The Ides of April: A Flavia Albia Mystery

Davis (Nemesis) ingeniously breathes life into her Ancient Rome series, which has reached 20 books, by shifting the focus from Marcus Didius Falco to his adopted daughter, Flavia Albia, who follows in her father’s footsteps by becoming an investigator. Salvidia, the owner of a business that refurbishes bars, retains Flavia to avoid liability after an out-of-control company cart kills a three-year-old boy. Before Flavia can really get to work, Salvidia dies, despite having been in good health. As Flavia begins to ask questions, she’s disturbed to learn that other Romans have also dropped dead suddenly. Unsettled by her inquiries, the powers-that-be seek to avoid a panic resulting from word getting out that foul play may be involved. The solution isn’t one of Davis’s most dexterous, but the smooth transition between leads provides hope that Flavia could have as long a literary run as Marcus. (June)