Sour Grapes (Claudia) [Paperback]

Marilyn Todd (Author)

Book Description

Series: Claudia | Publication Date: June 1, 2006

The latest adventure for the glamorous Roman sleuth Claudia Visiting her stepmother at the family estate in Tuscany, Claudia is concerned at the gaggle of hangers-on surrounding the old lady. And what of the series of recent local murders, and the mishaps that have befallen a number of people? Amidst the mysteries of the local religion, could the god Fufluns be working some plan; or even Veive, the god of revenge? Or are there even more sinister forces at work?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Todd's 12th Claudia Seferius Roman historical whodunit (after 2004's Stone Cold) offers more of the same—a fast-paced mystery punctuated by anachronistic colloquialisms that will jar some readers' ears. The perpetually insolvent Claudia involves herself in several puzzles that may relate to her mother-in-law Larentia's fiancé, who's in a position to limit Larentia's financial options. Two young men have turned up dead in Tuscany, and the locals have been plagued by a series of misfortunes suggesting that the region has been afflicted by a curse. Series fans won't be surprised that Claudia's longtime love interest, Marcus Cornelius Orbilio, of the Security Police, resurfaces; newcomers may find their bantering exchanges annoying. Those seeking better ancient Roman period detail and trickier crimes to unravel will be better served by Rosemary Rowe or Steven Saylor. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Marilyn Todd was born in Harrow, but now lives in West Sussex with her husband and two cats. Dark Horse is the eighth Roman mystery to feature the beautiful but formidable Claudia Seferius.

Product Details

• Paperback: 249 pages
• Publisher: Severn House Publishers (June 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0727891588
• ISBN-13: 978-0727891587
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #538,719 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Claudia Has Her Work Cut Out, September 16, 2006

By 

J. Chippindale (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sour Grapes (Claudia) (Paperback)

Marilyn Todd's fast paced historical murder mysteries set in the time of Ancient Rome and featuring the beautiful Claudia Seferius are growing in popularity and the author is up there with the David Wishart's, Steven Saylor`s, not forgetting the Lindsey Davis's of the book world. Perhaps to have a woman and an alluring one at that, rather than a man as the sleuth and lead character is a stroke of genius on Todd's part.

Claudia knows that she is looked upon as easy pickings by some of the men who are eager to try to take advantage of a beautiful widow who has been left a thriving wine business by her late husband.. But nothing could be further from the truth. Behind the beautiful exterior lies an intelligent and shrewd mind and the heart any lion would be proud of.


Claudia has some cause for concern. She is in Tuscany visiting the family estate of her stepmother and is more than a little perturbed about the group of hangers on that seem to be surrounding the old lady like a flock of vultures, waiting for their prey to final succumb. There has also bee a spate of murders in the region and so called accidents have befallen a number of the local people.

Could the gods be at work in this. The local people are very superstitious and some believe that the local gods are at work. Or are things a lot more sinister than a few local superstitions . . .

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sweet wine, June 17, 2006

By 

ilmk "ilmk" (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sour Grapes (Claudia) (Hardcover)

Todd's latest Claudia Seferius irreverent adventure is an improvement on the last. We find our fiery, wilful, high maintenance sleuth off to visit her mother-in-law, Larentia, who has just announced her intention to marry a man a lot younger than herself. To Claudia's alarm this raises the possibility of her losing her independence and financial security. Not something that can be tolerated! Her journey to Tuscany lands us with a murderer whose fixation on the Etruscan gods has led to the deaths of three teenagers. Possible motives abound with the overly emotional boyfriend of one of the deceased declaring it was he who caused the death. His fiercely military father refuses to believe it, going out of his way to ensure no suspicion falls on his son. In the meantime, Claudia herself is regretting bringing her niece, Flavia, and her latest earthy boyfriend along for fear they are next in line.
With the impending celebrations of the local god, Fufluns, the persistent presence of the mysterious Candace who claims to commune with dead and the arrival of a sandal-wood smelling member of the security police, Claudia finds herself trying to unravel the litany of bad events affecting the townsfolk, uncovers an attempt at revenge that goes back years and gives Orbilio's heart strings a nasty tug when he thinks she might want to marry him.
I like Todd's series despite the obsession with all her villains being insane and instructed by higher powers to carry out their nefarious deeds. The `will they? won't they?' dance of Marcus and Claudia is also wearing thin. Take their relationship further, Todd! Whilst the series is not akin to Saylor, David or Roberts, it has its place in the pantheon of Roman murder mystery and is a delightful read on that hot sunny afternoon.
More, please.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Entertainment, April 11, 2007

By 

B. Winkelman "An Egyptophile" (Northern California) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sour Grapes (Claudia) (Paperback)

As always, Marilyn Todd provides plenty of entertainment, with an added bonus of humor mixed with the mystery. Her protagonist Claudia may not be the most believable character for the time and place, but she's fine for today's world of free-thinking women.