Desperate Undertaking, by Lindsay Davies

Hot on the heels of her Saturnalia adventure, Flavia Albia continues her frenetic pace as an informer in ancient Rome - a private investigator solving crimes the authorities would rather ignore or cover up. In this case a series of particularly gruesome staged murders link back to her parents’ early adventures in Syria. It’s always good to read about Falco, even if his appearance is off-stage. As has been the case in the last few books about Flavia Albia, this story gets bogged down in excessive description of Roman geography, history and architecture. This contrasts with earlier books, especially in the Falco series, which give fascinating insights into various aspects of Roman society that sit lightly beneath the story. It's a pity, because Albia is a great character with an interesting life. Her stories would be more entertaining if the character interactions were fleshed out more than the streetscape.