Senator Rubirius Metellus, convicted by the Roman Senate of abuse of office, commits suicide to spare his family’s fortune from the accuser (lawyer) who procecuted him. Or is it suicide? The prosecutor isn’t so sure, so he hires Marcus Didius Falco to investigate.

This is the fifteenth novel in the Falco series. The first in the series, The Silver Pigs, takes place in a.d. 70; The Accusers takes place only five years later, in a.d. 75 to 76. Davis’ willingness to keep her stories in tight chronological order lets the reader grow familiar not only with Falco, but also with his family and friends.

In this episode, Falco and his upper-class brothers-in-law expand their operations from the streets into the courts. After the initial investigation into the senator’ family closes, the only son and presumed heir asks Falco to defend him on charges that he murdered his father. The Metelli are a closed-mouth family, with lots of secrets that challenge the investigation.

The new thing here is that Falco ends up not only as investigator but also as lawyer. Putting Falco in front of a judge and jury provide interesting new career avenues for him and his associates—in particular, his brother-in-law Aelianus takes a liking to legal work—but the courtroom scenes aren’t the high points of the story. The author and her detective both feel out of place there; the dialog is stilted and all the wryness of Falco’s street and family lives are gone.

Otherwise, however, this is a lively Davis tale. As usual, she does a nice job drawing her characters. The villians are often worthy of admiration, the heroes often full of foibles. Her sense of humor is understated and helps keep the ancient Roman history from becoming stuffy.