We understand that not everyone can donate right now, but if you can afford to contribute, we promise it will be put to good use. Images Donate icon An illustration of a heart shape Donate Ellipses icon An illustration of text ellipses. After being rescued by Helena and a friendly centurion, Falco heads back to Rome, as the reluctant charge of the even more reluctant Helena. Not for long: my office was two rooms on the sixth floor of a dank tenement where only the dirt and dead bedbugs were cementing together the walls.

BBC Radio 4 Extra - Falco, The Silver Pigs - Episode guide

The empire is supported by a vast population of slaves, and Falco realizes just how terrible and immoral this is as he is beaten and made to work under terrible conditions—but he does gain information about who is perpetrating the crimes. Perhaps in a fine mansion with marble veneers, fountains, garden courtyards deep in shade, a leisured young lady might keep cool, even swaddled in embroidered finery with jet and amber bangles from her elbow to her wrist.

Marcus Didius Falco, a Roman ‘informer’ in 70AD, is standing in the Forum one very hot day, aiming to become a classic gumshoe in the Ancient World genre of mystery fiction… At this early point in his career, he has not only to make his way in the snobbish and dangerous milieu of Vespasian’s Rome, but to overcome the prejudice amongst publishers, booksellers and readers who are wary of historical novels and off-beat settings. Once there he meets a lady way out of his class, Helena Justina, the daughter of the Senator who hired him, and Sosia's cousin.

The Silver Pigs | Lindsey Davis

We had the Record Office and Capitol Hill hard above us on the left; to the right the Courts, and the Temple of Castor further down the Sacred Way. He discovers that the scheme is not just about stealing silver, but also encompasses a plot to overthrow the emperor.

She was shining and sticky as a glazed pastry plait, and when she hurtled up the steps of the Temple of Saturn straight towards me, I made no attempt to move aside. Falco discovers a clue that Domitian murdered Sosia—the murder weapon was a pen engraved with the letters T FL DOM, which stands for Titus Flavius Domitian. I felt my leg crunch, but the draught-ox staggered into his evil friend so they teetered backwards like faltering acrobats.

BBC Radio 4 Extra - Falco - Episode guide BBC Radio 4 Extra - Falco - Episode guide

They dislike each other immediately; Helena is a wealthy aristocrat; Falco makes assumptions about her based on her class. Vespasian came from an equestrian family that rose into the senatorial rank under the Julio–Claudian emperors, and although he fulfilled the standard succession of public offices, he had really made his name and earned his power in military service. Hired by her family to track down the reasons behind her death, Falco spends the winter in Britain working as a slave in a silver mine. All the porticos were crammed with butchers and bankers, all the open spaces filled with sweaty crowds, mainly men.He is contacted by Decimus and the new Roman Emperor, Vespasian, who recently claimed the imperial purple after the troubled period historians refer to as “The Year of the Four Emperors. Her feet would slip against the wet soles of her sandals, runnels of sweat dash her warm throat into interesting crevices under all that fancy bodicework .