Mrs Donna Cresswell is Director of External Communications at Queenswood. In her role, Donna oversees the Admissions and Marketing department and is also a member of the Senior Leadership team. This week Donna is reading The Silver Pigs by Lindsey Davis.

Mystery, conspiracy, fast-paced dialogue, a great plot and a dash of romance – this novel has it all. And on top of that, it's set in ancient Rome, so for all you Classics fans – this is one to get your teeth into.

The action moves between Rome and Britain during AD 70. Its main character is Marcus Didius Falco, an informer (the equivalent of a modern day private investigator). He is also an imperial agent working for the Roman Emperor Vespasian. The book's title refers to 200-pound lead ingots or ‘pigs’, filled with silver ore and stolen from a mine in Roman Britain. The action involves murder, treason, heroism, jealousy and ultimately, romantic love.

Falco stumbles upon a conspiracy in the trading of silver ingots, but not before it claims the life of a young girl (Sosia Camillina) whom Falco meets and is smitten with. Hired by Sosia's uncle, a senator, to find out who murdered her and by the Roman Emperor Vespasian, to uncover the conspiracy, Falco finds himself on the next boat to Britain (portrayed as a wet, miserable place, in the furthest corner of the Empire). Once in Britain, he works under cover as a slave in a silver mine and after a pretty awful time of it, he is rescued by none other than the senator’s daughter (who becomes the main love interest) and returns to Rome where he discovers ….. But I won’t spoil it by revealing any more. Grab a copy and find out for yourself what happens next.

What I love about this book is its humour – it’s very funny in places, using a lot of wordplay. Falco is a smart, likeable, down-to- earth hero and I felt very invested in what happened to him. The historical detail is fascinating and it really brings alive the sights, sounds and smells of everyday Roman life two thousand years ago. Oh for a time-machine!

And do you know the very best thing I discovered about this novel? … That this is the first in a series of 20 books about Falco and his adventures in ancient Rome. Looks like I’ve got my summer reading sorted!

If you would prefer an audio introduction – there’s a dramatisation of the second book in the Falco series (Shadows in Bronze) currently on BBC Sounds at the moment here but it will only be available for a limited time.

Age appropriate warning – the novel contains some adult themes and language, so is probably suitable for age 14 and above.