From Booklist
Claudia Seferius, wine merchant in ancient Rome, is in trouble. She has taken a customer's payment but kept his wine to sell again, and now the angry customer--nicknamed the Scorpion--has sent a messenger to kill Claudia. But the messenger delivers an alternative--if Claudia will find out who killed his daughter, he'll let her live. All Claudia has to do is go undercover and find out who in the house of the Hundred Handed--a matriarchal cult of women who worship nature, keep men as sex slaves, and communicate through sign language--is the girl's killer. Arriving at the house, Claudia is shocked to find her old nemesis, Marcus Orbilio, already working undercover to expose a gang of criminals he believes have secreted themselves with the Hundred Handed. Todd marries the ambience of ancient Rome with modern dialogue and a timeless plot, and her heroine--brash, smart-mouthed Claudia--is a naughty delight. Recommend this strongly to readers of other ancient Rome mystery series by Steven Saylor and Lindsay Davis.
Emily MeltonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
