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The Fall of Augustus - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat
'Victor stepped into the elevator shaft and looked up. "This should make a good shot," he said motioning to the video tech. The elevator light gleamed on his distinguished sweep of dark hair touched with gray. The cameraman, standing just outside the shaft for a better angle, pointed his camcorder up. Ellen moved closer and craned her neck.'
'The Emperor Augustus hurtled down, crashing against the side of the shaft as he went. Victor, Susan, and Ellen vanished in the maelstrom of smashed plaster. There was a bone-jarring thud... then an awful silence.'
'Victor's crumpled upper body was partially hidden under the wreck of the cable car and chunks of plaster. One dead museum director.'
Lisa Donahue is the Senior Curator at Wigglesworth Hall. The museum is in the process of being moved to a new facility and with the death of Museum Director Victor Fitzgerald she now finds herself in complete charge of the move. But, what Lisa and police Sergeant Bruce McEwan want to know, 'was the breaking of the cable used to lower the statue of Augustus through the elevator shaft an accident or murder?'
Lisa's problems with the move are increased when a former boss Valerie Albrecht is hired to replace Victor. Valerie is a vicious woman who steps on anyone and everyone to make herself look good. She enjoys inflicting fear in her employees and is known by those who have dealt with her in the past, to make last minute changes to exhibits knowing it will be almost impossible to accomplished. And she is happiest when she can belittle those who failed her orders, especially if there is an audience present to hear her raving.
But Valerie isn't the end of Lisa's problems. Artifacts are starting to disappear and Lisa believes they are being taken by someone in-house. But who and how are they getting them out of the museum?
I've enjoyed following Lisa as she solves the mystery of Victor's death and as she discovers the identity of the museum thief. The Fall of Augustus turned out to be a real page turner that I very much enjoyed.
And oh yeah, did I mention that Lisa is also faced with determining who has been taking bodies and attempting to turn them into mummies?
9/10
