What do death by poison, a ruthless senator, and a poetry party have in common?
They combine to draw Livia Aemilia into her most dangerous investigation yet. She must risk setting foot in the house of her worst enemy, Senator Tiberius Gracchus, to investigate the death of his wife. (Don’t worry, she has a plan.)
The victim’s sister is convinced Gracchus is the killer. If so, proving his guilt in Rome’s law courts could put a stop to his nefarious threats forever.
Livia is sure this investigation is God’s plan to protect her family from their malicious enemy. And maybe it will finally convince her husband Avitus that God is real.
The more Livia and Avitus dig, the more it looks like they will finally bring Gracchus to justice. Until another victim is poisoned, and everything they think they know is turned upside down.
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Welcome to my blog today to tell us more about AN ODE TO POISON!
How would you describe your heroine and main sleuth, Livia Aemilia?
Livia is a go-getter, but she has a tendency to jump into things before thinking them through, which gets her into interesting situations. Fortunately, she thinks quickly on her feet, so she figures out how to get out of the pickles she causes herself (at least most of the time).
Obviously, it’s not easy to be a female sleuth in Roman society. She is independent enough to bend the rules, but wise enough to accept there are some things a respectable woman cannot do. Fortunately, she trusts her servants to visit places she cannot go herself. Her servants love her because she sees past their outer imperfections to their inner worth and she considers their insights and opinions valuable.
Finally, she is a believer in Christ when the church is in its infancy. The series explores her struggles with living in a Roman society that doesn’t understand or value the teachings and virtues of Christianity. I intentionally show her imperfections, let her wrestle with doubts, and allow her to learn from her mistakes.
What inspired the idea of setting a mystery series in ancient Rome?
In my role of Bible study leader, I’ve been studying the history and culture of the New Testament era for a long time. The more I learn about it, the better I can understand the scriptures and the people who wrote them.
So, it felt natural to choose first century Rome as a setting for my books. It’s an unusual period for mystery novels, but one I think all Christians are curious about. I hope my stories give readers new insights about how it was to live back then and how ordinary Romans might think about and react to Jesus and his teachings. I love bringing the ancient world to life, whether I’m discussing a bible passage or writing a mystery novel.
Did you find any interesting facts as you did research for this book?
The murders in this novel happen via poison, which wasn’t a subject I knew much about before embarking on this book. I’ve discovered all sorts of interesting facts about poisonous plants and their effects. Plant poisons don’t all work the same way, cause the same symptoms, or take the same amount of time to bring about death. For example, I learned that many poisonous mushrooms don’t cause immediate death. Instead, they attack the internal organs and cause death days later.
But enough about death. One thing I enjoy researching for my books is food. I try to base all the food in my novels on actual recipes or known Roman foods.
I have several Roman cookbooks, and I test recipes on my husband now and then. The flavor profile of ancient Roman food is vastly different from modern Italian cooking. For one thing, tomatoes are a new world plant. No spaghetti with marinara sauce or pizza Margharita in ancient Rome.
What is your favorite part of this third book in the series?
In this book Livia’s husband Avitus is beginning to show curiosity about the Christian faith. It has been rewarding and challenging to develop that thread of the story in a plausible way, without getting preachy or trite.
Avitus is a thinker. He is cautious, intellectual, and a natural skeptic. He isn’t going to be won over by emotional appeals or clever rhetoric. (He’s a lawyer, he knows all the rhetorical tricks.) I have enjoyed getting inside his head to figure out what kinds of things would get him curious, and what might convince him of the truth.
He is not yet ready to accept Livia’s faith, but through the book he makes enough progress that by the end he is willing to entertain the possibility of extending mercy to his sworn enemy—something he would never have considered at the start of the book.
I’ve also enjoyed developing the secondary characters. Nissa comes into her own in this novel, and there just might be a romance brewing between Roxana and Grim, although neither one is ready to admit it. (Next book!)
What do you enjoy about writing in this genre?
I have always been drawn to stories set in unusual historical periods, such as first-century Rome or fourteenth-century England. I love learning about far away places and time periods through the pages of a book. A story brings history to life in a way textbooks never will. All my stories, even my “practice novels,” have been set in some historical period.
Adding mystery to the historical setting just makes the story more fun. Ancient Rome didn’t have professional private investigators, forensic science, or even a police force in the modern sense. Thus, my sleuth must be resourceful, clever, and inventive to solve mysteries without all the modern aids and methods. I like the challenge of it.
What are you working on next?
A peek at my plot idea for the fourth Livia Aemilia Mystery:
The daughter of one of Avitus’s clients has run off and Avitus asks Livia to assist him in finding the girl. The same day, a friend arrives at the house, asking Livia to help her find her missing assistant.
How will Livia find time to investigate two separate cases and take care of increasing responsibilities at home? Avitus wants her to focus on finding his clients’ daughter, but Livia’s heart is more concerned with tracking down her friend’s sweet serving girl.
Livia does her best to find a balance between her competing priorities, a feat that becomes increasingly challenging. Neither girl has been seen in any of her usual haunts. How exactly does one locate two stray girls in the teeming city of Rome?
Then a body is found, and suddenly both cases are more serious than anyone suspected.
Lisa E. Betz is an engineer-turned-mystery-writer, entertaining speaker, and speaking coach. She inspires others to become their best selves, living with authenticity, and purpose, and she infuses her novels with quirky characters who thrive on solving tricky problems. Her Livia Aemilia Mysteries, set in first-century Rome, have won several awards, including the Golden Scroll Novel of the Year (2021). She and her husband reside outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Scallywag, their rambunctious cat—the inspiration for Nemesis, resident mischief maker in her novels. Lisa directs church dramas, hikes the beautiful Pennsylvania woods, eats too much chocolate, and spoils her grandsons.
Connect with Lisa by visiting lisaebetz.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.
(1) winner will receive a signed set of all 3 Livia Aemilia Mysteries in paperback!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight November 4, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on November 11, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
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