I am delighted to say that The Scarlet Tessera has received a number of excellent reviews lately, and I am grateful to all those readers who have taken the time to post their support. One particular comment, (made within a recent 5-star review), related to the definition of the word "Tessera". I thought it might be helpful to readers for me to set the record straight on this.
"Tessera" is defined in the Concise Oxford Dictionary, 10th Edition, as follows:
"1. A small block of stone, tile, etc used in a mosaic. 2. (in ancient Greece and Rome) a small tablet of wood or bone used as a token".
"1. A small block of stone, tile, etc used in a mosaic. 2. (in ancient Greece and Rome) a small tablet of wood or bone used as a token".
Those who have read the book will be familiar with the "necklace" that appears around the neck of some of the victims, and that the forensic analysis of the small brown tile on that necklace reveals it to be of London Clay, (a vital piece of evidence which assists the Police in identifying that the victims may be being held in the network of tunnels beneath London). This idea is further supported by the fact that it is the network of underground tubetrain tunnels that they are specifically concerned by - (hence the "tile" link, given that all London Underground stations originally had tiles covering their curved walls, and most still do).
My earliest research when planning the novel confirmed that Ancient Rome used these "tessera" (plural "tesserae") as tickets - small tokens of wood, clay or bone which afforded Roman citizens entrance to such spectacles as the Gladiator battles in the Colliseum and other public celebrations of violence and death as entertainment. The killer in "The Scarlet Tessera" notes early on that he is sending A Deadly Invitation (ie deadly as in "Scarlet", (as in "blood"), and invitation as in "tessera" as defined above).
It has been suggested within a recent review that use of the word "Tessera" within the title is confusing because its modern day use in Italy is a colloquial one and refers to ID cards such as those from the Health Service or Tax office. I hope the above clarifies matters.
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