Pandora's Boy

Flavia Albia is roped into investigating the death of a fifteen year old girl in Pandora's Boy (#764).  There are rumors of love potions and witchcraft, but the real reason Flavia has dug in her sandals on this case is that her new husband's ex-wife has just about dared her to find out the truth about the girl's unexpected death.

Clodia, according to family and witnesses, was a sweet-natured child, with a crush on an unsuitable youth.  She was in good health;  so could this be a case of unrequited love aided by a poisonous love potion?  As Flavia digs deeper, the name of Pandora keeps cropping up as the source of both beauty products and less salubrious offerings for the women of the toney Aventine neighborhood.  The friends who show up at the Volumnii's funeral feast for Clodia are no prizes themselves, and seem determined to close ranks against Flavia's investigation.

Meanwhile, Flavia has her own problems.  Her new husband has done a bunk after his ex-wife's visit.  He left everything behind, including his aedile's signet and wedding rings.  Somehow, Flavia's not surprised when he turns up in the middle of her inquiries, with some helpful information of his own.

Lindsey Davis's Flavia Albia series is a worthy successor to her popular Marcus Didius Falco mystery series.  In fact, the two are related because Flavia is Falco and Helena's adopted daughter from Britain.  Humorous and clever, these novels are a joy to read if Ancient Rome is a place that appeals to you.  Placing Min the Mountain Man in this novel was a personal challenge to Ms. Davis.  It's a hoot what she did with him here.  You could say it rises to new levels for her!

I'll be looking forward to the next installment in this series.  As they say, the past is prologue...