In the Shadow of Vesuvius: A Lady Emily Mystery by Tasha Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lady Emily and her husband, Colin Hargreaves with a friend, Ivy Brandon are exploring an excavated villa in Pompeii, when Ivy comments on the " sideburns" on one of the plaster-encased victims of the 79AD eruption of Vesuvius. At first, Lady Emily continues talking about the history of the place, until Ivy again states that this particular ancient could have stepped off a London street of the present time, 1902. Romans did not wear sideburns and Colin takes a penknife to the plaster, much to Lady Emily's dismay. What he finds is a very modern dead body encased in plaster to hide it. Needless to say, the authorities are called in, the man identified and his death determined to be murder. And so the Hargreaves embark on their next mystery.

The chapters alternate between the present investigation and the tale of a lady's maid, a slave, given her freedom upon her lady's marriage. Kassandra is a poetess and her former charges new husband entices her to begin secret meetings with him in which she passes him chapters of a poetic epic she is writing. She is torn between loyalty to the woman who has been like a sister to her and her desire to write. Her creative ambition wins out and so her tragedy is revealed alongside the tragedy of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

If you've not been to Pompeii, this book will give you a very good image of the place. If, like myself, you have been there, the memories of the place will become clearer than ever. The history of the Romans and Greeks who lived there and the way of life is as interesting as the details of the archeology digs that have taken place and the wonders they have revealed. Add to that the characters and the mystery of the man's death and this book is a winner!

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