First published 2009
Marcus Didius Falco planned a simple vacation in Alexandria with his wife Helena Justina in A.D. 77. The Roman informer hoped to escape his usual work ferreting out secrets for Emperor Vespasian. But Alexandria's great library harbors deadly secrets of its own. When the head librarian turns up dead under suspicious circumstances, Falco cannot resist investigating. He uncovers a web of professional jealousy, corruption, and book theft among the scholars. Bodies accumulate as rival academics pursue their deadly feuds. Falco must navigate the treacherous politics of the ancient world's greatest center of learning. His investigation threatens to destroy the very institution he seeks to protect. The case tests both his detective skills and his marriage as Helena becomes entangled in the danger.
Genres: adventure, crime, ancient, academic
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, investigation
Setting: Alexandria
Period: A.D. 77
338 pages · Hardcover · Minotaur Books