**I received a complimentary copy of this book for consideration. All thoughts are my own.
Sensible women don't investigate murders, but Livia Aemilia might not have a choice.
Rome, 47 AD. When Livia's father dies under suspicious circumstances, she sets out to find the killer before her innocent brother is convicted of murder. She may be an amateur when it comes to hunting dangerous criminals, but she's determined, intelligent, and not afraid to break a convention or two in pursuit of the truth. Plus, she's adopted a radical new faith that encourages her to believe a woman and a handful of servants can actually solve a murder.
Can she uncover the culprit before powerful men realize what she's up to and force her to stop? Or will her snooping land her in deadly peril?
A lighthearted historical mystery set in first-century Rome, featuring a feisty amateur sleuth, a cast of eccentric characters, and an unrepentant, sausage-snatching cat.
Lisa brings her analytic mind, quirky humor, and creative soul/unconventional mindset to all she writes. She is passionate about inspiring others (real and fictional) to become their best selves, living with intention, authenticity, and purpose.
In addition to historical novels, she has written humor articles, over seventy drama sketches, one full-length play, and a short non-fiction book. Her first mystery novel was a finalist in the ACFW Genesis contest and Death and a Crocodile received the gold medal in the mystery/suspense category from the Illumination Book Awards.
She serves as Managing Editor of Almost an Author, a website by and for writers, where she also writes a monthly column called “The Intentional Writer.” She enjoys speaking to groups large and small on topics related to Roman history, writing, intentional living, and faith. When not writing, or speaking, she can be found volunteering at The Village Library of Morgantown or experimenting with ancient Roman cooking.
She resides in Pennsylvania with her husband of thirty plus years and a rambunctious cat named Scallywag who may be the inspiration for the unrepentant, sausage-snatching Nemesis.
For more information on Lisa, visit www.lisabetz.com
Ready for a truly unique read? Look no further than Death and a Crocodile-- a murder mystery set in ancient Rome.
In the past, I have shared that while I enjoy historical fiction, I tend to not care for them when they are set this far back in time. Honestly, looking at the cover I likely would have never picked this one up for myself for that reason. Still when I read the description, I was intrigued. It seemed to have everything that I look for in a good cozy mystery-- a unique amateur sleuth and a variety of quirky characters... even including a cat, which is another common element in those types of stories. Just set in Ancient Rome? Hmm... like I said, I was intrigued! I have read a lot of mysteries and suspense, but certainly none quite like this. I enjoyed getting to know the characters. I enjoyed the mystery. And while I still cannot say that stories set in this time period are going to make a regular appearance on my TBR, I certainly did enjoy checking out this truly unique read.
This is definitely one that fans of historical fiction or mystery are going to want to experience!
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