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A Capitol Death

Series: Flavia Albia
4.08 goodreads logo

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( 1,304 ratings, 125 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
A Capitol Death by Lindsey Davis is a gripping crime fiction set in Ancient Rome, where a mysterious death occurs under suspicious circumstances during the preparations for a significant festival. Investigator Flavia Albia is tasked with untangling a web of political intrigue, secrets, and deception. As she delves deeper, she faces challenges that test her skills and acumen, all while navigating the complexities of Roman society.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$2799
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by historical mysteries set in ancient Rome, blending a mix of political intrigue and dark humour. It may appeal to you if you appreciate well-researched narratives with a strong sense of atmosphere and a bustling cast of characters, led by a witty investigator navigating complex Roman society.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

The next book in the gripping Flavia Albia series, by acclaimed author Lindsey Davis

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A tragic accident . . . or was it?

Emperor Domitian has been awarded (or rather, has demanded) yet another Triumph to celebrate two so-called victories. Preparations are going smoothly until one of the men overseeing arrangements for the celebration accidentally falls to his death from a cliff on the symbolic Capitoline Hill.

But Flavia Albia suspects there's more to the incident than meets the eye, as there are plenty of people who would have been delighted to be rid of the overseer. He was an abusive swine who couldn't organise a booze-up in a winery and was caught up in a number of scams, including one surrounding the supply of imperial purple dye and a family of shellfish-boilers.

As Flavia finds herself drawn into a theatrical world of carnival floats, musicians, incense, and sacrificial beasts, can she see to the heart of the matter and catch those responsible for the unpopular man's untimely death?

*

Praise for Lindsey Davis and the Flavia Albia series

'Lindsey Davis has seen off all her competitors to become the unassailable market leader in the "crime in Ancient Rome" genre . . . Davis's squalid, vibrant Rome is as pleasurable as ever' - Guardian

'Davis's prose is a lively joy, and Flavia's Rome is sinister and gloriously real' - The Times on Sunday

'For fans of crime fiction set in the ancient world, this one is not to be missed' - Booklist

'Davis's books crackle with wit and knowledge . . . She has the happy knack of making the reader feel entirely immersed in Rome' - The Times

