A Comedy of Terrors

A Comedy of Terrors is a historical crime novel by British writer Lindsey Davis, the ninth in her Flavia Albia series. It was published in the UK on 1 April 2021 by Hodder & Stoughton and in the United States on 27 July 2021 by Minotaur Books.
The novel is set in 89 AD, starting during "the week before Saturnalia: 12–17 December". It features nuts and threats to the emperor.
Falco and his wife Helena appear in the list of "Our festival characters", described as "her iconic parents".

Reception

The book was chosen as a Sunday Times Crime Club Star Pick. Publishers Weekly reviewer said that "Davis convincingly depicts first-century mobsters, an aspect of ancient Roman criminality that's been underutilized by authors writing about this period. This series remains as fresh as ever." The reviewer for the Historical Novel Society's Historical Novel Review described the book as " vintage Lindsey Davis.... She writes with verve and vitality, swooping from comedy to tragedy to a satisfying conclusion, with a tip of a Saturnalia wreath to Tiberius's pie charts." It was included in The Guardian "This Month's Best Paperbacks" and in The Observer list of "The best recent thrillers", where it was described as "Lighthearted, witty and effortlessly clever" and "a window into ancient Rome, and a tonic and a joy to read". The Times, in a paperback roundup, quotes critic Mark Sanderson: ""The Flavia Albia series are far more than mere mash-ups of Up Pompeii! The research supports her beady-eyed examination of human relationships."