Rating: 
Summary: Roman Romp
Review: In THE ACCUSERS Rubirius Metellus, a Roman senator who had recently been convicted of corruption, is dead. But did he commit honorable suicide or was he murdered? Marcus Didius Falco has to find out. There are all kinds of twists and turns in this Roman romp of a mystery before all the answers are revealed.
A friend recommended I read the Falco mysteries, but I resisted for a long time, because frankly too many books and so little time. But I'm really glad I did. This is my second Falco; I read the first one, THE SILVER PIGS. I plan on reading all of the ones in-between that one and this latest. Lindsey Davis's writing style is lively, rapid-fire wit. Falco, her creation, is the perfect Roman everyman. He speaks with a world-weary humor but this, of course, covers up his still idealistic soul. An informer cannot afford anything like idealism. And his relatives! Ay! Sometimes they are trying on Falco's nerves, but they wonderfully fun individuals and Falco's interaction with them is hilarious. I think we all have relatives like this.
The Falco mysteries set in the Rome of the Emperor Vespasian, in my experience, have been a Roman holiday.
Rating: 
Summary: Intrigue in ancient Rome
Review: Lindsey Davis' imaginatively conceived "The Accusers" is an historical fiction set in 75 A.D. Rome following the exploits of her protagonist Marcus Didius Falco. Falco is employed as an informer, the Roman equivalent of a modern day detective. Of equestrian rank, a middle class sature, Falco has been gone from Rome for 6 months and has returned seeking work. He has been summoned by Silius Italicus, a rich and storied informer to perform some investigating.
Italicus had presided over a trial involving senator Rubirius Metellus. Metellus had been convicted of corruption in meting out patronage. The penalty for this conviction was a million and a quarter serterces of which Silius Italicus was to garner the lion's share. Unfortunately for Italicus, Metellus' apparently planned suicide served to protect the family finances and deprive Silius Italicus of his considerable fee. Falco was to investigate the circumstances of the questionable suicide, trying to prove murder instead.
Falco was ably aided by his clear thinking wife, Helena Justina, daughter of a Roman senator and her younger brothers Justinus and Aelianus. Together they formed a formidible team that plodded through all the nuances of Roman law and Metellus family machinations to unravel the circumstances behind Metellus' death.
Davis creates an impressive representation of Roman life complete with maps and genealogic trees. The story however has too many dull moments which serves drag its pace.
Rating:
Summary: Ancient Roman Judicial System a la Didius Falco.
Review: Lindsey Davis' new Falco book is another good one. In this one Falco becomes embroiled in a court case and we actually get to see him in action in a court room. Falco and his associates (his two brother-in-laws) are hired to help a young senator as he fights to defend himself from the accusation of killing his father. On the way they become exposed to one of the most disfunctional families you'll ever come across. This liaison could end up costing Falco his whole net worth and then some, because if a court case is brought against someone and they are judged innocent, the advocate is ordered by the court to pay compensation which is determined by the rank of the individual who was accused. Ms. Davis books keep getting better it seems. She manages to keep her Falco interesting and fun through each of them. I haven't enjoyed a series so much since Brother Cadfael.
Rating:
Summary: Law and Order meets I, Claudius
Review: One might think that the 15th installment of a historical crime franchise might be getting tired. Not so for Lindsey Davis and The Accusers. While others in the genre (most notable Ellis Peters) simply re-hash the same plots over and over again, Davis finds new ground with each novel. In fact, she frequently switches around, playing with sub-genre conventions. So, The Accusers, though the 15th in the Falco series, is the first in-depth look at the Roman legal system; like "Law and Order" meets "I, Claudius". This novel is much more enjoyable than the last several in the series, perhaps because we are out of barbaric Spain and Britian, and back home in Rome. On the surface, one might think the main pleasures are for the Classical or Roman history enthusiasts. However, the main joys in the Falco series is the witty, playful dialog between Falco and his wife, Helena. So much so, that much of the book has the feel of a classic Audrey Hepburn film than a stodgy detective story.
Rating:
Summary: Law and Order meets I, Claudius
Review: One might think that the 15th installment of a historical crime franchise might be getting tired. Not so for Lindsey Davis and The Accusers. While others in the genre (most notable Ellis Peters) simply re-hash the same plots over and over again, Davis finds new ground with each novel. In fact, she frequently switches around, playing with sub-genre conventions. So, The Accusers, though the 15th in the Falco series, is the first in-depth look at the Roman legal system; like "Law and Order" meets "I, Claudius". This novel is much more enjoyable than the last several in the series, perhaps because we are out of barbaric Spain and Britian, and back home in Rome. On the surface, one might think the main pleasures are for the Classical or Roman history enthusiasts. However, the main joys in the Falco series is the witty, playful dialog between Falco and his wife, Helena. So much so, that much of the book has the feel of a classic Audrey Hepburn film than a stodgy detective story.
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