Time to Depart — Lindsey Davis

Roman law allows every citizen condemned to death "time to depart"--in other words, time to skip town. No matter how hard Marcus Didius Falco worked to convict Balbinus Pius, the dirtiest underworld organizer in the empire, the man has gotten away scot-free. Now as every crook in Rome is scrambling to take over Balbinus's scams, Falco has to deal with heists in the Emporium, murders in the vias, shady deals at the Bower of Venus--not to mention his own forbidden romance with a senator's daughter. Meanwhile, Balbinus is said to be on his way home. And if he is, Falco's life won't be worth a red centum . . .