{
    "id": 458701,
    "slug": "desperate-undertaking-lindsey-davis",
    "nstc": null,
    "title": "Desperate Undertaking ",
    "subtitle": null,
    "collection_title": "Flavia Albia",
    "collection_part_number": "10",
    "annotation": null,
    "description": "Our scene is set on the Field of Mars. Some of the character list will be familiar; some are deadbeats, some merely dead. Old friends of Albia\u2019s parents are in town \u2013 while they are away. A maniac with a theatrical bent is planning gruesome murders, with helpers who leave victims to be discovered in ghastly situations, defiling some of Rome\u2019s iconic monuments.\n\nThe vigiles want to pass this off as a stunt that went wrong. With the old informing excuse that she needs the money, not to mention competing with her parents, Albia investigates. The series of appalling deaths leads to a fear that Falco and Helena may be on the killers\u2019 list, or to hurt them Albia herself may become a target. Having vigiles bodyguards is no help when these porridge-eaters are deep in discussion of classical drama; anyway, their tribune wants out of the problem and it will take time to realise he does know how to manipulate his skeleton keys.\n\nHalf the people Albia meets yearn for stage success, but stars are dim, Twins are a menace, am-drammers are hopeless wannabes, and don\u2019t mention Falco\u2019s tug-of-war scene. Even the Three Bears have a theatrical agent to protect their interests. Let\u2019s hope the only Jason here is the one in the myth, and Thalia\u2019s performing snake stays in his basket. Watch out for the road rage joke, Yorrick\u2019s skull, and Vincent Price\u2019s cat.\n\nDoes that old haemorrhoid suppository have anything at all to do with this \u2013 or is it just your crackpot author giving fun to loyal readers???",
    "imprint": null,
    "language_code": "eng",
    "original_language_code": null,
    "page_count": 398,
    "duration_seconds": null,
    "publication_date_first": "2022-01-01",
    "publication_date_latest": "2022-01-01",
    "cover_url": null,
    "editions": [],
    "ratings_count": 0,
    "read_count": 0,
    "review_count": 0,
    "favorite_count": 0,
    "reading_status_read_count": 0,
    "reading_status_reading_count": 0,
    "reading_status_want_to_read_count": 0,
    "rating_average": null,
    "ratings_distribution": {
        "1": 0,
        "2": 0,
        "3": 0,
        "4": 0,
        "5": 0
    },
    "created_at": "2025-09-19T13:55:03+00:00",
    "updated_at": "2025-10-30T00:38:43+00:00",
    "publisher": {
        "id": 4198,
        "slug": "hodder",
        "name": "Hodder",
        "created_at": "2025-09-19T13:08:55+00:00",
        "updated_at": "2025-09-19T15:12:31+00:00"
    },
    "contributors": [
        {
            "id": 283396,
            "slug": "lindsey-davis-2",
            "key_names": "Davis",
            "names_before_key": "Lindsey",
            "prefix_to_key": null,
            "contributor_role": "A01",
            "readable_contributor_role": "Author"
        }
    ],
    "genres": [],
    "subjects": []
}