2-7-13 I found the modern vernacular disruptive to my ability to get into the novel as much as other historical mysteries. Every time Corvinus calls someone "guy" or talks like a Raymond Chandler PI I was thrown right back out of the story.
Second try- read it in three days. This time I just went with the flow. The mystery part was fun. My most important criteria- that the author doesn't hide clues from the reader to spring them on in the end- was met. I still prefer the Marcus Didius Falco (now Flavia Alba) books, and the Libertus mysteries and even Ruth Downies Medicus series. Still, when I finished the last Davis book, I was in the mood for another Roman Mystery (like potato chips), and so tried the one that was available from our library. I think I will try another. ( )

When the entourage of a Parthian prince kept in Rome as a hostage is attacked and some of his guards killed, Corvinus reluctantly investigates.

Not as convoluted as some of the Corvinus's political cases can be. Very enjoyable. ( )

Books in this series keep getting better with each one. Fast-moving, with good plot.
The litter of a Parthian prince is attacked and a Parthian diplomat's throat is cut, and Marcus, at the behest of Tiberius [aka the Wart], is called in to investigate. Everything's tied up neatly. I did have to read twice [no chore, that!] to understand the complex politics. ( )

Someone has attacked a Very Important foreigner resident in Rome -- a Parthian prince, in fact -- and Corvinus has been drafted to investigate the situation. He finds himself kneedeep in politics, domestic and foreign, and deep in the toils of a singularly complex investigation. Brisk and well plotted, this entry shares the positives of the series as a whole -- a fascinating recreation of Rome in the early years of the Empire, and an engaging central character. ( )