it is, so the gods alone know what might happen.
Events are further complicated by a reappearance of a figure from the past. A general, with his eye more on personal glory than good sense, has captured a German priestess, Veleda, and brought her to Rome, hoping for a Triumph in which she will be the major exhibit.
However, a long time ago, Falco and Justinus – his brother-in-law – found themselves as Veleda’s prisoner. Justinus spent hours with her and managed to persuade her to free them, and Falco has always wondered what happened.
The trouble starts when Justinus goes missing, as does Veleda, after a severed head is found in the villa where she is being held. Falco is called in to sort out the mess before the public find out what has happened, and that there is a supposedly bloodthirsty barbarian priestess loose among them.
Falco is beset by all sorts of family problems, and the job itself is also rather too close to home for comfort. Along the way, he again finds himself going head to head with his old enemy, Anacrites, the Chief Spy. Once again, we see Falco having to deal with officials for who everything has to be – or at least be seen to be – straightforward and black and white. Officials who will happily sacrifice him for their own purposes.
A significant part of the book deals with the medical professions available to Roman citizens (for a price), and their discussions and arguments are mostly entertaining and crucial to the plot. I did feel that at one or two points, the author overdid these to show all her research!
The story is tightly plotted, with lots of twists, and several red herrings and dead ends. The last couple of episodes in this series I found a little ordinary, but this volume is a real return to form. A lot going on, plenty of reflection, conflicts of conscience, and all the madness of Saturnalia. A typical slice of life for Falco!
This is a review of the Arrow Books 2008 Kindle edition.
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