At the end of the previous book in this series – Enemies at Home – Flavia Albia had been seriously ill, nursed initially by her new friend, Manlius Faustus, before being ‘rescued’ by her mother. After a few weeks recovering with her family at their country estate, she’s bored, and returns to Rome, but is far from fit and healthy.
In the city, it’s election time. Although with Domitian as Emperor, the elections are not as open and fair as they might be. Manlius Faustus, one of the current plebeian aediles, and someone Albia has worked with previously, is acting as agent for a friend who is running for the same post in the coming year.
As she is the only family member currently in the city, she is called to the family’s auction business, when the staff find a badly decomposed body in a trunk entered for their next sale. As usual, the authorities are not too concerned, but Albia is keen to identify the victim.
Manlius Faustus then asks her to help in their election campaign. This basically consists of digging up dirt on the opponents; real or imagined, it doesn’t really matter. The candidates are an interesting bunch; from a mother’s boy, to a couple of bruisers. All have to convince the Senators who will eventually decide the election that they are right for the posts. All this costs a lot of money, as bribery is never far away, though strictly illegal, of course. It then turns out that the chest with the body was part of a sale being run for another of the candidates.
Her experience as an informer means it is perfect work for Albia, even if not completely to her taste. It proves easy to find lots of information about the various candidates, and use it in anonymous graffiti, spreading rumours, and hinting in public speeches. Then, mysteriously, the leading contender drops out of the race.
As usual, there is a large cast list. And this time, there is some confusion. A domineering matriarch and her daughters – all called Julia – are central to the plot, and disentangling them is difficult. But part of the plot is the fact that Albia and Manlius have difficulty as well, so it’s deliberate on the author’s part.
Some members of Albia’s family make an appearance again; her uncles the Camillus brothers, as well as Petro, now retired from the vigiles. Another familiar face is that of Claudius Laeta, now retired, but an old acquaintance of her father, and still very much with his finger on the pulse.
The plot moves rapidly; from the candidate’s office to the forum, to the Didii auction house. The relationship between Albia and Manlius Faustus continues to grow, but you’re never quite sure where it’s going. It’s handled lightly, and being ultra-critical, you could say it’s a bit too similar to the story of Falco and Helena Justina. But it is amusing, frustrating and believable.
The story is quite complicated, particularly with the relationships between some of the characters. These are slowly revealed as we see Albia discover them, and this allows us to unravel the mystery with her; occasionally ahead of her. This may sound obvious, but not all mysteries manage this successfully. This one does.
This is the third book in the Flavia Albia series, and Lindsey Davis has found her top form with all three. Albia is a likeable, believable character; confident, smart and determined, but with her own doubts and insecurities. The mysteries she has been asked to solve are on a par with any of the Falco books. I’m looking forward to the next volumes.
This is a review of the Hodder & Stoughton 2015 Kindle edition.
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