Series: Flavia Albia

View all
  • A Capitol Death
    A tragic accident . . . or was it? Emperor Domitian has been awarded (or rather, has demanded) yet another Triumph to celebrate two so-called victories. Preparations are going smoothly until one of the men overseeing arrangements for the celebration accidentally falls to his death from a cliff on the symbolic Capitoline Hill. But Flavia Albia suspects there's more to...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • A Comedy of Terrors
    The Sunday Times Crime Club Star Pick 'Lighthearted, witty and effortlessly clever, just like its wonderful heroine, this is a window into ancient Rome, and a tonic and a joy to read' β€” The Observer Saturnalia, the Romans' mid-December feast, is nominally to celebrate the sun's rebirth but invariably turns into a drunken riot. Flavia Albia needs a case to...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Desperate Undertaking
    Rome, the very end of December. The Field of Mars is packed with monuments, none more beautiful than Domitian's new Odeon and Stadium. But the area has been overtaken by ugly events: elaborately staged murders. Someone bears a spectacular grudge against the theatrical community and intends to get revenge in the most spectacular way possible. The killer's method is to...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Deadly Election
    Deadly Election is set in the blazing July heat of imperial Rome, where Flavia Albia inspects a decomposing corpse. It has been discovered in lots to be auctioned by her family business, so she is determined to identify the dead man and learn how he met his gruesome end. The investigation gives her a chance to work with the magistrate,...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Third Nero
    Flavia Albia's day-old marriage is in trouble: her new husband may be permanently disabled, and they have no funds. When Palace officials ask her to help expose a plotter in their midst, she is obliged to accept their commission. The plot could not be bigger. Ever since he died in AD 68, apparently by his own hand, Rome has been...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Graveyard of the Hesperides
    From renowned author Lindsey Davis, creator of the much-loved character, Marcus Didius Falco and his friends and family, comes the fourth novel in her all-new series set in ancient Rome. We first met Flavia Albia, Falco's feisty adopted daughter, in The Ides of April. Albia is a remarkable woman in what is very much a man's world: young, widowed and...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Ides of April
    Flavia Albia is the adopted daughter of a famous investigating family. In defiance of tradition, she lives alone on the colourful Aventine Hill and battles out a solo career in a male-dominated world. As a woman and an outsider, Albia has special insight into the best, and worst, of life in ancient Rome. A female client dies in mysterious circumstances....
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Grove of the Caesars
    'For a totally exhilarating romp through Ancient Rome, Lindsey Davis' latest Flavia Alba novel won't be beaten and offers an immersive experience of a vibrant world full of real, recognisable characters' - Mike Ripley, Shotsmag Don't go to the Grove . . . Julius Caesar left his gardens to the citizens of Rome, a peaceful sanctuary across the Tiber. Now...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Enemies at Home
    We first met Flavia Albia, Falco's feisty adopted daughter, in The Ides of April. Albia is a remarkable woman in what is very much a man's world: young, widowed and fiercely independent, she lives alone on the Aventine Hill in Rome and makes a good living as a hired investigator. An outsider in more ways than one, Albia has unique...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • There Will Be Bodies
    Ten years after the eruption of Vesuvius, the surrounding countryside lies buried and barren. But the destroyed cities and luxury villas on the Bay of Naples are not utterly lost. Flavia Albia and her husband Tiberius Manlius are tasked with restoring one villa and identifying any surviving remains. What they unearth is beyond disturbing. When the volcano erupted, some people...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Death on the Tiber
    Rome is in chaos. The empire of a mobster chief is falling apart following his death. Rivals, fearsome relatives and associates are taking up position to vie for the spoils. With hideous murders in the streets of Rome, a lone female traveller arrives with an agenda of her own. But when her corpse is dragged out of the river bearing...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

a Capitol Death by Lindsey Davis is celebrated for its vivid portrayal of ancient Rome, blending crime fiction with rich historical detail. Reviews praise Davis for her witty and knowledgeable prose, immersing readers in a vibrant yet gritty world. The book is noted for its engaging exploration of the city's seamier sides as the protagonist, Flavia Albia, navigates a landscape filled with danger and intrigue.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781473658769

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 October 2019

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Hodder Paperback

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 42.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 260g

Pages: 400

About the Author

Historical novelist Lindsey Davis is best known for her novels set in Ancient Rome, including the much-loved Marcus Didius Falco series, although she has also written about the English Civil War, including A Cruel Fate, a book for the Quick Reads literacy initiative. Her examination of the paranoid reign of the roman emperor Domitian began with Master and God, a standalone novel set in that dark period, leading to her new series about Flavia Albia.

Her books are translated and five radio dramas are regularly rebroadcast on BBC Radio 4X. Her many awards include the Premio Colosseo (from the city of Rome) and the Crime Writers' Cartier Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement. Most recently she was awarded the Ivanhoe Prize for lifetime achievement in historical fiction, given by the Spanish City of Ubeda.

She has been the Chair of the UK Crimewriters' Association, Honorary President of the UK Classical Association, President of the Birmingham and Midlands Institute and is a Fellow of the UK Society of Authors.

www.lindseydavis.co.uk

Lindsey Davis - The Crime Writers' Association (thecwa.co.uk)

