Two for the Lions

As part of his attempts to earn enough money to buy himself into the upper middle ranks, and thus make his relationship with Helena Justina respectable, Marcus Didius Falco has offered his services to Vespasian as a tax collector during the 'great Census' of AD 73. Unfortunately, his plan has several flaws, one major one being his need to take on Anacrites as a partner.

Whilst conducting the audit of two gladiatorial training schools, Falco stumbles upon the apparent murder of a star man-eating lion and an apparent rivalry between the schools. When a gladiator also ends up dead, Falco takes on the investigation, one which leads him to Tripolitania.

To add to the confusion, Helena's younger brother, Camillus Justinus, has eloped with the betrothed of his older brother, Aelianus. They too have made their way to North Africa, drawn by Justinus' quest to find Silphium, an expensive herb already deemed extinct.

• The 'great Census' of AD 73,
• The elopement of Camillus Justinus and Claudia Rufina,
• The investigation into the rivalry between gladiatorial trainers,
• Developing relationship of Marcus Didius Falco and Helena Justina.

• Winner of the first Ellis Peters Historical Dagger awarded by the Crime Writers' Association in 1999.

• 1998, UK, Century Hardback ISBN 978-0-7126-7796-7
• 1999, UK, Arrow, Paperback ISBN 978-0-09-979961-0
• 1999, UK, Isis, Audio, ISBN 978-0-7531-0509-2 (read by Christopher Scott)
• 1999, US, Mysterious Press, Hardback ISBN 978-0-89296-693-6
• 2000, US, Mysterious Press, Paperback ISBN 978-0-446-60902-9

• lindseydavis.co.uk Author's Official Website