A Capitol Death

{{Short description|2019 historical crime novel by Lindsey Davis}}

{{use DMY dates|date=June 2024}}

{{use British English|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox book

| italic title =

| name = A Capitol Death

| image = File:A_Capitol_Death_cover_UK_2019.jpg

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| caption = Cover of 2019 UK first edition

| author = Lindsey Davis

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| country = UK

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| series = Flavia Albia

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| genre = historical fiction, crime fiction

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| publisher = Hodder & Stoughton

| publisher2 = St. Martin's Press

| pub_date = 4 April 2019

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| media_type = Print, e-book, audiobook, large print

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| isbn = 9781473658745

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| preceded_by = Pandora's Boy

| followed_by = The Grove of the Caesars

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A Capitol Death is a historical crime novel by British writer Lindsey Davis, the seventh in her Flavia Albia series. It was published in the UK by Hodder & Stoughton on 4 April 2019 ({{ISBN|9781473658745}}) .{{cite book|title=A Capitol Death|date=4 April 2019|url=https://www.hodder.co.uk/books/detail.page?isbn=9781473658745|publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|isbn=9781473658745|accessdate=8 April 2019|archive-date=8 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408094137/https://www.hodder.co.uk/books/detail.page?isbn=9781473658745|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |date=2019-04-27 |title=A Capitol Death |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/lindsey-davis/a-capitol-death/ |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=Kirkus Reviews |archive-date=19 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240319083349/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/lindsey-davis/a-capitol-death/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=2019-04-24 |title=A Capitol Death by Lindsey Davis |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781250152701 |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=Publishers Weekly |archive-date=5 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305082607/https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781250152701 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=2019-05-01 |title=A Capitol Death |url=https://www.booklistonline.com/A-Capitol-Death/pid=9717760 |access-date=2024-08-09 |website=Booklist |archive-date=9 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240809230852/https://www.booklistonline.com/A-Capitol-Death/pid=9717760 |url-status=live }}

The tale is set in November AD 89 on the Capitoline Hill, and includes a death by falling from the Tarpeian Rock, a stinking family of shell-fish boilers who produce the imperial purple dye, the preparations for Domitian's double triumph, family relationships, and augury, while Flavia and her husband are setting up their new household.{{cite book |last1=Davis |first1=Lindsey |title=A Capitol Death |date=2019 |publisher=Hodder & Stoughton |isbn=978-1-473-65874-5}}

The cover of the UK hardback 1st edition shows a sea shell, likely to be the dye-producing bolinus brandaris, on a purple, perhaps bloodstained, background.

In an interview with her editor Oliver Johnson, Davis discussed her successful plan to base a series of books on the seven hills of Rome, starting with the Aventine Hill and reaching the Capitoline Hill with this latest book.{{cite web |title=Lindsey Davis interview: A Capitol Death and the Flavia Albia series |url=https://soundcloud.com/hodderbooks/lindsey-davis-interview-a-capitol-death-and-the-flavia-albia-series |publisher=Hodder & Stoughton |accessdate=10 April 2019 |date=2 April 2019 |archive-date=29 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029175010/https://soundcloud.com/hodderbooks/lindsey-davis-interview-a-capitol-death-and-the-flavia-albia-series |url-status=live }}