A Body in the Bathhouse

August 12, 2002
In the 13th of this popular series (Ode to a Banker,
etc.), Davis takes her witty and thoroughly likable Roman PI to Britain in 75 A.D. to investigate vast cost overruns at Fishbourne, a huge palace under construction to reward a local chieftain (now king) for aiding imperial legions to conquer his own people. Reluctant to leave the comforts of Rome while his newly widowed sister is being harassed by an unsavory suitor and he is switching houses with his errant father, our hero is browbeaten into the mission by boorish Emperor Vespasian. The whole family Falco journeys across Gaul to Britain's "ghastly terrain... where pasty-faced tribes still had not learned what to do with the sponge on the stick at public latrines." This tongue-in-cheek view of life's challenges nearly 2,000 years ago includes clever dialogue and quick-paced encounters between sophisticated Romans, who "deplore barbarian cruelty—we prefer to invent our own," and sullen locals, especially Great King Togidubnus, who wants to keep his own primitive hut as part of the new palace architecture. Eventually, Falco becomes a target as Romans and Brits fight over everything from women to missing building supplies. In a prolonged and chaotic final chase sequence, Falco and his cohorts run through sleazy brothels and bars searching for culprits responsible for the bodies in the bathhouses, and Davis leaves us laughing at how little life has changed over the millennia.

July 15, 2002
A ship filled with fugitives hoping to escape their past and prisoners destined for transportation to a distant colony runs afoul of pirates who take them to the massive floating city of Armada, where they can start their miserable lives anew. As fugitive Bellis Coldwine strives to come to terms with the sudden change in her existence, she becomes aware of a sinister agenda by Armada's leaders, plans that could not only endanger the lives of the Armadans but alter the nature of reality as well. The award-winning author of Perdido Street Station returns to the distinctive fantasy landscape of New Crobuzon to explore new corners of a world in which science and magic blend into a seamless and frightening form of metaphysics. Mi ville's hauntingly evocative style and masterful storytelling place this tale of exploration, mystery, and discovery at the top of the genre and make it a priority purchase. Highly recommended.

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2002
Marcus Didius Falco, everyone's favorite sarcastic ancient Roman, undertakes a reluctant trip to far-flung Britain in his thirteenth appearance. Various circumstances--including a dead body under his father's new bathhouse, a sister in danger from a spurned love interest, and a request from the emperor for help in auditing a British building project-- converge to send Falco, his family, and his frightened sister to the damp and uncivilized frontier. The building site is rife with the usual problems--egotistical architects, unreasonable clients, incompetent workers, even some fraud. The unexplained deaths, however, are more of a surprise. Falco sets about restoring order, halting wrongdoing, and protecting his sister, but at a slower-than-usual pace. A large cast of characters is painstakingly introduced, and the building site carefully described at the expense of the action needed to keep the book moving. Falco's tongue is as sharp as ever, though, and Davis delivers her usual entertaining family dynamics and historically accurate details. Fans will no doubt forgive Falco for a slow outing.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)