Flavia Alba #13
Lindsey Davis’s latest addition to her Flavia Albia series is There Will Be Bodies. Flavia Albia is married to a Roman by the name of Tiberius, and is a dedicated Roman wife who learned her husband’s business. She helps him to keep things organized and running smoothly and profitably. However, she has her own profession on the side as well. Flavia has a knack for solving mysteries and getting answers for people, and thus she has made a bit of a name for herself. If anyone wants to know what happened to a missing cousin, or are worried the local authorities might not give them a fair investigation, they turn to her.
This particular novel takes place in Napolis ten years after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Flavia’s husband’s uncle Tullius has hired Tiberius and his construction crew to reclaim an expansive villa he managed to buy relatively cheaply. Reclaiming includes digging out the ash as well as any restoration work. In addition, they are required to treat any and all bodies discovered respectfully and set them aside to be properly mourned and buried. Unsurprisingly, there are indeed bodies. The body of the previous owner, for example, is found in a storeroom – a storeroom locked from the outside and laid out in such a way that Flavia is instantly suspicious that Mount Vesuvius was not his cause of death.
The same could not be said for a group of slaves also found, chained and apparently left behind to face their fate at the hands of the volcanic disaster. Bolted by a chain to the wall, they had no chance. Incensed by the injustice and cruelty, Flavia is determined to figure out who would have left them to such a horrifying fate and why. She and her husband are treated like tourists, overcharged, and pressured to make purchases by the locals. Plenty are willing to speak of the old owner of the Villa, and none of them kindly: the man was known as an abuser and a drunk. Readers will struggle right alongside Flavia to discover who is to blame and what crimes have been committed.
Lindsey Davis has written many books set in ancient Rome, and readers can submerse themselves in the ancient culture as they follow Flavia Albia on her adventures. The tragedy of Mount Vesuvius has intrigued and fascinated people throughout history, and There Will Be Bodies gives readers a firsthand look into how people tried to reclaim their lives afterwards. For longtime readers of Lindsey Davis’ Flavia Albia series, There Will Be Bodies is a must have addition. New readers looking for an ancient Roman escape, or those particularly interested in Mount Vesuvius and the after effects, will also enjoy Flavia’s newest adventure.
Flavia Albia is an assertive and confident woman, determined to help her husband make a success of his business and to pursue her passion for helping others through her investigations. I also enjoyed that while kind, she is pragmatic and direct. When she feels someone is holding back or lying to her, she is not afraid to call them on it directly or try repeatedly to ask them the same question at different times to force the issue. She is a force to be reckoned with, and readers will enjoy seeing where Lindsey Davis takes her next. — Carla Schantz