SATURNALIA

The bacchanalian festival of Saturnalia in ancient Rome provides the context for this mystery featuring the capable plebian sleuth Marcus Didius Falco. Several calamitous events precipitate Falco's latest investigation, starting with the escape of a beautiful barbarian priestess from house arrest and the beheading of a young man. With Falco's extended family and in-laws providing comic interludes, the mystery becomes more convoluted as our hero delves further into the clues. Christian Rodska manages a multitude of characters, developing his centurions, slaves, beggars, and ladies-in- waiting with distinction and contrast. He conveys the various social classes with ease and does a particularly competent job of projecting the ironic tone the story often demands. M.H.N. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 08]