Also by Lindsey Davis

View all
  • A Comedy of Terrors
    The Sunday Times Crime Club Star Pick 'Lighthearted, witty and effortlessly clever, just like its wonderful heroine, this is a window into ancient Rome, and a tonic and a joy to read' β€” The Observer Saturnalia, the Romans' mid-December feast, is nominally to celebrate the sun's rebirth but invariably turns into a drunken riot. Flavia Albia needs a case to...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Desperate Undertaking
    Rome, the very end of December. The Field of Mars is packed with monuments, none more beautiful than Domitian's new Odeon and Stadium. But the area has been overtaken by ugly events: elaborately staged murders. Someone bears a spectacular grudge against the theatrical community and intends to get revenge in the most spectacular way possible. The killer's method is to...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Voices of Rome
    Lindsey Davis has received the Crime Writers' Association Lifetime Achievement Award for her two immortal series of detective novels featuring Marcus Didius Falco and his adopted daughter, Flavia Albia. She is regarded as the finest living novelist of Ancient Rome. Here, for the first time in book form, are four novella-length stories written to illuminate her unparalleled output of the...
    Paperback
    $5000
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • The Third Nero
    Flavia Albia's day-old marriage is in trouble: her new husband may be permanently disabled, and they have no funds. When Palace officials ask her to help expose a plotter in their midst, she is obliged to accept their commission. The plot could not be bigger. Ever since he died in AD 68, apparently by his own hand, Rome has been...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Voices of Rome
    Lindsey Davis has received the Crime Writer's Association Lifetime Achievement Award for her two immortal series of detective novels featuring Marcus Didius Falco and his adopted daughter, Flavia Albia. She is regarded as the finest living novelist of Ancient Rome. Here, for the first time in book form, are four novella-length stories written to illuminate her unparalleled output of the...
    Paperback
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Grove of the Caesars
    'For a totally exhilarating romp through Ancient Rome, Lindsey Davis' latest Flavia Alba novel won't be beaten and offers an immersive experience of a vibrant world full of real, recognisable characters' - Mike Ripley, Shotsmag Don't go to the Grove . . . Julius Caesar left his gardens to the citizens of Rome, a peaceful sanctuary across the Tiber. Now...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Deadly Election
    Deadly Election is set in the blazing July heat of imperial Rome, where Flavia Albia inspects a decomposing corpse. It has been discovered in lots to be auctioned by her family business, so she is determined to identify the dead man and learn how he met his gruesome end. The investigation gives her a chance to work with the magistrate,...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Graveyard of the Hesperides
    From renowned author Lindsey Davis, creator of the much-loved character, Marcus Didius Falco and his friends and family, comes the fourth novel in her all-new series set in ancient Rome. We first met Flavia Albia, Falco's feisty adopted daughter, in The Ides of April. Albia is a remarkable woman in what is very much a man's world: young, widowed and...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Ides of April
    Flavia Albia is the adopted daughter of a famous investigating family. In defiance of tradition, she lives alone on the colourful Aventine Hill and battles out a solo career in a male-dominated world. As a woman and an outsider, Albia has special insight into the best, and worst, of life in ancient Rome. A female client dies in mysterious circumstances....
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Murder in Purple and Gold
    When Flavia Albia stumbles upon the murdered corpse of a young man near Rome's famous Circus Maximus, she is about to embark on one of her most dangerous and complicated cases.Rome and the Romans are obsessed with chariot racing. Lepo was the rising star of the Purples, a new team created by the psychotic Emperor Domitian with big money backing....
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • Enemies at Home
    We first met Flavia Albia, Falco's feisty adopted daughter, in The Ides of April. Albia is a remarkable woman in what is very much a man's world: young, widowed and fiercely independent, she lives alone on the Aventine Hill in Rome and makes a good living as a hired investigator. An outsider in more ways than one, Albia has unique...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • There Will Be Bodies
    Ten years after the eruption of Vesuvius, the surrounding countryside lies buried and barren. But the destroyed cities and luxury villas on the Bay of Naples are not utterly lost. Flavia Albia and her husband Tiberius Manlius are tasked with restoring one villa and identifying any surviving remains. What they unearth is beyond disturbing. When the volcano erupted, some people...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

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