The Graveyard of the Hesperides Albia, a widow, works as a "delatrix" (a detective or private informer) in ancient Rome, like Falco. The cover of the UK hardback edition has an image of a golden apple with a silver leaf, resting on a marble surface with a few drops of what appears to be blood, and it carries the strapline: "A Flavia Albia Novel". The American hardback edition has a colourful image of a woman walking away between classical columns. The plot features sex workers, bones, wedding planners and lentils. In Greek mythology, the Garden of the Hesperides is the garden of the goddess Hera
The Birth of Venus agreed), the influence of Renaissance Neo-Platonism (somewhat controversial), and the identity of the commissioners (not agreed). Most art historians agree, however, that the "Birth" does not require complex analysis to decode its meaning, in the way that the "Primavera" probably does. While there are subtleties in the painting, its main meaning is a straightforward, if individual, treatment of a traditional scene from Greek mythology, and its appeal is sensory and very accessible, hence its enormous popularity. In the centre the newly-born goddess Venus stands nude in a giant scallop shell. Its size is purely imaginary, and is also found in