Review
"Splendid...mystery, pace and wit." - Ellis Peters
Book Description
The much loved, bestselling Falco series reissued with new jacket artwork
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I find it difficult to understand why other reviewers were disappointed by this book. To my mind, it is one of Lindsey's best (and yes, I have read them all). Apart from anything else, it has the most memorable plot - one of comparatively few genuine whodunnits in the Falco series - and the locations are spot on. Visit places like Petra and Palmyra today, and you can just picture Falco going about his investigation. Difficult to fault!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is the sixth in a series of excellent detective stories set in Vespasian's Roman Empire and featuring the informer Marcus Didius Falco. Informers in ancient Rome were something between a private detective and a government spy.
Falco is sent on a mission to the middle east on behalf of the Imperian Roman authorities, and his girlfriend Helena Justina insists on coming along. During the mission they attach themselves to a travelling troupe of actors who are performing a tour of the ten main cities in an area which roughly corresponds to modern day Syria. And when one of the members of the acting troupe is murdered, Falco and Helena have another mystery to solve ...
There are very differing opinions among fans of Lindsey Davis about which of her books is best. I can only say that I thought all of these books deserved either four stars or five stars, and this is one of the books I gave five stars, because it almost made me feel as if I had actually visited the middle east in 72 AD.
I initially tried this series because I had enjoyed the "Cadfael" mediaeval detective stories by Ellis Peters. Where Cadfael is excellent, Falco is brilliant. Ellis Peters herself (or to use her real name, Edith Pargeter) said of the early books of the series, 'Lindsey Davis continues her exploration of Vespasian's Rome and Marcus Didius Falco's Italy with the same wit and gusto that made "The Silver Pigs" such a dazzling debut and her rueful, self-deprecating hero so irresistibly likeable.'
Funny, exciting, and based on a painstaking effort to re-create the world of the early Roman empire between 70 and 76 AD.
If you have met and enjoyed either the Cadfael or Thraxas series, this is even better.
It isn't absolutely essential to read these stories in sequence, as the mysteries Falco is trying to solve are all self-contained stories and each book can stand on its own. Having said that, there is some ongoing development of characters and relationships and I think reading them in the right order does improve the experience.
The full Falco series, in chronological order, consists at the moment of:
The Silver Pigs
Shadows in Bronze
Venus in Copper
The Iron Hand of Mars
Poseidon's Gold
Last Act in Palmyra
Time to Depart
A Dying Light in Corduba
Three Hands in the Fountain
Two for the Lions
One Virgin Too Many
Ode to a Banker
A Body in the Bath house
The Jupiter Myth
The Accusers
Scandal taks a Holiday
See Delphi and Die
Saturnalia
Alexandria
Nemesis
I have can warmly recommend all of these.
Falco is sent on a mission to the middle east on behalf of the Imperian Roman authorities, and his girlfriend Helena Justina insists on coming along. During the mission they attach themselves to a travelling troupe of actors who are performing a tour of the ten main cities in an area which roughly corresponds to modern day Syria. And when one of the members of the acting troupe is murdered, Falco and Helena have another mystery to solve ...
There are very differing opinions among fans of Lindsey Davis about which of her books is best. I can only say that I thought all of these books deserved either four stars or five stars, and this is one of the books I gave five stars, because it almost made me feel as if I had actually visited the middle east in 72 AD.
I initially tried this series because I had enjoyed the "Cadfael" mediaeval detective stories by Ellis Peters. Where Cadfael is excellent, Falco is brilliant. Ellis Peters herself (or to use her real name, Edith Pargeter) said of the early books of the series, 'Lindsey Davis continues her exploration of Vespasian's Rome and Marcus Didius Falco's Italy with the same wit and gusto that made "The Silver Pigs" such a dazzling debut and her rueful, self-deprecating hero so irresistibly likeable.'
Funny, exciting, and based on a painstaking effort to re-create the world of the early Roman empire between 70 and 76 AD.
If you have met and enjoyed either the Cadfael or Thraxas series, this is even better.
It isn't absolutely essential to read these stories in sequence, as the mysteries Falco is trying to solve are all self-contained stories and each book can stand on its own. Having said that, there is some ongoing development of characters and relationships and I think reading them in the right order does improve the experience.
