Marilyn Todd

Claudia Seferius's stepdaughter has been abducted and although sorely tempted to let the kidnappers keep the sullen little so-and-so, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. Especially when her bodyguard has been arrested on a capital offence and Marcus Orbilio has also been placed under house arrest when a skeleton is found in the extension work he was doing on his house.

All good rollicking fun despite some really nasty moments.

Claudia Sefirius's creditors are getting more insistent, her late husband's family are plotting to get her declared legally incompetent, there is a serial killer on the loose, and she has her very own stalker. What more could a girl want?

The author manages to keep all the balls in the air in her usual mix of humour and thrills.

Claudia travels to Histria where she hopes to land a contract to supply wine to the King only to find His Majesty invited her for quite another purpose.

I nearly gave up half way through because I was having problems remembering who was who but I'm glad I persisted because it does have a cracker of an ending.

Claudia Sefirius is offered a large sum to take part in a trade delegation travelling to Vesantion in Gaul to mark the 50th anniversary of the cooperation between the Sequani and Rome provided she delivers a certain package when she gets there. And then the delegation gets cut off from its escort and the bodies start mounting up.

Lots of twists and turns but not as funny as some of the earlier ones in the series.