''The Ides of April'' is a 2013
historical mystery
The historical mystery or historical whodunit is a subgenre of two literary genres, historical fiction and mystery fiction. These works are set in a time period considered historical from the author's perspective, and the central plot involves th ...
crime novel
Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...
by
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 ...
and the first book in the
Flavia Albia Mysteries (Falco: The New Generation). Set in March and April AD 89, in the
Aventine Hill
The Aventine Hill (; la, Collis Aventinus; it, Aventino ) is one of the Seven Hills on which ancient Rome was built. It belongs to Ripa, the modern twelfth '' rione'', or ward, of Rome.
Location and boundaries
The Aventine Hill is the so ...
area of
Ancient Rome
In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom ...
, the novel stars
Flavia Albia, the British-born adopted daughter of
Marcus Didius Falco
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 ...
(the hero of the author's 20-volume Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries series, published from 1989 to 2010). Albia, a widow, works as a "
delatrix" (detective or private informer) in ancient Rome, like Falco. The book's front cover image depicts a small glass pot and a needle dipped in blood. It carries the strapline, "Falco: The New Generation".
Connections to the Falco series
Falco and his partner Helena are included in the "Cast list" in the book, and Flavia Albia describes them and their household and visits them during the course of the story, but they do not appear directly in the text. Helena's two brothers are mentioned as being lawyers. Falco's old friend Petro is not mentioned in the cast list, but is referred to as Flavia Albia's "uncle" in the text.
Falco's young brother Postumus, the result of Thalia's pregnancy in ''
Nemesis
In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis, also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia ( grc, Ῥαμνουσία, Rhamnousía, the goddess of Rhamnous), was the goddess who personifies retribution, a central concept in the Greek world view.
Etymology
The ...
'', is now an awkward 11-year-old, who appears in the book.
Flavia Albia uses Falco's old apartment in Fountain Court as her office, and lives elsewhere in the same building. In ''
Enemies at Home'', it is revealed that the Didii bought over the Fountain Court block, possibly from
Smaractus, Falco's former landlord.
Reception
The ''
Irish Times
''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...
'' reviewer wrote: "Irreverent, resourceful and hard-boiled in her patter, Flavia is a heroine to rival her contemporary counterparts VI Warshawski and Kinsey Milhone."
Tom Holland reviewed the book for ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
''
and ended:
Debra Craine, writing in ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ( ...
'', included ''The Ides of April'' in her list of ten "best crime novels by women since 2000".
References
Further reading
*
External links
''The Ides of April''on Lindsey Davis' official website
* ''First paragraph available online available to non-subscribers''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ides of April, The
Novels set in ancient Rome
British historical novels
Flavia Albia novels
Hodder & Stoughton books
2013 British novels
89
80s in the Roman Empire
1st century in Italy
Novels set in the 1st century