Emperor Domitian is hosting a banquet for the senators in honour of fallen soldiers, and it’s an invitation Aelianus and Justinus Camillus dare not refuse. On arrival, they enter a black-painted room furnished with couches resembling those found in mausoleums, complete with a tombstone bearing each of the senators’ names. As the evening progresses the brothers conclude that Domitian has finally turned against them for their uncle’s part in a plot to oust his father, and start to wonder if they’ll ever see the light of day again . . .

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Praise for Lindsey Davis and the Flavia Albia series

‘Lindsey Davis has seen off all her competitors to become the unassailable market leader in the ‘crime in Ancient Rome’ genre . . . Davis’s squalid, vibrant Rome is as pleasurable as ever’ – Guardian

‘Davis’s prose is a lively joy, and Flavia’s Rome is sinister and gloriously real’ – The Times on Sunday

‘For fans of crime fiction set in the ancient world, this one is not to be missed’ – Booklist

‘Davis’s books crackle with wit and knowledge . . . She has the happy knack of making the reader feel entirely immersed in Rome’ – The Times