Synopsis: A.D. 81. March Flavia and her friends have been sent on a secret mission by Emperor Titus himself. There are rumours that Nero is still alive. The Emperor needs to consolidate his power and craves the precious gem called “Nero’s Eye”. According to a prophecy, whoever possesses the gem will rule Rome. Flavia refuses an advantageous offer of marriage and then runs away to Africa with her friends to complete the mission. She’s also searching for her uncle Gaius, who is missing, presumed dead. Short of money, the four friends join a caravan to cross the desert and take employment with a group of pantomime players. When they reach Volubilis, they meet a mysterious beggar who claims to have witnessed Nero’s death. And all does not run smoothly in the pantomime performance.

Review: This latest in Caroline Lawrence’s Roman Mystery series is an exciting tale with several strands to the tale and some plot twists. It is read by Nigel Anthony, an experienced and respected reader of audio books, including books by Ruth Rendell, Agatha Christie and Dostoevsky. Nigel Anthony is also a theatre and television actor. He has a pleasant, easy voice to listen to and reads the story in a quiet, fairly low-key way. This gives the audio a relaxed pace and makes for very pleasant listening.

The Beggar of Volubilis is the fourteenth in the series. You do not necessarily have to know all the other books to enjoy this audio as there is enough background information given to allow it to work as a stand-alone story. However, it is probably better to have read or listened to a couple of earlier tales, particularly the first story, The Thieves of Ostia, where the four children are introduced. As with all the previous Roman Mystery stories, Lawrence succeeds in bringing the era and locations to life in a very real and accessible way.

2008-01-20