Man Eater (A Claudia Seferius Mystery, #4)

On the eve of the Roman festivities, the last thing you'd expect Claudia Seferius to be doing is heading out of the city. Unfortunately, even hedonistic young widows have to put business before pleasure when their vineyards are threatened with arson. Taking a shortcut through the Umbrian countryside, she is forced off the road, and her beloved cat goes missing in the skirmish. Refusing to leave without her, Claudia accepts the hospitality of Sergius Pictor and the menagerie of wild animals he is training for the Games. Then a stranger knocks at her bedroom door, with a knife sticking out of his belly. And Claudia finds herself being framed for murder...

Marilyn Todd is a critically acclaimed author of short stories and historical thrillers, who "paints antiquity with a particularly suspenseful brush and skillfully tangled plots" (Booklist). Her Roman series features "a gorgeous rich bitch, plotting and spying to survive adverse fortune" (Daily Mail). The Greek novels feature "an abundance of historical tidbits and robust prose" (Kirkus Reviews). All her work embraces humour, suspense and a lively sense of drama, often inspired by the places she visits.In 2015, her short story "Blood Red Roses" won one of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine's prestigious Readers Awards.The year before, "The Wickedest Town in the West" scooped the same award.And another story, "Room for Improvement", about quickie divorces in 1950s Brighton, was nominated for a Shamus.She and her husband currently live on a French hilltop surrounded by vineyards and woods, and when she isn't killing people, Marilyn enjoys cooking. Which is pretty much the same thing.