- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Century; First Edition edition (1 Jun 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0712680349
- ISBN-13: 978-0712680349
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 462,563 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Lindsey Davis's novels about the Roman informer Falco have always been ingenious in the way she sets up impeccably researched Imperial Roman equivalents of modern worlds and modern crimes. Ode to a Banker is one of the closest of her books to a classic traditional crime novel, in that it deals with a murder in a small enclosed world, with likely suspects whose motives have to be gone through by interrogation and legwork--the first of the bodies is even found in a library. Chrysippus was a banker and a publisher, owner of a minor scriptorium where not especially accurate copies of manuscripts are made by dictation; he is found with the centre rod from a scroll stuffed up his nose. Falco himself is momentarily a suspect--he had a row with Chrysippus who offered to vanity publish Falco's poems--but soon finds himself the official investigator, sub-contracting the job for his friends in the Watch. This is as elegantly picturesque in its portrait of the Emperor Vespasian's crowded metropolis as Davis has ever been; the soap opera of Falco's extended and disreputable family continues apace and amid all the snazzy puzzles, we get a real sense of a lively mind busy at work. --Roz Kaveney
Mail on Sunday
‘Fast moving, funny and full of atmosphere’
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is the twelfth 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.
This book sees Falco delving into the world of literary jealousies and everything that goes with them. Writers block, jealousy and fraud is just scratching the surface. He discovers that there are a series of puzzling links to the Aurelian Bank and finds out the business is owned by Chrysippus.
Chrysippus is a man that Falco knows only too well, because a little private recital of Falco's poetry had recently been gate crashed by Aurelius Chrysippus, a scriptorium owner and some of his literary friends and the following day Chrysippus offers to publish Falco's poems.
When the body of the scriptorium owner is found Petro, long time friend of Falco and the Vigil's enquiry officer, commissions Falco to investigate the murder, while at the same time trying not to pull his leg too hard regarding his poetic prowess.
This book sees Falco delving into the world of literary jealousies and everything that goes with them. Writers block, jealousy and fraud is just scratching the surface. He discovers that there are a series of puzzling links to the Aurelian Bank and finds out the business is owned by Chrysippus.
Chrysippus is a man that Falco knows only too well, because a little private recital of Falco's poetry had recently been gate crashed by Aurelius Chrysippus, a scriptorium owner and some of his literary friends and the following day Chrysippus offers to publish Falco's poems.
When the body of the scriptorium owner is found Petro, long time friend of Falco and the Vigil's enquiry officer, commissions Falco to investigate the murder, while at the same time trying not to pull his leg too hard regarding his poetic prowess.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Lindsey Davis continues her Falco series in 'Ode to a banker'; this time he's asked to solve the murder of a publisher.
The story is textured and atmospheric and is one of the better books in the series with authors, publishers & bankers, all the butt of many jokes.
The mystery is well set-up but Davis does the old Agatha Christie trick of with-holding information from the reader to pad out the story. Even though it's still possible to work out the killer.
Part of the pleasure of these books is following the soap opera of Falco's private life, and it is here where this book delivers big time. The probable relationships, which have been signalled in previous books, come to fruition here. These mean major changes for Falco and his family.
An very satisfying read - if you've enjoyed & followed the series, then you must read this.
The story is textured and atmospheric and is one of the better books in the series with authors, publishers & bankers, all the butt of many jokes.
The mystery is well set-up but Davis does the old Agatha Christie trick of with-holding information from the reader to pad out the story. Even though it's still possible to work out the killer.
Part of the pleasure of these books is following the soap opera of Falco's private life, and it is here where this book delivers big time. The probable relationships, which have been signalled in previous books, come to fruition here. These mean major changes for Falco and his family.
An very satisfying read - if you've enjoyed & followed the series, then you must read this.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I liked the idea of the storyline, dodgy bank props up dodgy publisher, and Falco's relationship with Helena continues to develop and work very well. But overall this tale lacked punch and pace, and Falco was coasting in between real assigments. The prose lapsed at times into Humphrey Bogart/Philip Marlowe style, quite entertaining but a little out of character for Falco. Enjoyable but not top form.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
A body in the library, Ancient roman (?) version
This book reads like a misplaced whodunit, full of modern references to self-publishing and vanity presses, things whose presence in ancient Rome is unlikely to say the... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Ventura Angelo
Falco 12: of poetry, bankers, builders, and murder
This is the twelfth in a series of excellent detective stories set in Vespasian's Roman Empire and featuring the informer Marcus Didius Falco. Read more
Published on 26 July 2008 by Marshall Lord
Falco the Poet
This is the twelfth novel in the mystery series featuring Marcus Didius Falco, an informer and sleuth in Rome at the time of Vespasian. Read more
Published on 4 Oct 2006 by J. Chippindale
This Series Is Seriously Slipping
When the Marcus Didius Falco series began, over a decade and eleven books ago, I was immediately hooked. Read more
Published on 26 Jan 2004 by A. Ross
More good stuff from the Aventine
OK so it's not the best of the series but it's still very very good and, let's face it, Lindsey Davies on a bad day (toothache, unpaid bills, PMT) is still a heck of a lot more... Read more
Published on 1 Aug 2001 by sallyabergavenny@aol.com
Davis does it again
Lindsey Davis's imagination seems to know no bounds. Once again, she creates a world so vivid that the reader has absolutely no difficulty in understanding or believing in it,... Read more
Published on 22 July 2001
An enjoyable addition to a superb series
I can understand other reviewers' comments that this is not the strongest in the series but it is nevertheless a vastly entertaining addition to the saga of Marcus Didius Falco,... Read more
Published on 19 Jun 2001 by C. Cooper
Lacking a certain something
I have always enjoyed Lindsey Davis's work, even the romance that I purchased by mistake, and this is another good book, however having recently reread it on holiday I am forced to... Read more
Published on 12 Dec 2000 by Andrew J. Codling
Tedius Maximus
Davis's Falco series has shown signs of running out of steam for a long time. This tale of the murder of a publisher seems interminable; the prose is turgid and the dialogue lacks... Read more
Published on 12 Sep 2000
Ther is no business like editing business
A very thourough approach of the editing and banking areas in Rome and a plot subtlely entwining those two businesses. Read more
Published on 21 Jun 2000
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