The full Falco series, in chronological order, consists at the moment of:
The Silver Pigs
Shadows in Bronze
Venus in Copper
The Iron Hand of Mars
Poseidon's Gold
Last Act in Palmyra
Time to Depart
A Dying Light in Corduba
Three Hands in the Fountain
Two for the Lions
One Virgin Too Many
Ode to a Banker
A Body in the Bath house
The Jupiter Myth
The Accusers
Scandal taks a Holiday
See Delphi and Die
Saturnalia
Alexandria
Nemesis
I have can warmly recommend all of these.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This was my first Falco book - and it hooked me on Lindsey Davis. I think it's suggestive that at the time I was confined to hospital and yet had to be cautioned against laughing so loudly.
The absurdity is that Falco, an aspiring amateur poet as well as informer, has as little acting talent as I have, but must be disguised as one on a special mission to the Middle East of the Roman period. His ham acting persists, area to area, among a genuine acting troupe, among people after people, inluding disapproving early Christians. These receive a summary response.
The mission succeeds - in a sense, for Falco must as usual struggle to force his expenses out of a notoriously penny-pinching government. This takes almost as much effort as the mission itself. And all the time, hovering somewhere in background or foreground, is the indispensable Helena Justina, partner to Falco. This, I believe, would have me doubled up with laughter on my (or even someone else's) death bed - a fine way to go for all.
The absurdity is that Falco, an aspiring amateur poet as well as informer, has as little acting talent as I have, but must be disguised as one on a special mission to the Middle East of the Roman period. His ham acting persists, area to area, among a genuine acting troupe, among people after people, inluding disapproving early Christians. These receive a summary response.
The mission succeeds - in a sense, for Falco must as usual struggle to force his expenses out of a notoriously penny-pinching government. This takes almost as much effort as the mission itself. And all the time, hovering somewhere in background or foreground, is the indispensable Helena Justina, partner to Falco. This, I believe, would have me doubled up with laughter on my (or even someone else's) death bed - a fine way to go for all.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
the sixth Falco novel
As usual, I thoroughly enjoyed this sixth Falco novel. I read it far too quickly - I wanted it to make it last longer, and my husband is sensibly taking it at a more leisurely... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Leela Attfield
Is the hero a snake?
Falco and Helena find themselves in a travelling repertory company, touring the towns of the Decapolis, while Falco, replacing the murdered company scriptwriter, spies out the area... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Clive A. H. Still
A friend for life
Amazon suggest I might like to review this book!!
Well to have got this far in the Falco series I have read The Course of Honour, The Silver Pigs, Shadows in Bronze, Venus in... Read more
Well to have got this far in the Falco series I have read The Course of Honour, The Silver Pigs, Shadows in Bronze, Venus in... Read more
Published 23 months ago by S. Johnson
Another great Lindsey Davis mystery
I really enjoyed this book, just as I enjoyed the rest of the series - easy reading, a great mystery, lots of fun - what more could you ask for?
Published on 16 July 2009 by J. Scott
Last Act, But Not for Falco, Thank Goodness
Quite a number of authors have jumped on the sleuth in Ancient Rome bandwagon, but Lindsey Davis is probably the best of the lot. Read more
Published on 28 Jan 2008 by J. Chippindale
Tedious
I do enjoy a bit of Falco, but this one just dragged.
The plot is hung around a group of travelling players, touring the ten towns of the Decapolis. Read more
The plot is hung around a group of travelling players, touring the ten towns of the Decapolis. Read more
Published on 31 Dec 2007 by Andy Dingley
Last Act, but Hopefully not for Falco
Quite a number of authors have jumped on the sleuth in Ancient Rome bandwagon, but Lindsey Davis is probably the best of the lot. Read more
Published on 19 Mar 2007 by J. Chippindale
Last Act, But Not for Falco, I Hope
Quite a number of authors have jumped on the sleuth in Ancient Rome bandwagon, but Lindsey Davis is probably the best of the lot. Read more
Published on 15 Nov 2004 by J. Chippindale
disappointing
sadly, this talented author's least satisfactory novel so far. It actually dragged for most of the second half.
And she is usually so good!
Published on 9 Nov 1999 by Brian Harris
Slightly disappointing but has its humourous moments
The Falco series are characterised by smooth plotting, finely drawn characters and genuine wit. This particular novel is probably the weakest of the series. Read more
Published on 24 Feb 1999
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