From Publishers Weekly
In the fast-paced 11th Roman historical from Todd (Dream Boat, etc.), her series heroine, Claudia Seferius, is on the run from tax fraud charges in Gaul, and engaged in a love-hate relationship with handsome investigator Marcus Cornelius Orbilio. Claudia's personal quest for answers to her father's mysterious disappearance decades earlier leads her to quite a different inquiry as she stumbles on evidence that a serial killer has been preying on beautiful young women. At the same time, Orbilio is tracking a child slavery ring that's rumored to involve aristocrats. While Claudia may be a less compelling character than Steven Saylor's Gordianus the Finder (A Gladiator Dies Only Once, etc.), the spunky and independent sleuth will appeal to many readers, especially those who like a strong dose of romance in their mysteries.
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From Booklist
Claudia Sefarius is a successful businesswoman in ancient Rome who also possesses a gift for sleuthing. Her latest case is a very personal one. She was abandoned by her father when she was 10, and she has decided it's time to find out what happened to him. She travels to Gaul, where her father was last seen, but when she arrives, she is distracted not only by the arrival of her old nemesis, Roman Security policeman Marcus Orbilio, but also by the news that beautiful young women have been disappearing from the area. Claudia is determined to find out what happened to her father
and to the disappeared women. The book oozes authentic period detail, and Todd adds further spice with a combination of a skillfully tangled plot, smart dialogue, and hilarious badinage between the main characters. But it's the flamboyant, brash, clever Claudia who gives
Stone Cold its real charm and appeal. Recommend this to fans of other series set in ancient Rome, by Steven Saylor and Lindsey Davis.
Emily MeltonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
