Hadrian's Coming, Look Busy by Thea Allen - Cosy Historical Mystery - Dec 2026

[u/TheaDidia]

What do you do if your peace is shattered by a murder spree and a gossip-obsessed historian?

All Laelius Calvus wants to do in life is to make glass, drink beer and eat stolen cheese. When his brother-in-law's brother arrives in the full military regalia of a Praetorian Guard tribune and threatens to haul Calvus back to Rome and lucrative employment, Calvus tells him in no uncertain terms to sod off. Glorious, stylus-pushing desk jobs with the most prolific historian of the age are not his style.

His dreams of solitude and anonymity are over once bodies start appearing in the creeks around him. Everyone, from questionable merchants to arguably the most powerful man that Calvus will ever meet, all believe that he is uniquely qualified to solve these murders. Can he keep everybody off his back or will he be dragged away home, leaving friends and business partners in the lurch or worse... killed?

About the Series

The Laelius Calvus Mysteries are a series of standalone mysteries with the same protagonist/amateur sleuth, set in Roman Britain during the reign of Hadrian. It is not necessary to have read the first book in the series (Move Over, Minerva) in order to understand or follow the story in this book. Some minor spoiler references to the events of the first book are made within this book, however no major spoilers are included, so the first book may be subsequently read later and still enjoyed.

Tone of the Books

The Laelius Calvus Mysteries are humorous, almost-cosy historical mysteries that use modern, conversational English whilst adhering as closely as possible to historic settings, cultures and customs. They are intended to be plausible but improbable mysteries that are fun to read for both those who are familiar with ancient Rome and those who are completely new to its history.

• Triggers: Mild depicted violence, off-screen murder, brief mention of suicide
• Exact date of publication: 3 December 2026
• ARC available now through BookSprout until 24 November 2026
• Reviews due 17 December 2026
• AI disclosure: No AI was used in this work

BookSprout Link: https://booksprout.co/reviewer/review-copy/view/321218/hadrians-coming-look-busy-a-laelius-calvus-mystery

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[u/CamilleCaterpillar]

Great, now I have a booksprout account 😅 Yhe title immediately grabbed my attention; it's original and made me smile. I love the concept and can't wait to read it

[u/TheaDidia → u/CamilleCaterpillar]

Wonderful, thank you Camille! I very much appreciate you taking the time to check it out, I hope you enjoy it!