- Audio CD
- Publisher: AudioGO Ltd. (Sep 8 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 160283752X
- ISBN-13: 978-1602837522
- Product Dimensions: 14.2 x 12.4 x 2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 159 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #625,490 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
No caveats for readers of Davis's second playful, well-plotted mystery featuring imperial agent Marcus Didius Falco and based in first century, C.E., Rome. Nero's successor Vespasian has squelched an early treasonous plot and assigned Falco to take care of loose ends, which include the body of the uncle of the high-born young widow Helena Justina, whom Falco met and courted stormily in Silver Pigs. Disguised as an idle vacationer in the company of his comrade and captain of the Aventine Watch, Petronius Longus and family, Falco travels south to Neapolis, Capreae and Pompeii (eight years before its destruction) where he uncovers and must thwart a new conspiracy involving the shipment of Egyptian grain to Rome and an unwitting Helena. Like a toga-clad McGee or Spenser, Falco has a modern sensibility that wears its ancient trappings comfortably, whether he's sneaking down a narrow Roman street or feasting sumptuously at a sunlit coastal villa. A rousing horserace in the Circus Maximus, balanced with a touching romantic resolution, rounds out this action-packed entertainment, enlivened by Davis's vivid characterization of both major and minor players, and his clear delight in--and easy authority with--the story's time and place.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From School Library Journal
YA-- That rascally Roman detective, Marcus Didius Falco, is back, still pining for the unavailable, upper-class Helen; bumbling through investigations; and dodging his nagging mother. Set in Italy in a.d. 70, the mystery of Helen's "returned-to-life" husband flows smoothly, accompanied by such historical details as descriptions of prostitutes flourishing in Pompeii, salesmen hawking used chariots, and women dying their hair with the newest shade--Egyptian Russet. It's great fun to read of Falco's dubious detecting skills, aided by his sharp eye for noticing and reporting on the world around him. A book that should be required reading for those students who foolishly believe the adage "Latin is a dead language."-- Pam Spencer, Jefferson Sci-Tech, Alexandria,
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
More Great Falco!,
By
This review is from: Shadows in Bronze (Hardcover)
The second in the M. Didius Falco series, Shadows in Bronze, finds Marcus taking a "holiday" to Pompeii and the surrounded areas in search of a murderer who is also in search of him. With typical Falco bad luck following him every step of the way, he feels his way through the investigation and bumbles his relationship with Helena. The funny part of it is, you can't help but root for him while in the same breath you curse his pride and downright blindness. Davis' trademark lively narrative, witty dialog, and historical details makes for another great Falco adventure through Ancient Rome.I'm re-reading the M. Didius Falco books as my husband reads them for the first time, and he is just as fond of Falco as I am. I can't recommend this series enough to those who like comedy, mystery and history. Just be sure to start with the first one in the series, though. These are not books to get out of order.
3.0 out of 5 stars
I guess it's a page-turner,,
By
This review is from: Shadows in Bronze (Mass Market Paperback)
'cause I turned all the pages and read most of the words on them, but _Shadows in Bronze_ is a poor whodunit, because the reader knows that before the halfway mark and the whyfors soon thereafter.Amazon recommended this book to me because I have exhausted all the Stephen Saylor _Roma Sub Rosa_ series and Michael Dibdin's modern Italian detective novels. The action scenes in Saylor's recent books and the last Aurelio Zen mysteries are far superior to Davis's and both Saylor and Dibdin draw more interesting characters than Davis does. Davis tosses in many characters -- it takes two pages to list the cast of characters. "Informer" Didius Falco is very similar to 20th-century detectives, with a despairing wit, badly paid and badly used by those who hire him. His primary employer is the new Emperor Vespasian, who is an interesting character... Falco's nephew Larius has some charm, too, but I don't buy the patrician lady Helena Justina and ... Didius Falco. There are interesting details about life across Italy in AD 71, and the book provides some entertainment -- but not enough for detective fiction. A Roman romance novel, perhaps, but that was not what I was looking for. Unless you have exhausted Saylor and Dibdin, I can't see any reason to try Davis.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Must be a page turner,,
By
This review is from: Shadows in Bronze (Mass Market Paperback)
'cause I turned all the pages and read most of the words on them, but _Shadows in Bronze_ is a poor whodunit, because the reader knows before that befope the halfway mark and the whys soon thereafter.Amazon recommended this book to me because I have exhausted all the Stephen Saylor Roma Sub Rosa series and Michael Dibdin's modern Italian detective novels. The action scenes in Saylor's recent books are far superior to Davis's and both Saylor and Dibdin draw more interesting character than Davis. Davis tosses in many characters -- it takes two pages to list the cast of characters. "Informer" Didius Falco is very similar to 20th-century detectives, badly bad and badly used by those who hire him. His primary employer is the new Emperor Vespasian, who is an interesting character (as is Falco) who speaks freely to his lowborn employee. Falco's nephew Larius has some charm, too, but I don't buy the patrician lady Helena Justina and her bumpy romance with Didius Falco. There are interesting details about life across Italy in AD 71, and the book provides some entertainment -- but not enough for detective fiction.
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