A Comedy of Terrors

Call it what you want but the Winter silly season has cause problems since it was invented.
Christmas/Saturnalia - they both mean family squabbles, over-eating and running around buying presents.

Flavia and Tiberius may be recently wed but that won't get in the way of them solving a murder or three, investigating ancient Loan Shark organisations or interfering in the lives of their nearest and dearest. Oh and possibly annoying a vigile or two.

There are plenty of visits from Falco, Helena and the extended Didii family. I swear Postumus is either going to be the ancient version of a CSI or a serial killer LOL. There are also some references to the earlier Falco books so devoted readers like myself will get the jokes/references but newer readers won't feel too left out.

I loved their way of dealing with getting the bad guy using Sheep! Reminded my al Al Capone! I have loved this series from the start and am so enjoying this very British Roman matron's total disregard for the customs of her time. She is just too much of her adopted father's daughter!

The latest addition to the Flavia Albia series from Lindsey Davis is a riotously chaotic and joyful read, set in Rome 89 AD amidst the mid-December Saturnalia festival celebrations, the same Saturn in mythology who ate his children. The streets and bars abound with unrestrained revellers drunk out of their skulls as the drinks flow with abandon, the inevitable throwing ups, debauchery and other filthy behaviour, pranks, insults fly, harrassment, grievous batterings, families at war, marriages in trouble, along with scheming and intrigue aplenty. There's the rituals and traditions to be carried out at home, festival decorations, presents to be given, the endless visitors and celebration feasts to be organised. There are two grieving young boys in Flavia's household, Gaius and Lucius, the nephews of her magistrate husband, Tiberius, who have come to live with them when his sister died.

The boys bond with the donkey and the newly acquired sheep, clinging to any sense of familiarity and finding joy in playing jokes. Flavia refuses to be doomed by parenthood, and has no intention of giving up her work as a private informer, although there is precious little work to be had in the holiday period, and when she does find work, it's with a finagling client where all is not as it appears. Tiberius, an upright citizen and moral man, applies the regulations to all, immune to bribery and status, a position that is to make him a target of powerful and ruthless criminal gangsters intent on taking over Rome's nut trade with their mouldy product. Any nut traders who refuse to buy their rotten nuts are murdered in grisly ways as a lesson to others. There is no way Flavia is not going to make behind the scene inquiries on the 'nutty business' to support and protect Tiberius, picking up useful information from a number of different sources in a boisterously celebrating Rome.

In this past year of Covid 19, Davis seems to be all too aware that people need some joy and to be uplifted, she provides that in spades with the comedy and hilarity to be found during Saturnalia with her fabulous cast of characters, some of whom haven't made an appearance for quite a while. This is a wonderfully irresistible, entertaining and fun murder mystery, there are grim murders, corruption, extortion, villainous criminal gangsters and racketeering, but the highlight for me were Davis's descriptions of Rome and the Saturnalia festival, seen through the eyes and experiences of Flavia, and other key characters. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.

I really enjoyed the original series of the adventures of Marcus Didius Falco in Vespasian's Rome. However, when the author moved on to his adopted daughter - Flavia Albia - I lost interest. What had been witty, sharp dialogue became just sarcastic nonsense.

However, I decided to give this book a whirl, and was really pleased I did, as once again the author is on her game and Flavia is an interesting and amusing character. The clever repartee is still there, if borderline acceptable, but for me it works as a fun tale set in Rome. I just hope she doesn't get too sharp and sardonic.

It is the season of Saturnalia, when slaves become masters and gifts are given to all. But murder, gang family warfare and corruption lurk in Rome, and Flavia and her long-suffering husband Tiberius are on the spot to resolve matters, involving nut wars, a dead sheep and some really nasty characters. A fun read. Io Saturnalia!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A very funny and entertaining novel as well as being of interest in itself, due to the storytelling involved. I would recommend this highly and will be watching out for more of this authors novels. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me an advance copy of this book.