Marcus Didius and Helena Justinia travel with Helena 7 months pregnant into Corduba to investigate the possibilities of an olive oil cartel by the locals against Rome and to seek out a dancer thought to have murdered one man and severely injured another, Anacrites, the chief spy for Rome. ( )

Falco has been invited to a dinner with the Society of Olive Oil Producers of Baetica, along with The Chief Spy Anacrites.
When two members of the party are attacked Falco travels to Baetica in Spain to track down and question witnesses. Along with a very heavily pregnant Helena Justina.
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http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/2134498/#12925857 ( )

Not the best in the series, but that's still pretty good. I re-read it later to look back at how they got to where they reached in subsequent books. ( )

This is a typical Falco detective mystery set this time in Roman Spain. Here we get a close look at the commodities markets that supplied Rome. In this case the olive oil cartel where some of the key players are trying market manipulation and are not playing nicely. Falco is on hand to sort things out along with his pregnant girl friend and their dog Nux. Why anyone would take an expectant mother and an annoying dog halfway across the Empire to solve a murder mystery is beyond me. However, they are fun and keep our hero on his toes. ( )