Pandora's Boy

Pandora's Boy

Cover of 2018 UK first edition
Author	Lindsey Davis
Series	Flavia Albia
Genre	Historical fiction, crime fiction
Publisher	Hodder & Stoughton, St. Martin's Press
Publication date	5 April 2018
Publication place	UK
Media type	Print, e-book, audiobook, large print
Pages	398
ISBN	978-1-4736-5863-9
Preceded by	The Third Nero
Followed by	A Capitol Death

Pandora's Boy is a historical crime novel by British writer Lindsey Davis, the sixth^[1] in her Flavia Albia series. It was published by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK on 5 April 2018, (ISBN 9781473658745) and in the United States in 2018 by St. Martin's Press.^[2][3]

The tale involves the death of a young girl and during her investigation Albia "has to contend with the occult, organised crime, an unusual fertility symbol, and celebrity dining"; the Pandora of the title is a local witch.^[3] The story begins in October AD 89 and is set in Rome, on the Quirinal Hill.^[4]: 1

The first edition cover of the UK hardback shows a cracked blue glass bird credited as "vessel shaped like bird" from the Corning Museum of Glass.^{[4]: dust jacket}

Publishers Weekly and Library Journal praised the "close attention to detail",^[5][6] as did Kirkus Reviews, who also praised the "brisk pace" and "colorful cast".^[7] On the other hand, Marilyn Sherlock, writing for the Historical Novel Society was "not particularly impressed" and found the novel to "ramble".^[8]

References

1. As at 8 October 2017 both Amazon and the publisher's site refer to it as the 5th, but Davis's site and the fact of five previous titles indicate 6th.
2. "Pandora's Boy". Lindsey Davis website. Lindsey Davis. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
3. Pandora's Boy. Hodder & Stoughton. 4 September 2018. ISBN 9781473658639. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
4. Davis, Lindsey (2018). Pandora's Boy. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-1-473-65863-9.
5. "Pandora's Boy by Lindsey Davis". Publishers Weekly. 7 May 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
6. Schirano, Matt (1 June 2018). "Mystery & Suspense". Library Journal. 143 (10): 59 – via ProQuest.
7. "PANDORA'S BOY". Kirkus Reviews. 15 April 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
8. Sherlock, Marilyn (May 2018). "Pandora's Boy". Historical Novel Society. Retrieved 27 October 2024.