A Capitol Death

The Flavia Albia Mysteries, Book 7

By: Lindsey Davis

Narrated by: Jane Collingwood

In Rome, ruled by the erratic Emperor Domitian, Flavia Albia is dragged into the worst sort of investigation - a politically charged murder - in Lindsey Davis' next historical mystery, A Capitol Death.

A man falls to his death from the Tarpeian Rock, which overlooks the Forum from the Capitoline Hill in ancient Rome. While it looks like a suicide, one witness swears that she saw it happen and that he was pushed. Normally, this would attract very little official notice, but this man happened to be in charge of organizing the imperial triumphs demanded by the emperor.

The Emperor Domitian, autocratic and erratic, has decided that he deserves two triumphs for his so-called military victories. The triumphs are both controversial and difficult to stage because of the not-so-victorious circumstances that left them without treasure or captives to be paraded through the streets. Normally, the investigation would be under the auspices of her new(ish) husband, but worried about his stamina following a long recovery, private informer Flavia Albia, daughter of Marcus Didius Falco, steps in.

What a mistake that turns out to be. The deceased proves to have been none too popular, with far too many others with much to gain from his death. With the date of the triumphs fast approaching, Flavia Albia must unravel a truly complex case of murder before danger shows up on her own doorstep.

©2019 Lindsey Davis (P)2019 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

What happened?

I really liked Pandora's Boy. I thought it was the best of the Flavia Albia books so far.
I also thought it was setting up a gang war for this book.
That story line was dropped.
The story here was sad and predictable.
It was still good, but now I'm probably less of a fan of Pandora's Boy, since apparently the build up in that book was for nothing.

Excellent! Lindsey Davis does it again!

Another wonderful Flavia Albia mystery! Jane Collingwood nails it again as narrator as she has before.

Wonderful writing brings ancient Rome into contemporary focus

I love this author. She always makes me smile, and I enjoy embracing the sense that Rome at its height is very little different from western civilization at the moment. That is, that interpersonal relationships, Commerce, and politics are all regarded with a slightly cynical edge which is entirely identifiable. The narrator is simply one of the very best in audiobooks. There is never a question that she knows what she’s saying and who is saying it. The only difficulty I ever have with these books is the names, which are difficult to retain when you’re listening to them. Easier if you’re reading, I believe, which can make the listen occasionally challenging, and the story became rather complex in that regard. Still and all, a satisfying listen.

Excellent

One of the best stories I've listened to. I want more and more and more!

A thin plot

The plot depends on the protagonist’s repeated insistence on getting herself into dangerous situations from which she must be rescued by men.

A bit light on substance

It felt like I was reading the script of a television show. The characters lacked substance. In addition frequently the narration was hard to take. It just did not fit for a character or two to have a Cockney accent in what was supposed to be Ancient Rome.