- Paperback: 240 pages
- Publisher: Severn House Publishers Ltd (July 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0727891405
- ISBN-13: 978-0727891402
- Product Dimensions: 21.2 x 13.6 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 810,573 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Synopsis
Claudia was just ten years old when her father marched off to war and never came home. Now, it's time to uncover the truth about his disappearance. The search takes her to the dense, dark forests of Gaul, where Druid Law rules and human sacrifice is still practised. And, staying at the villa of the cold, egotistical Marcia, who has even commissioned a spectacular tomb to ensure her immortality, Claudia can't help noticing that several young women have disappeared from the local area. Suspicion quickly falls on a mysterious woodsman known as the Scarecrow, but she isn't convinced. Nor has it escaped her notice that each victim is unblemished and in the fullness of bloom. Just as she is herself...
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Claudia the beautiful widow of a deceased wine merchant has left the fleshpots of Rome on a mission to find her father who vanished without trace 15 years ago leaving a broken hearted wife and ten year old Claudia to fend for themselves. He had gone into Gaul with the Roman legions and never been heard of since.
When Claudia reaches the place of his disappearance her persistent questions about her father stir up a hornets nest of intrigue and subterfuge. It seems nobody wants to talk about what happened 15 years ago, particularly the Chief Druid of the area. However it is not long before Claudia is befriended by Marcia, who is said to be the richest woman in that area of Gaul. Marcia insists that a Roman matron of Claudia's standing cannot stay alone in an inn and takes her back to her private villa.
It is not long before Orbilio from the secret police turns up at the villa, as he never seems to be far from wherever Claudia happens to be and their love hate relationship continues to smoulder.
Orbilio is on the trail of some child abductors who are running their dirty business from the local town and he receives help from an unlikely quarter. Several young women have also gone missing from the area, are the two crimes tied together and has the man called the 'Scarecrow' who is living wild in the woods surrounding Marcia's villa anything to do with the crimes . . .
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The latest instalment of this series is well worth reading. Claudia is a brilliant heroine with a superb stock of one-liners that just keep you laughing. Read it if you want a good. interesting, well researched read based in Roman times that isn't just chock full of dry, historic facts...
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
A gaulish sojourn
2 Jun 2005
Format:Hardcover
Todd has her fiery heroine, Claudia Seferius, outside Rome again for this eleventh irreverent mystery, as she hotfoots it to Gaul having told Orbilio that she's checking the soil in the Gaulish town of Santonum in order to grow more vines. A terrible lie, of course, that has Orbilio coming after her, tormented by images of Claudia and Junius and on a case to capture child slave peddlers.
Within a hundred pages we are introduced to a motley collection of people working for Marcia, divorced and ruthless entrepreneur of the town, as they create a winter wonderland at her home. With Marcia we meet Qeb, an animal trainer, Hor, a painter, Semir, the Babylonian gardener, Stella, Marcia's cousin and mother of six children, Vincentrix, Head of the Druid Guild, Hannibal the dashing fop and Marcia's brother, Paris the Mycenaen sculptor, Tarbel the bodyguard and Padi, the indian soothsayer.
Vulcanalia has started and during the festivities Marcus gets knocked out trying to capture the child slave gang by the boatbuilder's step daughter, Zina and is forced to team up with her. Her overly licentious nature causes him some trouble with Claudia, who herself survives half a ton of masonry crashing down as she attempts to find information leading to the whereabouts of her disappeared father.
In the meantime we get Todd's favourite plot ploy of having an enigmatic character hovering in the wings watching proceedings whilst agonising over some emotive insanity. This time the person is called `Scarecrow'. Over a period time the original reason for Claudia's arrival in Gaul disappears from the plot and Marcus' hunt for the gang becomes centre stage. Claudia manages to unravel the secret of the Scarecrow, figure out who the killer really is (the culprit invariably has suffered a complete lack of a sense of reality which is a common theme in Todd's culprits - a trend which is making it easier to identify the probable solution in her recent novels) save Marcus again and indulge in a `will they won't they' dance of love with the dashing policeman.
Actually, the lack of movement in their relationship is becoming a trifle irritating. Todd needs to move their relationship on. Less of the increasing references to `heaving bosoms' and `dark ringlets of hair' and `sandalwood musk' and more development in the relationship is now needed.
