Plot introduction

Set in Rome

Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

  between August and October, AD 73, Three Hands in the Fountain stars Marcus Didius Falco

Marcus Didius Falco

Marcus Didius Falco is the central character and narrator in a series of novels by Lindsey Davis. Using the concepts of modern detective stories , Davis portrays the world of the Roman Empire under Vespasian...

, Informer and Imperial Agent. It is the ninth in her Falco

Marcus Didius Falco

Marcus Didius Falco is the central character and narrator in a series of novels by Lindsey Davis. Using the concepts of modern detective stories , Davis portrays the world of the Roman Empire under Vespasian...

 series.

Explanation of the novel's title

The title is an allusion to the song Three Coins in the Fountain

Three Coins in the Fountain (song)

"Three Coins in the Fountain" is a popular song which received the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1954.The melody was written by Jule Styne, the lyrics by Sammy Cahn. It was written for the romance film, Three Coins in the Fountain and refers to the act of throwing a coin into the Trevi...

, as well as a reference to the macabre discovery which triggers Falco's investigation.

Plot summary

Falco arrives home in Rome with Helena Justina and Julia Junilla Laeitana, his new baby daughter, and barely have time to settle in before being subjected to a welcome-home party. Falco and Petronius sneak out for a drink in a nearby street next to a fountain, which is not working. When a worker turns up to clean it, it is revealed that a severed hand had blocked the aqueduct. Falco and Petro start to investigate, but their case is stolen by Anacrites. Petro puts up a sign proclaiming that awards are to be given on the discovery of any body parts. Falco talks to his brother-in-law and is told that severed body parts have been discovered in the rivers and aqueducts for several years, usually after festivals. When he's told that Petro put up the sign he runs back to his old apartment (where Petro now lives after being kicked out by his wife) as a slave hands over a new hand to Petro. Petro takes down the sign.

Anacrites, who is rather annoyed at being muscled out of his stolen case, sends four men to beat up Falco and Petro. They defeat the bruisers easily and trail them back to Anacrites. Soon afterwards, Julius Frontinus finds and gives over a new hand. It looks the same as the other hands but this one has a wedding ring with two names inscribed (Asinia and Caius). They track down Caius Cicurrus, the widower of Asinia. He is innocent and is greatly grieving for his lost wife. Petro's wife dumped him after he took up with Balbina Milvia from Time to Depart. Milvia's husband Florius sends men to beat up Falco and Petro. Falco, with the help of his trainer Glaucus and Glaucus's trainees, beats off his attackers but Petro has no such help and is heavily injured. Milvia comes to Falco asking him to help her, as she fears that her mother, who has vanished, has been taken by the killer. Falco finds Cornella Flaccida at a new apartment. He goes out to the country but finds no suspects. After continuous reconnaissance he has two problems: First, Claudia Rufina, the heiress from A Dying Light In Corduba and the new fiancee to Helena's brother Aelianus, has vanished, and second, a slave called Thurius has been identified as the murderer. Falco goes out to rescue Claudia and apprehend Thurius. He captures Thurius and finds his lair and his victim. He finds that it's not Claudia, it's Milvia's mother, who vanished again. Unlike Claudia, however, no one liked her enough to send out a search party. Claudia is later found to have eloped with Helena's other brother Justinus, an act that has disastrous consequences. The book ends with Falco telling Petro his wife went out with another man, and later receiving a visit from Anacrites.

Friends and family

• Anacrites - Imperial spy
• Arria Silvia - Wife of L. Petronius Longus
• Camillus Aelianus - Eldest son of Decimus Camillus Verus
• Camillus Justinus - Youngest son of Decimus Camillus Verus
• Claudia Rufina - Betrothed to Aelianus
• Decimus Camillus Verus - Senator and father of Helena Justina
• Fusculus - Member of Petronius' enquiry team
• Gaius - Falco's Nephew
• Helena Justina - Wife of Falco, and daughter of the Senator
  Roman Senate
  The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
  
   Decimus Camillus Verus
• Julia Junilla Laeitana - Infant daughter of Falco and Helena.
• Julia Justa - Wife of Camillus Verus and mother of Helena
• Junilla Tacita - Mother of Falco
• Lollius - Father of Gaius
• Lucius Petronius Longus - Enquiry chief in the XIII region and friend of Falco
• Marcus Didius Falco - Informer and Imperial Agent.
• Marcus Rubella - Tribune of the Fourth Cohort of vigiles
• Marina - Ex-lover of Falco's brother, Festus
• Martinus - Deputy
• Scythax - Doctor
• Sergius - Punishment officer

Suspects, victims and others

• Asinia - Wife of Caius Cicurrus
• Aurelia Maesia - Daughter of Rosius Mundus
• Balbina Milvia - Daughter of Balbinus, former Crime Boss
• Bolanus - Assistant to Statius
• Caius Cicurrus - Corn Chandler
• Cordus - Slave
• Cornella Flaccida - Wife of Balbinus
• Damon - Driver
• Florius - Husband of Milvia
• Mundus - Pia's lover
• Pia - Friend of Asinia
• Rosius Gratus - Old man
• S. Julius Frontinus - Former Consul
• Statius - Engineer
• Thurius - Servant

Major themes

• Investigation into the murder and mutilation of Roman women during the Games,
• Developing relationship of Marcus Didius Falco and Helena Justina.

Allusions/references to actual history, geography and current science

• Set in Rome
  Rome
  Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
  
   in AD 73, during the reign of Emperor Vespasian
  Vespasian
  Vespasian , was Roman Emperor from 69 AD to 79 AD. Vespasian was the founder of the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for a quarter century. Vespasian was descended from a family of equestrians, who rose into the senatorial rank under the Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty...
  
  .
• Sextus Julius Frontinus
  Sextus Julius Frontinus
  Sextus Julius Frontinus was one of the most distinguished Roman aristocrats of the late 1st century AD, but is best known to the post-Classical world as an author of technical treatises, especially one dealing with the aqueducts of Rome....
  
   was a Roman soldier, politician, engineer and author, who was appointed superintendent of the aqueduct
  Aqueduct
  An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
  
  s (curator aquarum) at Rome in AD 95.

Release details

• 1997, UK, Century Hardback ISBN 0-7126-7791-7
• 1998, UK, Arrow, Paperback ISBN 0-09-979951-0
• 1999, UK, Chivers Press, Large Print, ISBN 0-7540-1288-3
• 1999, US, Mysterious Press, Hardback ISBN 0-89296-691-2
• 2000, US, Warner Books, Paperback ISBN 0-446-60774-6

Sources, references, external links, quotations

Author's Official Website