This is the second of the Falco series of books and continues where the first left off. Falco is back in Rome and involved in uncovering a plot "to usurp the purple robes of power". He is also trying to forget the senator's daughter, Helena Justina after their adventures in the first book.

This is just as witty and entertaining as the first book and also manages to teach you a bit about history.

This is on its way to Shylock as a trade

Yummy, can't wait, this series will keep me going a while i think...

Continues right where The Silver Pigs left off. Definitely better to read them in order. Having foiled one plot to overthrow Emperor Vespasian another conspiracy rears its head for Falco to deal with. I did anticipate what was going to happen in several instances in this one-i wonder if the author made things obvious to the reader that Falco couldn't see as a device, as i don't usually spot clues so easily. All the disparaging references to the backwater hell of the province of Britain make me laugh. I also like the tension between Falco & Helen,and Republican Falco's audiences with the middle class penny-pinching Emperor Vespasian.

Will be a ring after the first one with The Silver Pigs:
Auglaise
YowlYY
coolboxuk
moondreamer
starry-starry
shylock-->home safely

On its way to Auglaise

Received today. Thank you!

I enjoyed this one just as much as the first one! I think that Falco is a really sympathetic character and enjoy reading about his adventures and how he's just falling deeper and deeper in love with Helena Justina. Thanks for sharing, and I'll be passing it on as soon as I'm able!

Marcus Didius Falco is visiting me again, how exciting! I cannot wait to start reading this, but this week I have received 3 more rings/rays, some totally unexpected, so it will take a bit until I get started. I will make another JE when I start reading it.

I am starting to read this today...apologies for the delay (I blame all the rings and rays that tend to reach you within a few days, together!), but if it is anything like The Silver Pigs I will be very fast in reading it...!

Ah, this Falco... an absolutely entertaining character! I loved this story, maybe a little bit more than the first one, as I am getting to know better and better all the people that participate to Falco's life. The description of the Campania's country life was great, especially if compared to his return to Rome - and the chaos and low sides of the big metropolis. Falco's rants just sound like (almost) every inhabitant of a big city of today, so nothing has changed that much from then.
Obviously, Davis wanted us to see what was coming and give us some advantage on Falco - can a man be so blind at times? Possibly! But this transparency of the plot is actually in favour of the storyline, and I ended up very frustrated when, 200 pages from the end, I had to put away the book because I had to do some work! Oh well, thank god to the long 3h journey from Bath to Nottingham, that gave me the opportunity to dive in the grand finale with all sorts of twists of fortune, without no longer interruption than for changing train two times :-)

The book is off today to coolboxuk...happy reading Petra, and thanks to Shylock, our ringmaster, for sending my way another great read. I am now looking forward to the continuation of the lovestory between Helena and Falco.

Received save and sound. Thanks a lot. Looking forward to reading this quickly after finishing the really big thing I'm reading at the moment...

Liked this even better than the first novel. One of those books you don't want to put down at all, it just keeps going so fast. The main plot isn't too hard to discover but there are still enough unexpected twists and turns in the proceedings to make it interesting, and again it really brings to life the ancient times. And of course, Falco is an irresistable character! I just love his little between-the-lines comments...

Going off to Moondreamer soon.

Sorry - just realised I hadn't even caught this, let alone journalled that I'd read it! Didn't realise I'd been quite *that* disorganised...

I thoroughly enjoyed this also, although I got a bit cross with Falco for deliberately putting space between himself and the girl he wants, and also for being so slow on the uptake! Yes, I do realise he is only a character in a book...

Sending this onto StarryStarry today, together with Silver Pigs.

Thanks Moondreamer and Shylock. I'll be able to read the first two back to back now - will make a start as soon as I have finished with my current book. Looking forward to them.

I enjoyed this one even more than the Silver Pigs, although there was less plot I thought, the machinations didn't seem to get off the ground and the climax was no more than a slow build to the end. This book was all about the characters, developing their relationships and their personalities and showing us the sights around Rome and the Bay of Naples. That is what made it such an enjoyable book and will make me want to read more in the series.

My only bugbear was the foreshadowing, I usually don't mind a little bit if its subtly done, but in this book it was a bit obvious.

I'm sorry I've kept it so long, it turned out I did need a bit of gap between the first and second books. Thanks for being so patient with me shylock and I'll send it onto Laura0141 as soon as I have her address.

Arrived back safely, thanks for all taking part. The next one, Venus in Copper is on its way round, and The Iron Hand of Mars is ready to go.

This one is now going to seek its fortune on the meetup circuit, as I'm taking it to Leeds meetup at The Wrens pub