Thursday, 25 June 2015

THE THIEVES OF OSTIA by Caroline Lawrence


In this atmospheric debut novel, the first instalment of a series of Roman mysteries, readers are whisked to the first century A.D. to help girl detective Flavia Gemina solve a brutal crime in the Roman port city of Ostia. When the guard dog belonging to Flavia's neighbors is slaughtered, Flavia sets out to find clues. She is accompanied by four trusty companions...

This was engaging from the first page and you are captivated right until the last word. Of course after a taste of Roman Mysteries I wanted more. Luckiliy there are nineteen more in the series! Caroline Lawrence is a master of both creating suspense within the detective genre but also brings the Roman Empire alive to the reader. I felt as if I had stepped out of a time machine. One experiences the sights, sounds and stenches of ancient Rome! One also realises very quickly that violence is commonplace in Roman society or at least the author's vision of history.This is an adrenalised ride and at times a tragic one as we witness the tragedy of Avitus.

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