The Jupiter Myth
First edition
|
|
| Author | Lindsey Davis |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Marcus Didius Falco |
| Genre | Historical mystery crime novel |
| Publisher | Century |
|
Publication date
|
2002 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 352 pp (Hardback edition) |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 59339341 |
| Preceded by | A Body in the Bath House |
| Followed by | The Accusers |
The Jupiter Myth is a 2002 historical mystery crime novel by Lindsey Davis and the 14th book of the Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries series. Set in Londinium, Britannia in August AD 75, the novel stars Marcus Didius Falco, informer and imperial agent. The title refers to the use of Jupiter-related mythology by the crime syndicate to identify businesses associated with them.
The novel is notable for the introduction of Albia, the young British orphan who becomes Falco's adoptive daughter and is the protagonist of a second novel series by Davis, beginning with The Ides of April.
Despite having put the project of building the palace for the king of the Atrebates, Togidubnus, back on track, there is no peace for Falco and his family (his wife, his children, his brothers in law and his sister Maia Favonia) in Londinium as Togidubnus' disgraced friend, Verovolcus (see A Body in the Bath House), is found drowned in the well of a seedy Londinium taverna named the Shower of Gold, stripped of his torque. Fearful of the diplomatic consequences, the local authorities in the form of Gaius Hilaris (see The Silver Pigs), Falco's old friend and Helena's uncle, urge Falco to take up inquiries into the death. At the same time, Maia's children and Lucius Petronius "Petro'" Longus, Falco's best friend, have appeared in Londinium. Things become more tense with Togidubnus breathing down Falco and Hilarius' necks for answers on who killed Verovolcus, and a newly arrived businessman, Norbanus Murena, hitting on Maia.
Falco and Helena discover extortion rackets terrorising Londinium when a fire breaks out at a bakery. He muses on how suspicious the fire at the bakery is, since there was nobody in the bakery during the conflagration, and suspects that it was arson by whoever is behind the rackets. In the midst of the blaze, a vagrant girl risks her life to save a pack of dogs. Touched by this show of heroism, Helena adopts the girl, who is named Albia. The relationship between the Didii and Albia goes off on a rocky start, however, with Albia vandalising Hilarius' home. Simultaneously Petro' also disappears, and at a very bad time too — a message soon arrives, saying that two of Petro's children have died in Rome. Falco is forced to take Albia out along with him, and decides to look for Petro', but Petro' warns him to stay away because he is going undercover and then flees. Worse, Albia is abducted and forced into a brothel. Falco goes to her rescue and is assisted by an unlikely ally: a group of female gladiators (or gladiatrices) led by an ex-girlfriend of Falco's named Chloris, now going by the stage name of Amazonia. The gladiatrices believe Falco to be responsible for Albia's plight and detain him, but Helena (who was summoned by Albia) convinces them to release Falco. The reunion with Chloris temporarily strains Falco's marriage with Helena, but eventually they reconcile. Enquiries, however, begin to pay off and soon enough, with Chloris' help Falco manages to identify the rackets' enforcers in town, nicknamed Pyro and Splice. Falco and his associates soon notice something else — many of the businesses in town all have names derived from myths surrounding Jupiter, the chief god of the Roman pantheon. Chloris also reveals to Falco that she saw Pyro and Splice up-end Verovolcus into the well, and that whoever is employing them is also harassing her and her gladiatrix group into working for him.
...
Wikipedia