Germanicus

No good deed goes unpunished. Marcus Corvinus, the party-boy of ancient Rome, hasn't committed many good deeds, but his most recent was a doozy. And sure enough, here comes punishment, right on schedule. Why else would he have been summoned to see the Empress Livia, never his biggest fan? True, Livia would love to see Corvinus writhing in some interesting form of agony, but for now, she's got a job for him. Her darling grandson, Germanicus—soldier, statesman, heir-presumptive to the throne—has been most foully murdered, and Livia will not rest until Corvinus finds the killer. Corvinus, of course, is glad to oblige, since he'd like to continue breathing. But there's a problem: word on the Appian Way is that Livia herself ordered her grandson's death. The second mystery of ancient Rome by David Wishart, Germanicus is an entertaining mystery written in a distinct and unexpected voice.