Now Verovolcus has met his own bad end as he’s found head down in a well behind a disreputable tavern, his valuable torque (a type of Roman necklace) missing. Falco and Gaius Flavius Hilaris, the procurator of finance for the province, are swiftly on the case. Their investigation quickly turns up evidence that Verovolcus had some involvement with a group of Roman gangsters attempting to muscle in local commerce, but the frightened locals aren’t offering up much more in the way of information.

Unfortunately for Falco, investigating a murder is only one of his many problems – his loyal friend Petronius has suddenly up and vanished, taking only a few possessions with him. Falco’s concern over Petro only increases when he gets news of a tragedy involving Petro’s family. Falco knows he needs to find his friend, and soon, but he doesn’t even know where to begin.

With few clues in either case, Falco finds help from a variety of sources, including his long-suffering wife Helena Justina, his headstrong sister Maia Favonia, an ex-girlfriend turned gladiator, and a fearful young orphan named Albia. With his formidable family and friends behind him, Falco is able to bring a small semblance of law and order to this still-wild Roman province.

Author Lindsey Davis has been delighting audiences with her Roman mysteries for years, and her latest is no exception. She successfully blends a modern voice with rigorous historical accuracy, a challenging feat for any historical author. Her sharp wit and strong sense of pacing keep the action moving swiftly towards the conclusion. Davis has a wonderful ability to juggle multiple storylines, mysterious and otherwise, effectively, ensuring that all the threads enrich the main plot without distracting from it.

Davis also does exceptional work with her characters, particularly the villains of the piece. Rather than keeping her ne’er-do-wells a one-dimensional cipher, she takes the time to provide them with a back story and a developed personality that allows the reader to picture them clearly. The interactions between characters are also quite well done and do a wonderful job at demonstrating the all-too-familiar complexities of human relationships. Rather than depicting the love between Falco and his wife as flat and unchanging, Davis adds a layer of realism by showing how even the strongest of pairs can fight and manage to grow stronger from the experience. These quiet, subtle touches aren’t necessary to the plot, but the book is made much richer by their presence.

Overall, The Jupiter Myth is a well-crafted historical mystery that should appeal to a broad audience based on the strength of the writing alone. This book is the first I’ve read of the series, but it certainly won’t be the last.

--Jessica Plonka