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There Will Be Bodies 2025
There Will Be Bodies is a historical crime novel written by British author Lindsey Davis, marking the thirteenth entry in her Flavia Albia series. The book was released in the United Kingdom on 3 April 2025 through Hodder & Stoughton () and in the United States on 22 July 2025 by Minotaur Books ().
Set in Stabiae, located on the Bay of Naples in Italy during 90AD—ten years following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius—this story follows Flavia as her husband’s uncle purchases a villa there. While overseeing the reconstruction, Flavia and her spouse discover the remains of the property's former occupant, not crushed by volcanic ash but instead placed in a sealed storage room.
The initial UK hardback edition features a cover depicting a weathered sculpted head partially buried in burning coals. According to Davis, this represents Tyche, the goddess of fortune and owner of the first pair of dice, adorned with a mural crown. In contrast, the American first printing shows a woman holding a dagger observing through a villa’s atrium toward a man facing away from her, with Vesuvius visible in the background.
Neither Falco nor Helena, Flavia’s parents, appear within the “List of characters.”
On 1 April 2025, just two days prior to its release date, Davis shared that she had received a "review" posted online that completely distorted the novel's content. She stated this was likely an AI-generated piece, constructed from fragmented details about her prior works—such as incorrectly identifying the setting as Rome, since many of them are set in that city. On 2 April, she commented on Facebook: “Never fear, he took it down.”
Details
- Publisher
- Hodder & Stoughton
- ISBN
- 9781399719636
- Series
- Flavia Albia
