The Iron Hand Of Mars (Falco 04)
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Amazon.co.uk Review
This, the fourth of Davis's thrillers about Falco, a private enquiry agent and informer in the Rome of Vespasian, takes him off to the wilds of Germany. Though most of the Falco books play with, and translate into Roman terms, the stock material of the hard-boiled crime novel--police corruption, serial killers, financial scams and women adventuresses no better than they should be--this one, like the first, The Silver Pigs, stretches the formula in a different direction; much of the time here, in true John Buchan fashion, Falco is running and hiding in hostile landscapes rather than down mean streets. It is only a few decades since the Romans had the worst of defeats in the Teutoburger forest, and barbarians on the border are keen to repeat the lesson. And in a tower on a river bend, there lives the most hostile of all Germans, the prophetess known as Velada, and Justinus, brother of Falco's upper-class lover Helena, has fallen in love with her. Packed with desperate adventures and comic incidents, this is not one of the most tightly plotted of Davis's books, but it is in many other respects one of the most enjoyable.--Roz Kaveney
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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"Surely the best historical detective in the business."-"Daily Telegraph"
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
In this, the fourth Falco to get the BBC dramatization treatment, the series is really starting to gel.
The Emperor Vespasian sends Falco to Germany to solve several seemingly impossible problems.
Rebellious legions, missing legates, murderous warriors and a beautiful priestess all have their parts to play in the story.
Falco even inadvertently stumbles across the site of the infamous massacre in the Teutoberger Forest, when three entire Roman legions were lost during the reign of Augustus. These scenes are memorably creepy and capture the atmosphere of Tacitus' historical account of the disaster.
`The Iron Hand of Mars' introduces some intriguing characters, such as Xanthus, a flamboyant barber and Dubnus, a peddler whose wares are even more dubious than their seller. Fortunately for Falco, some old friends from earlier in the series turn up to extricate him from the tight corners he gets himself into.
Anton Lesser (as Falco) and Anna Madeley (as Helena) make an excellent leading pair. The supporting cast, including the regulars like Titus, Vespasian, Petro and Justinus, contribute admirably to the drama.
The exotic setting is well exploited by the producers. They should also be praised for helping the listener to differentiate easily between characters from various parts of the Roman Empire - and the hostile areas on its borders.
One can only hope that the next in the series, `Poseidon's Gold', is not too long in the making.
The Emperor Vespasian sends Falco to Germany to solve several seemingly impossible problems.
Rebellious legions, missing legates, murderous warriors and a beautiful priestess all have their parts to play in the story.
Falco even inadvertently stumbles across the site of the infamous massacre in the Teutoberger Forest, when three entire Roman legions were lost during the reign of Augustus. These scenes are memorably creepy and capture the atmosphere of Tacitus' historical account of the disaster.
`The Iron Hand of Mars' introduces some intriguing characters, such as Xanthus, a flamboyant barber and Dubnus, a peddler whose wares are even more dubious than their seller. Fortunately for Falco, some old friends from earlier in the series turn up to extricate him from the tight corners he gets himself into.
Anton Lesser (as Falco) and Anna Madeley (as Helena) make an excellent leading pair. The supporting cast, including the regulars like Titus, Vespasian, Petro and Justinus, contribute admirably to the drama.
The exotic setting is well exploited by the producers. They should also be praised for helping the listener to differentiate easily between characters from various parts of the Roman Empire - and the hostile areas on its borders.
One can only hope that the next in the series, `Poseidon's Gold', is not too long in the making.
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In this fun Falco novel, Marcus Didius Falco, the freelance sleuth from Rome is off to Germany to deliver an iron hand to a legion. Throughout, the plot keeps you sitting at the edge of your seat, wondering what will happen between Falco and his high-class girlfriend, Helena Justina, as he has forgotten her birthday. It calls for more funny moments with Nero's ex-barber who wants to see the world but is regarded with suspicion, and Titus Caesar, also angling after Falco's girlfriend.
Helena's brother, Justinus, is stationed in Germany and Falco meets him there where they go for a trip over the Rhine into barbarian country. What exactly happens between Justinus and the barbarian queen Veleda is never told, only hinted at. This is the first novel where Justinus is introduced properly and he will appear again in later Falco novels as a great, amusing character. In Germany, there also is a surprise in store for Falco as someone he knows has come to find him. With all these fun characters, historical intrigue and murders just around the corner, this novel is gripping, full of suspense and a great laugh, as are all of the Falco novels.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Falco goes to the Roman/German frontier to deliver to the army a present from Vespasian and, by the way, while he's there, to make just a few little enquiries - which aren't so little.
I have loved the books and the characters since I first found The Silver Pigs. This BBC adaptation brings them to life with all their sense of mischief intact. If I play it in the car, the rush hour traffic disappears, the journey seems shorter, and I arrive home with a smile instead of a scowl.
Historical, detective, romance and fun all in one book. Well done Lindsey Davis and well done BBC.
I have loved the books and the characters since I first found The Silver Pigs. This BBC adaptation brings them to life with all their sense of mischief intact. If I play it in the car, the rush hour traffic disappears, the journey seems shorter, and I arrive home with a smile instead of a scowl.
Historical, detective, romance and fun all in one book. Well done Lindsey Davis and well done BBC.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Falco beyond the frontiers of the Empire
The Falco series of books are detective adventures set against a background of the 1st century AD Roman Empire. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Andrew W. Macfadyen
One big Yawn
Only very occasionally do I walk out on a film or fail to finish a book I`ve bought but this, if filmed, would need one helluva rewrite to keep me in the cinema... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Kilrymont
Falco goes to Germany
The Emperor Vespasian sends Falco into enemy territory to try and find out what has happened to a missing legionary and to talk to the barbarian priestess, Veleda. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Damaskcat
Gotta love Falco!
I had to purchase this book to replace one that had been borrowed and not returned years ago. I was great to read it again! Read more
Published 14 months ago by Mrs. Teresa L. Kasafir
A Roman journey across Europe to begin a "who done it"
I just love this book. I own all of Lindsey Davis's books. This is my favourite by far. The 4th of the Falco novels, this one begins with a journey with such atmosphere I can join... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Prof Reynolds
Mystery and adventure
humour, mystery and adventure mix in this intriguing fourth novel, where Didius Falco must unravel a tangled web of deceits, treason and murder at the very Germanic edge of the... Read more
Published on 1 Dec 2009 by Ventura Angelo
Falco number 4, and it's off to barbarian Germany
This is the fourth in a series of excellent detective stories set in Vespasian's Roman Empire and featuring the informer Marcus Didius Falco. Read more
Published on 17 May 2008 by Marshall Lord
Passable historical novel
I was going to write 'historical whodunnit', but actually there isn't really much of a who dunn it about this at all. Read more
Published on 16 May 2008 by Jezza
The Stories Just Get Better and Better
This is the fourth novel in the mystery series featuring Marcus Didius Falco, an informer and sleuth in Rome at the time of Vespasian. Read more
Published on 16 Feb 2008 by J. Chippindale
The Stories Just Get Better
This is the fourth novel in the mystery series featuring Marcus Didius Falco, an informer and sleuth in Rome at the time of Vespasian. Read more
Published on 13 Feb 2008 by J. Chippindale
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