Desperate Undertaking is a historical crime novel by British writer Lindsey Davis, the tenth in her Flavia Albia series.[1] It was published in the UK on 7 April 2022 by Hodder & Stoughton (ISBN 9781529354713)[2] and in the United States on 27 July 2022 by Minotaur Books (ISBN 9781250799883).[3]
 Cover of 1st UK hardback edition 2022 | |
| Author | Lindsey Davis |
|---|---|
| Series | Flavia Albia |
| Genre | historical fiction, crime fiction |
| Publisher | Hodder & Stoughton, Minotaur Books |
Publication date | 7 April 2022 |
| Publication place | UK |
| ISBN | 9781529354713 |
| Preceded by | A Comedy of Terrors |
| Followed by | Fatal Legacy |
The tale is set in Rome in late December 89 AD, set in and around the Field of Mars, and involving murders among the theatrical community.[2][4] It is divided into parts, of varying lengths, with titles "Laureolus", "Pasiphae", "Oedipus Rex", "Medea", "Selurus the bandit king of Sicily", "Orpheus or possibly Daedalus", "Aeschylus", "Jason" and "The Girl from Londinium".[5]
The cover of the first UK hardback edition shows a damaged bas-relief carving of a seated man contemplating a theatrical mask which he holds in his outstretched hand.[2] The image is of part of "Relief of a seated poet (Menander) with masks of New Comedy, 1st century B.C.–early 1st century A.D.", held by the Princeton University Art Museum.[6] The American cover shows a girl in a white and purple tunic looking towards a Roman theatre while clutching a large dagger.[3]
In a starred review, Publishers Weekly wrote that the novel "reinforces Davis’s place at the top of the Ancient Roman historical subgenre".[7] Kirkus Reviews and the Historical Novel Society also gave favourable reviews.[8][9]
References
edit- ^ Murphy, Jane (1 June 2022). "Desperate Undertaking". Booklist. 118 (19–20): 36–37 – via Gale.
- ^ a b c Desperate Undertaking. Hodder & Stoughton. 6 October 2021. ISBN 9781529354713. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ a b "Desperate Undertaking". Macmillan. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ "Desperate Undertaking". Lindsey Davis. 1 October 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ Davis, Lindsey (2022). Desperate Undertaking. Hodder & Stoughton. pp. 1, 77, 181, 277, 311, 355, 375, 389, 399. ISBN 9781529354713.
- ^ "Relief of a seated poet (Menander) with masks of New Comedy (y1951-1)". artmuseum.princeton.edu. Retrieved 10 April 2022. Identified in an acknowledgement on the dustjacket
- ^ "Desperate Undertaking: A Flavia Albia Novel by Lindsey Davis". Publishers Weekly. 26 April 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
- ^ "DESPERATE UNDERTAKING". Kirkus Reviews. 10 May 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
- ^ Ashworth, Mike (August 2022). "Desperate Undertaking (Flavia Albia)". Historical Novel Society. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
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