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Scandal Takes a holiday
A curious mix of detectives (yes, there are more than one); spies, journalists (the very firsts! and dealing with gossip, sports and other regular features of our daily lives), military and the sea pirates; besides, curious and bizarre relatives and friends of Falco make it an uproariously interesting book. The setting is old Rome and Ostia. The famous ‘Infamia’, the pseudonym of the official gossip column writer of the Daily Gazette, goes off on holiday. He is often on holiday. It is taken as regular behaviour from the shifty and unreliable page 3 scribe, to go off without informing his colleagues. He brings to the public salacious gossip of which senator’s wife is sleeping with which jockey, besides other raunchy details (he is a fore runner to Paparazzi of our times, perhaps). His two colleagues employ detective Falco to find and bring back the shock-and-horror society news writer from his lazy, drunken truancy. Falco goes to Ostia to find him. Falco’s nosing leads him to bigger things, including pirates. He finds leads to pirates Damagoras, an old rascal and then on to Cratidas. It is claimed that Pompey the Great had swept the seas clean of scourge of pirates and officially no piracy existed. Files are kept in secret as the pirates work right under the noses of the vigiles, in charge of security in Ostia. Damagoras comes from Cilicia, the notorious base of the pirates. He wants his story to be written so he has been in contact with Diocles, alias Infamia. The seas had never been rid of pirates and Pompey the Great was really great at making himself look good. As Falco digs deep, he comes up with a full-fledged kidnapping and extortion racket. The breakthrough comes when a rich girl is kidnapped and falls for her kidnapper. He comes back to claim her and a link is established. ‘The vigiles also spring into action along with the navy detectives big time, all out to corner glory. Falco’s long-lost uncle too suddenly comes to Ostia. Is he the intermediary between the pirates and the victims, dealing with the ransom? The navy detective certainly thinks so. Disguises come thick and fast. Action hots up. There are agents, and double-agents. Add to this the sinister designs of the building guild out to grab prime land. It seems they too are involved in the disappearance of Infamia. Was Diocles on the trail of pirates or the all-powerful building guild? Is he dead or if alive, where is he being held? Davis takes us deftly through the racy action. The build-up to the climax is subtle and fast. Davis reminds one of Erma Bombeck while describing Falco’s family and friends and of Louis L’Amour with action. Rome is the original Wild West. The book flows smoothly as the action seems modern in its racy style. If not introduced to Lindsey Davis, this book is terrific to get acquainted with the writer. |
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