Linddsey davis keeps up a good standard and a good pace. But sometimes I wish Falco wasn't quite so cynical and snarly. He loses his charm. But it is a convincing picture of ancient Rome.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Meetup at Book Festival

Left over at the Book Festival Meet Up, so will wild release soon.

The reason I've had this one so long is that I ended up working my through the series. I'd read the Silver Pigs years ago, so went back to the start and read them all. They're quite good fun.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

And off it goes to YowlYY. Happy reading!

Many thanks bookfrogster! Another book from my wishlist, but alas it will take some time until I can read this, as I am currently going through Time to Depart, which is 10 titles above on the bibliography of Falco! Rest assured, once I've read it it will be passed on to someone else who is going through the series, there seem to be enough of them!
Thanks again :)

Another wonderful tale of adventure and murder for Falco and his family! I love when he travels, but for me the books that keep him in Rome are the best. This time, we see Falco involved in solving a mystery of a disappeared war prisoner, the beautiful priestess Veleda from Germany (already involved in a romantic encounter with Falco's younger brother-in-law a few books ago) who is accused of having murdered a wealthy Roman citizen in the house she was kept captive. All this happens in the middle of the preparations and then celebrations of Saturnalia, and the sentiments are similar to those of many of us when Christmas approaches...lots of parties (the scene with the Saturnalia party of the Fourth Cohort is epic and probably very similar to many an office Xmas party gone too far!), medicinal advice coming from different currents of the time (and surgical procedures for Falco's parents and then for his nemesis, the Chief Spy), marital quarrels (how couldn't be, with a very jealous Claudia and rumours of spouse beating!), and lots of domestic scenes involving the kids, Nux the dog, and the legionaries that excorted Veleda from Germany to Rome staying at Falco's home...it's quite a mix! Truly enjoyable, and now looking forward to the next in series.

On the table with other books. Happy reading!