In The Shadow of Vesuvius by Tasha Alexander

Victorian detectives in Pompeii in 1902 and a parallel story of a poetess in Pompeii in 79 AD. Lady Emily and her husband are on vacation with friends and as is their habit, run into the murder scene of a New York journalist found encased in plaster.  Giving us an excellent history of the Pompeii ruins and Roman life, this story also has the added sleuthing of the Victorian power couple.  The additional story of a former slave who yearns to be accepted by Roman society and has a true talent for epic poetry was also interesting and tied nicely into the 1902 story line.  The narrator pulled off a number of female dialects and male voices convincingly.  My thanks to the publisher for the review copy.