If you love historical mysteries, then you will love Lindsey Davis' Falco series. They are set in ancient Rome during the time of the Emperor Vespasian. Falco is the detective a scruffy smart-aleck, with a girlfriend who is much too good for him, a large "colorful" family & various helpful friends. The series has wit, style & a close attention to historical detail. But buyer beware! This is not a new book in the series, this is a 3 book combo of the 3rd, 4th & 5th books: Venus in Copper, The Iron Hand of Mars & Posiedon's Gold. The first two books (& yes you REALLY do need to read them in order) are Silver Pigs & Shadows in Bronze. There are 11 books in the series so far & I recommend them all very highly!