Not quite as exciting or gripping as the past Lady Emily books for some reason, but still fun and a solid read. ( )

The action begins with a shocking discovery almost at page one in this latest entry in the Lady Emily series. The setting this time is Pompeii, the city ruined by a catastrophic volcano eruption in 79 AD. Lady Emily, her husband, and her best friend are on hand to play tourist, but when they find a body that met a much more recent demise, it's time to start investigating.
Many new characters are introduced in this book, some that are probably intended to stick around and become part of Lady Emily's extended family and friends. Not all of them feel quite fleshed out, and I found myself feeling less than invested in the latest Jeremy (Duke of Bainbridge) romance. The other major addition to the family party was a bit more intriguing, and had me feeling distrustful, then ambivalent, then cautiously accepting. It will be interesting to see how that one develops moving forward.
As with many of Tasha Alexander's other works in this series, pacing is really helped by chapters that alternate between Lady Emily's time and antiquity. In this case, the story is of a young Greek slave girl living in Pompeii with a talent for poetry and a problematic infatuation.
The sense of place is well developed, and the wrap-up scenes in a subterranean library in Herculaneum are particularly evocative. The details of that library sent me on a quick detour to the Internet to find out more about the real story. I really enjoyed how well the setting was researched and used in this novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advance review copy of In the Shadow of Vesuvius, to be published Jan. 7, 2020. ( )

I really enjoyed this latest addition to the Lady Emily mysteries.
Had even more of a Amelia Peabody mystery vibe though set in Pompeii rather than Egypt and was all the better for it. At one point there is even an oblique reference to the grande dame herself.
Also a new character arrives who will shake things up for Colin and Emily moving forward which is never a bad thing in a long running series.
Once again Tasha has two stories running here. One set in AD79 with a roman slave called Kassandra and in 1902 for Emily and Colin. The story set in AD79 gives us a real feeling of what life was like at that time and Tasha has as always done her homework.
A recommend from me. ( )

I have grown tired of the characters, format, story, & writing and completely disliked the entire book.

Which makes me sad, as until this point I have liked all of the Lady Emily books & characters. ( )

While visiting Pompeii, Emily and Colin stumble upon a recent corpse disguised as a plaster replica leading to an investigation. However, with several people associated with the dig are harboring secrets, Colin and Emily struggle to find the true killer. However, a final underground showdown reveals a most opportune artifact relating to the alternating chapter stories of a young poetess in the days prior to the eruption of Vesuvius.