The Jupiter Myth

"The Jupiter Myth" by Lindsey Davis. Lindsey Davis' popular Marcus Didius Falco series continues with a classic noir tale of gangsters, gladiators, and romance. For Falco, an attempt at relaxing while visiting his wife Helena's relatives in Britain turns serious when a murder is discovered. King Togidubnus, the renegade henchman of Rome's vital ally, has been stuffed head-first down a barroom well-leading to a tricky diplomatic situation which Falco must defuse. Making matters worse, the town has become a magnet for criminals from Rome...and one murder leads to others. With the army turning a blind eye, Falco and his partner Petronius must lead the hunt for gangsters intent on taking over the city. From the wharves beside the River Thamesis to the old haunts of organized crime back home in Italy, Falco and Petronius face danger and death in every corner. Will they be able to return order to the city before they lose everything they hold dear?From Publishers WeeklyDavis's 14th clever, witty adventure (after 2001's A Body in the Bathhouse) starring the suave Marcus Didius Falco, from Ancient Rome, finds the informer/investigator plying his talents on the mean and muddy streets of Londinium, Britannia, in A.D. 75. In fact, almost everything about the growing community is mean, from its dark and dingy bars to the sprawling wharves and warehouses. The discovery of a body jammed headfirst into a bar's well is enough to get Falco sent to the scene as an expert on unnatural death. Falco needs all his celebrated intelligence to survive the ensuing problems. Davis skillfully braids references to Britain's future into her story of its past without ever diminishing the thrust of Falco's adventures. And what adventures! The murder victim is a disgraced henchman of King Togidubnus, an important ally of Rome. Solving and avenging the death quickly is important to placate the king. Civil order is in disrepair, while the rapidly growing city is ripe pickings for the ambitious gangsters moving in from Rome, whom Falco and his friend Petronius, have battled before. An entourage that includes wife Helena, their two small children, his sister, Maia, and her four children gives Falco questionable help. This thoroughly entertaining addition can only burnish the luster of this fine series. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. Review• ''Against this richly textured backdrop is played out a story of low-down greed and grubby deals, of backhanders and protection rackets, that pulls the trick of feeling modern, exciting and plausible.'' --The Sunday Times• ''Lindsey Davis combines an engrossing plot with pithy dialogue and a comic (though not cartoonish) depiction of the past in all its gory splendour.'' --The Guardian Book details: published 2003. Order now on BookShops.in with fast, reliable delivery across India.