- Hardcover: 304 pages
- Publisher: Century; First Edition edition (5 Jun 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0712625569
- ISBN-13: 978-0712625562
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.8 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 549,461 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Accusers
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Lindsey Davis's Falco thrillers normally focus on how like us the Romans were; The Accusers concentrates on an important difference. Prosecutors were rewarded with a portion of the guilty's goods, or fined to compensate the innocent. When a senator, found guilty in a corruption trial, apparently kills himself, Falco is hired to prove he was murdered because suicide nullifies the prosecution's financial claims. Only the question is: which of the late Metellus' heirs poisoned him, since almost all of them had more than one motive? Falco finds himself and his wife Helena caught up once again in the dark side of Roman high society and all the interesting ways in which it is contiguous with the busy life of sordid streets.
Davis's books are always at their best when Falco, as our viewpoint, is finding out something he does not know about how things work; this is a good detective story partly because of the exposition of the Roman legal system and not in spite of it. It also helps that it is one of the Davis novels in which Falco over-reaches and finds himself distinctly out of his depth; he is one of the most attractive of historical detectives because he is not infallible. --Roz Kaveney
Product Description
Having returned from his trip to Londinium, Falco takes up employment with Paccius Africanus and Silius Italicus, two lawyers at the top of their trade. For the trial of a senator they need Falco to make an affidavit confirming repayment of a loan. Having been out of the country and starved of Forum gossip for some time, Falco has little interest in this trial, so he makes his deposition and then leaves. The prosecution are successful and a large financial judgement is made, but one month later the senator is dead, apparently by suicide. The heirs are now in a situation of not having to pay up, and the prosecutor Silius Italicus suddenly decides to seek out Falco. With a little coercion, Falco joins the prosecution in seeking to persuade a magistrate to instigate a new trial against Metellus' son. Blinded by the vision of rich pickings to be gained by the prosecution, Falco temporarily forgets that, if they fail, the financial penalties levelled against the informers who brought the case are potentially enormous...
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Great Addition To The Falco Series,
By
This review is from: The Accusers (Hardcover)
Yes, I admit that I am a great fan of the Falco series. This is yet another addition that I highly recommend to anyone who has read, or is new to, the series.I must be right as everyone I recommend these to borrows my copies and take ages to give them back. Here we find Falco back from his hols in Londinium and looking to re-establish the presence of Falco & Associates to a rather indifferent Roman citizenry. We have had Roman builders; actors; gladiators; provincial governors; bankers and antique dealers. Now we have the Roman legal system. The good thing about these books is that you not only get a cracking good detective story but also a beginner's guide to various aspects of Roman life. So you learn as you enjoy. A great reason to read full stop. Here we find that Roman "lawyers" made their reputation by accusing members of the middle and upper classes of various acts of corruption and malefluence. If you win you not only do your reputation good but also earn some money in the process as you share in their estate if they lose. There was a downside. Lose and you lose money in damages. Therefore you need to keep playing the field and get it right more often than not. Did people abuse this process.... of course, that's what these things are there for. What starts out as an easy job for Falco & Associates in statement taking leads to a series of trials that arise from the result of the initial trial. There are family secrets that need to be discovered and court cases to win. Can Falco actually beat the system again? Are the lawyers as honest as we would hope? One thing we do learn is that if you lose a case then you can escape paying the penalty the easy way..... just commit suicide. Your family get to keep the money and your accusers lose out. A win win situation... apart from your death of course. Read it and find out.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Falco treat,
By Dr Alan N Hunt (Southampton, Hampshire United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Accusers (Hardcover)
Lovers of Falco will not need to be told that a treat awaits them in Lindsey Davis' latest novel. As for the rest of you - where have you been until now? A new Falco novel now seems to be an established early summer celebration and this year's offering is no exception. He's back from Britain, he's back in Rome and very soon he's back in trouble. The book is a cracking good read that stands alone even if you've never heard of Falco before. For those of us whove learned the secret, we get to catch up on characters old and new, to fight our way through clever red herrings and eventually to discover the truth several sentences before the final denoument! However, if it is your first encounter with Ms Davis' wonderful detective, I envy you most because you've got another 14 treats to occupy the rest of the year until the next new offering!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Falco, the Legal Eagle,
By
This review is from: The Accusers (Paperback)
This is the fifteenth novel in the mystery series featuring Marcus Didius Falco, an informer and sleuth in Rome at the time of Vespasian. A series of books that have become hugely popular, so much so that the author is now at the forefront of historical mystery writers. It was probably a stroke of genius on her part to have novels that are extremely well researched and contain all the elements that would be and should be found in the Roman world of circa AD70, but to have a lead character who has the vocabulary of a present day New York cop.
After spending more time than he intended to in Britain (The Jupiter Myth) Falco is back in his beloved Rome. In theory he is still an informer for the Emperor although the less he sees of the Imperial family, the better he will like it. He becomes embroiled in a dispute between two high successful members of the legal profession and of course the dispsute ends up in a death. Hired to prove that the senator's death was not suicide, Falco find himself following a trail of scanal, blackmail and corruption, the like of which even he has rarely seen. Has he bitten off more than he can chew this time. After all he is playing with the big boys now . . .
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