''The Grove of the Caesars'' is a historical novel by British writer

Lindsey Davis Lindsey Davis (born 1949) is an English historical novelist, best known as the author of the Falco series of historical crime stories set in ancient Rome and its empire. She is a recipient of the Cartier Diamond Dagger award. Life and career ...

, the eighth in her

Flavia Albia Lindsey Davis (born 1949) is an English historical novelist, best known as the author of the Falco series of historical crime stories set in ancient Rome and its empire. She is a recipient of the Cartier Diamond Dagger award. Life and caree ...

series. It was published in the UK by

Hodder & Stoughton Hodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint (trade name), imprint of Hachette (publisher), Hachette. History Early history The firm has its origins in the 1840s, with Matthew Hodder's employment, aged 14, with Messrs ...

on 2 April 2020 (). The story is set in 1st century

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, in and around the gardens beyond the

Tiber The Tiber ( ; it, Tevere ; la, Tiberis) is the third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the Riv ...

, and features a

serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

, a buried collection of ancient scrolls, a shipwreck, a sad pair of dancing boys and much else. It reflects on the follies of the world of antiquarian scroll-collecting, with special reference to the writer Didymus Dodomos, described in the list of characters as "a ghastly horticulturalist, ghost-written".

References

External links

Lindsey Davis talks about The Grove of the Caesars, 28 March 2020
50 minute video Novels set in ancient Rome British historical novels Flavia Albia novels 2020 British novels 21st-century British novels Hodder & Stoughton books Novels set in the 1st century St. Martin's Press books {{2020s-crime-novel-stub