Author:Lindsey Davis
Another engrossing historical mystery bringing Ancient Rome to life in all its gruesome glory from the pen of multimillion-copy bestselling author Lindsey Davis. Fans of S. J. Parris, Donna Leon, Steven Saylor and C. J. Sansom will not be disappointed...
'Davis's writing zings with fun' -- Daily Mail
'One of the best of the current writers in this field' -- Donna Leon, The Times
'My advice is BUY IT and READ IT as you will not regret it' -- ***** Reader review
'A cracking good read' -- ***** Reader review
'A real page-turner' -- ***** Reader review
'Absolutely brilliant!' -- ***** Reader review
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THE ANCIENT SPORTS OF MURDER AND MYTH
Stunned by a dramatic appeal from his otherwise cool mother-in-law, Falco cannot resist. His brother-in-law has been diverted from his route to Athens University by a man whose newly married daughter disappeared, with her husband, while visiting the Olympic Games as part of an extended wedding trip. Suspecting a classic cover-up, Aulus enrols Falco's help in solving the case. And of course his mother-in-law hopes to hurry her son along to university by passing the case over to Falco.
Joining the rest of the married couple's tour group on the remains of their Grand Tour, Falco and Helena seize the opportunity to interview the owner/manager of 'Seven Sights Travel', as well as the other guests.
Seemingly not getting very far, they can at least make the most of the splendid sights; but finally, on reaching Delphi, Falco and Helena unravel the mystery of the bride and groom...
A welcome corrective to snow-blindness from too much Nordic noir... excellent characterisation, a sympathetic and engaging protagonist and plenty of plot twists with a cliff hanger ending that sets things up nicely for the next in the series
—— GuardianEntertaining debut
—— Marcel Berlins , TimesEvokes the master of Barcelona-set narrative, Carlos Ruiz Zafon... For all his storytelling skills, Hill’s real achievement is in the creation of an idiosyncratic new character, Salgado... a series to watch
—— Barry Forshaw , IndependentA blast of hot air through the current frozen Nordic crime-writing landscape
—— Book of the Week , Weekend SportHuman trafficking, voodoo, the corruption of wealth and power, and sharp psychological insight. Don't miss
—— Literary ReviewWhat a joy that these timeless and treasured novels are available again
—— Ed McBainThere’s only one thing as good as reading a John D. MacDonald novel: reading it again . . . He is the all-time master of the American mystery novel
—— John SaulJohn le Carré has lost none of his ability in skewering the murkier foibles of the British Establishment. A tale of deception, greed, betrayal and ultimately, revenge . . . it is not until the last few pages that the full three dimensions of the plot are thrillingly revealed
—— Country LifeA writer of towering gifts . . . le Carré is one of the great analysts of the contemporary scene, who has a talent to provoke as well as unsettle
—— IndependentJohn le Carré takes us back to his favourite scenarios: Whitehall, the secret services, the gentleman's clubs, dodgy bankers, corrupt public schoolboys and gruesome American neo-cons . . . revelling once more in that imaginary world of secrets and lies that is le Carré's gift to us
—— Evening StandardTense, twisty, and driven by a melancholy insight into human motivation . . . deeply compelling
—— The WeekJohn le Carré is as recognisable a writer as Dickens or Austen, with an often-imitated but never rivalled cast of seedy spies, false lovers, public schoolboys struggling with guilt, and charming but immoral leaders of the brutal establishment . . . This is vintage le Carré and highly enjoyable
—— Financial TimesThrilling, suspenseful . . . Fans will not be disappointed
—— Sunday ExpressUtterly convincing characters, a tight plot . . . Wonderful
—— Sunday MirrorThrilling
—— ExpressChoreographed with unsettling precision
—— MetroWhen I was under house arrest I was helped by the books of John le Carré ... they were a journey into the wider world ... These were the journeys that made me feel that I was not really cut off from the rest of humankind
—— Aung San Suu KyiPlunges the reader into a modern-day thriller...Dad won't be able to put it down
—— Metro[It] has all the essential ingredients of his masterpieces: the dilemmas of duty, patriotism and decency
—— Simon Sebag Montefiore , Metro 'Books of the Year'John Le Carré at his masterful best . . . nobody does it better
—— Ben Macintyre , The Times 'Books of the Year'Widely hailed as a return to the good old Smiley days . . . le Carré writes with laconic elegance
—— Kate Saunders , The Times 'Books of the Year'