Trimalchios Feast & Other Mini Mysteries [Paperback]

This collection of mini-mysteries were written by Caroline Lawrence as new ideas came to her through her reading or suggested by others. Several of the mysteries are very brief such as the story of the missing gold coin. Trimalchio's Feast, the title story, relates a birthday party for Lupus instead of a mystery and another concerns the disappearance of a valuable table. There are also a couple of experimental stories where Ms. Lawrence uses the first person. One of these is a dairy from Jonathan's point of view on becoming a gladiator and how his new persona - Ira - is now dominate rather than being the weaker Jonathan. The other is a letter from the magistrate Bato to the Emperor Titus concerning the resolution of a murder solved by Flavia at the scene of the crime. Bato's letter is intended as a draft and has several lines crossed out (but still very much readable) where he comments unfavorably on Flavia's character and assigns himself a bigger portion of the solving of the crime.

Each story has an explanation by Ms Lawrence as to how the idea occurred to her and what she was looking for when she wrote each story. There also is an interview where she is asked how she approaches the writing of her mysteries. The book is a quick read and very much a delight. I would suggest reading it after all of the mysteries themselves have been read through to the Scribes of Alexandria.

For fans of Caroline Lawrence's wonderful "The Roman Mysteries" series comes this slender book of short mysteries that fills in gaps between the books, chronicling some of the adventures that the four friends get up to in the time that passes between their more notable investigations. Headstrong Roman Flavia, pessimistic Jewish Jonathan, thoughtful African Nubia and fearless little Lupus are amateur sleuths living in 1st century Ostia, all firm friends who grow, learn, suffer and change throughout the course of series. This volume gives us a little extra glimpse into their lives in stories that involve a lost coin, a stolen table, a runaway monkey, a talking statue and a man who has seemingly been drowned in a chamber pot.

There are six stories in total, though it's perhaps a misnomer to call each story a "mystery." A couple of them are just straightforward stories, the shortest being only two pages long. It's a chance for Lawrence to get a little more creative in regards to her narrative voice, for one of the stories is told in first-person narrative from Jonathan's point of view (sharing with us his time as a gladiator just prior to The Gladiators from Capua) and another in the form of a letter from a magistrate who finds our intrepid heroes rather irritating.

Little details that have been mentioned in passing during the books are now fleshed out in full (such as the fiasco of Lupus's ninth birthday), and the best way to read this anthology is to read each short story chronologically, in their rightful place between installments. Obviously that might take a fair bit of effort, but there is plenty of foreshadowing at work within each story that would make it a worthy reading experience for those who keep "Trimalchio's Feast" at the ready whilst working their way through the series.

Somewhat unnecessarily, each story reintroduces each character and their background (which means that six times over we learn that Nubia is a freed slave, Lupus has no tongue, Jonathan has asthma, and so on), but the book also includes an after-word in which Lawrence discusses her inspiration for each story, as well as a few maps, a pronunciation guide, and an interview that sheds light on her writing techniques.

Lawrence has firm control of the series' continuity; not only can you see the growth of the characters as they leap from story to story, but often there are background details that casually hint as to the context of the story. Long-time fans of the series will be excited at the hints in the final story as to what's coming up next for the foursome in The Beggar of Volubilis. All in all, this is a great little addition to anyone's Roman Mystery reading experience.

› Go to Amazon U.S. to see both reviews  4.5 out of 5 stars