Synopses & Reviews
The 13th novel featuring Roman sleuth Marcus Didius Falco explores the fervor of home improvement that's sweeping the Roman Empire and Falco's own household, specifically the bath house--where a body turns up. AD 75. As a passion for home improvement sweeps through the Roman Empire, Marcus Didius Falco struggles to deal with Gloccus and Cotta, a pair of terrible bathhouse contractors whose slow progress and bad workmanship have been causing him misery for months. They finally finish their contract, but leave Falco and his father with a ghastly smell from a hypocaust and some gruesome site debris... Far away in Britain, King Togidubnus of the Atrebates tribe is planning his own makeover. His huge new residence, Fishbourne Palace, will be spectacular--but the sensational refurbishment is behind schedule and over budget, its labor force is beset by 'accidents', corrupt practices are rife, and everyone loathes the project manager. The frugal Emperor Vespian is paying for all this; he wants someone to investigate. Falco has a new baby, a new house, and he hates Britain. But his feud with Anacrites the Chief Spy has now reached a dangerous level, so with his own pressing reasons to leave Rome in a hurry, he accepts the task. A thousand miles from home, with only his family to support him, he starts restoring order to the Emperor's chaotic building site. Then, while he searches the feuding workforce for Gloccus and Cotta, he realizes that someone with murderous intentions is now after him.
Synopsis
The 13th novel featuring Marcus Didius Falco finds the Roman P.I. in the midst of a home improvement that brings an unwanted "visitor" to his bathhouse. Poor Marcus Didius Falco: The two shiftless contractors working on his new Roman bath house have left him with a horrible smell emanating from the below-ground furnace...and some gruesome site debris. Meanwhile, the king of the Atrebtes tribe in faraway Britain is planning his own home improvements. But the spectacular Fishbourne Palace he is building is beset by numerous financial problems... not to mention the "accidents" that seem to plague the construction site. Enter P.I. Falco to investigate the scene and make things right. But trouble starts anew when his favorite contractors from Rome appear on the scene, and Falco realizes that someone with murderous intentions is now after him....
Synopsis
Poor Marcus Didius Falco: The two shiftless contractors working on his new Roman bathhouse have left him with a horrible smell emanating from the below-ground furnace...and some gruesome site debris. Meanwhile, the king of the Atrebtes tribe in faraway Britannia is planning his own home improvements. But the spectacular Fishbourne Palace he is building is beset by numerous financial problems...not to mention the "accident" that seem to plague the construction site Enter P.I. Falco to investigate the scene and make things right. But trouble starts anew when his favorite contractors from Rome appear on the scene, and Falco realizes that someone with murderous intentions is now after him....- A BODY IN THE BATHHOUSE was published in Mysterious Press hardcover in 9/02. This trade paperback edition will tie in with Lindsey Davis' new Falco mystery, "The Jupiter Myth (Mysterious Press hardcover, 9/03).- The Marcus Didius Falco series has received rave reviews from "Publishers Weekly, Washington Post Book World, Detroit Free Press, and "The Times (London), among others. Laura Bush is a big fan of the series.- The creators of the highly successful Inspector Morse TV series are currently adapting the Marcus Didius Falco series for a future television production.- Lindsey Davis' international bestselling novels have earned her the Crime "Writer's Association Ellis Peters Historical Dagger Award (1999).