May, AD 41. The emperor Claudius has acceded to the throne, and the citizens of Rome look forward to an era of peace and stability. Not so Marcus Corvinus however, who finds himself embroiled in not one but two investigations. A friend of his wife has asked him to look into the murder of her brother, found stabbed to death at the Shrine of Melobosis. A wily businessman and notorious womaniser, no one seems to have a good word to say about Gaius Tullius, not even his less-than-grieving widow. But who would have a good enough reason to want him dead?

At the same time, Corvinus's daughter comes across a dead body in the Pollio Gardens, and urges her father to investigate. At first Marcus refuses to get involved - but when his enquiries lead him to Ostia, Rome's busy trading port, he uncovers a disturbing connection between the two deaths.

Corvinus proves an astute sleuth as he tackles the nicely constructed puzzles * Publishers Weekly *
Wishart loves to tell a labyrinthine story, and fans of the series will really enjoy this one; they'll also enjoy the way he blends real historical people and events with his fictional goings-on * Booklist *
As a first time reader of the adventures of Marcus I enjoyed the way the author is writing a story about murders in Ancient Rome but uses modern language to describe the events * Breakaway Reviewers *
TRADE SECRETS by David Wishart is ideal for anyone interested in mystery, Rome and human nature * Fresh Fiction *