Claudia's last installment was definitely the worst so it was highly probable this had to be better. Yet, it's not in the top five by any means and it is increasingly apparent we have another Roman sleuth who doesn't travel well. To date the plots set in Rome are far crisper. Hopefully Claudia will be back in Rome for number twelve but the enigmatic decision by Marcus at the close might scupper this.
We'll see...
Within a hundred pages we are introduced to a motley collection of people working for Marcia, divorced and ruthless entrepreneur of the town, as they create a winter wonderland at her home. With Marcia we meet Qeb, an animal trainer, Hor, a painter, Semir, the Babylonian gardener, Stella, Marcia's cousin and mother of six children, Vincentrix, Head of the Druid Guild, Hannibal the dashing fop and Marcia's brother, Paris the Mycenaen sculptor, Tarbel the bodyguard and Padi, the indian soothsayer.
Vulcanalia has started and during the festivities Marcus gets knocked out trying to capture the child slave gang by the boatbuilder's step daughter, Zina and is forced to team up with her. Her overly licentious nature causes him some trouble with Claudia, who herself survives half a ton of masonry crashing down as she attempts to find information leading to the whereabouts of her disappeared father.
In the meantime we get Todd's favourite plot ploy of having an enigmatic character hovering in the wings watching proceedings whilst agonising over some emotive insanity. This time the person is called `Scarecrow'. Over a period time the original reason for Claudia's arrival in Gaul disappears from the plot and Marcus' hunt for the gang becomes centre stage. Claudia manages to unravel the secret of the Scarecrow, figure out who the killer really is (the culprit invariably has suffered a complete lack of a sense of reality which is a common theme in Todd's culprits - a trend which is making it easier to identify the probable solution in her recent novels) save Marcus again and indulge in a `will they won't they' dance of love with the dashing policeman.
Actually, the lack of movement in their relationship is becoming a trifle irritating. Todd needs to move their relationship on. Less of the increasing references to `heaving bosoms' and `dark ringlets of hair' and `sandalwood musk' and more development in the relationship is now needed.
Claudia's last installment was definitely the worst so it was highly probable this had to be better. Yet, it's not in the top five by any means and it is increasingly apparent we have another Roman sleuth who doesn't travel well. To date the plots set in Rome are far crisper. Hopefully Claudia will be back in Rome for number twelve but the enigmatic decision by Marcus at the close might scupper this.
We'll see...
One of the Best Yet
24 Oct 2005
Format:Hardcover
Claudia the beautiful widow of a deceased wine merchant has left the fleshpots of Rome on a mission to find her father who vanished without trace 15 years ago leaving a broken hearted wife and ten year old Claudia to fend for themselves. He had gone into Gaul with the Roman legions and never been heard of since.
When Claudia reaches the place of his disappearance her persistent questions about her father stir up a hornets nest of intrigue and subterfuge. It seems nobody wants to talk about what happened 15 years ago, particularly the Chief Druid of the area. However it is not long before Claudia is befriended by Marcia, who is said to be the richest woman in that area of Gaul. Marcia insists that a Roman matron of Claudia's standing cannot stay alone in an inn and takes her back to her private villa.
It is not long before Orbilio from the secret police turns up at the villa, as he never seems to be far from wherever Claudia happens to be and their love hate relationship continues to smoulder.
Orbilio is on the trail of some child abductors who are running their dirty business from the local town and he receives help from an unlikely quarter. Several young women have also gone missing from the area, are the two crimes tied together and has the man called the `Scarecrow' who is living wild in the woods surrounding Marcia's villa anything to do with the crimes . . .
When Claudia reaches the place of his disappearance her persistent questions about her father stir up a hornets nest of intrigue and subterfuge. It seems nobody wants to talk about what happened 15 years ago, particularly the Chief Druid of the area. However it is not long before Claudia is befriended by Marcia, who is said to be the richest woman in that area of Gaul. Marcia insists that a Roman matron of Claudia's standing cannot stay alone in an inn and takes her back to her private villa.
It is not long before Orbilio from the secret police turns up at the villa, as he never seems to be far from wherever Claudia happens to be and their love hate relationship continues to smoulder.
Orbilio is on the trail of some child abductors who are running their dirty business from the local town and he receives help from an unlikely quarter. Several young women have also gone missing from the area, are the two crimes tied together and has the man called the `Scarecrow' who is living wild in the woods surrounding Marcia's villa anything to do with the crimes . . .
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