Rating: 
Summary: One of the best and hard to put down
Review: A great read and one that really holds together and comes to a terrific, well-crafted finale. Up there with Silver Pigs and The Iron Hand of Mars. Maybe the best one where Falco stays in Rome (although I also enjoyed Poseidon's Gold a lot.) Great fun. Keep 'em coming!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best and hard to put down
Review: A great read and one that really holds together and comes to a terrific, well-crafted finale. Up there with Silver Pigs and The Iron Hand of Mars. Maybe the best one where Falco stays in Rome (although I also enjoyed Poseidon's Gold a lot.) Great fun. Keep 'em coming!
Rating:
Summary: Falco and the Sacred Geese
Review: Actually, the sacred geese (Falco has been named Procurator of Poultry [his term] by the Emperor as a "reward" for services rendered) don't really play an important part in this latest work by Ms. Davis. There's just so much going on in this busy book that you don't have time to catch your breath from page to page. There are arcane brotherhoods, odd religious rites (and odder priests of them), grisly murders, dysfunctional families, illegal visits to Vestal Virgins, missing children, you name it. This is definitely the best of the Falco series, and that's saying a lot, because they are all uniformly excellent! Red herrings abound in this work, and through it all the author once again serves up great helpings of knowledge about ancient Rome that you absorb without even realizing it. If you haven't read any of these books, by all means start at the beginning and work your way through them. You definitely will not be disappointed!
Rating:
Summary: Falco and the Sacred Geese
Review: Actually, the sacred geese (Falco has been named Procurator of Poultry [his term] by the Emperor as a "reward" for services rendered) don't really play an important part in this latest work by Ms. Davis. There's just so much going on in this busy book that you don't have time to catch your breath from page to page. There are arcane brotherhoods, odd religious rites (and odder priests of them), grisly murders, dysfunctional families, illegal visits to Vestal Virgins, missing children, you name it. This is definitely the best of the Falco series, and that's saying a lot, because they are all uniformly excellent! Red herrings abound in this work, and through it all the author once again serves up great helpings of knowledge about ancient Rome that you absorb without even realizing it. If you haven't read any of these books, by all means start at the beginning and work your way through them. You definitely will not be disappointed!
Rating:
Summary: ONE VIRGIN TOO MANY--ONE CORPSE TOO FEW
Review: As a mystery author with my first novel in initial release, I genuinely admire the works of Lindsey Davis. In ONE VIRGIN TOO MANY, there is one corpse to few. Falco, the first-century Roman sleuth in this fine series, returns from his African adventure with the resources to move his family into a more comfortable living environment. When his brother-in-law stumbles across a body that disappears before it can be identified, it is up to Falco to solve the murder. With his ironic view of the world and his snappy patter, the emperor's spy proves he is up to the task. He discovers how the dead man is connected to a six-year-old who is in line to be a vestal virgin. His dealings with a former vestal virgin nearly costs him his life. ONE VIRGIN TOO MANY has everything we have grown to expect from the work of Ms. Davis. Her imperial Roman setting is believable. Her characters are intriguing. Her plot is well-paced. ONE VIRGIN TOO MANY is one of best in the Falco series. I recommend it heartily.
Rating:
Summary: ONE VIRGIN TOO MANY--ONE CORPSE TOO FEW
Review: As a mystery author with my first novel in initial release, I genuinely admire the works of Lindsey Davis. In ONE VIRGIN TOO MANY, there is one corpse to few. Falco, the first-century Roman sleuth in this fine series, returns from his African adventure with the resources to move his family into a more comfortable living environment. When his brother-in-law stumbles across a body that disappears before it can be identified, it is up to Falco to solve the murder. With his ironic view of the world and his snappy patter, the emperor's spy proves he is up to the task. He discovers how the dead man is connected to a six-year-old who is in line to be a vestal virgin. His dealings with a former vestal virgin nearly costs him his life. ONE VIRGIN TOO MANY has everything we have grown to expect from the work of Ms. Davis. Her imperial Roman setting is believable. Her characters are intriguing. Her plot is well-paced. ONE VIRGIN TOO MANY is one of best in the Falco series. I recommend it heartily.
Rating:
Summary: Ancient History class was never like this. Fun!
Review: I had this in my bookshelf a long time. When I finally got around to reading it I was glad I did. Davis explains the mores and concerns of Ancient Romans very naturally. (Great maps, plust a nice genealogy and character list at the beginning of the book.) Falco is as cynical about his society's sacred cows (or in his case sacred geese) as we would be. Davis gets into a lot of detail about the Vestal Virgins and the cult of Jupiter in a way that never drags you down. As you might expect the family of the priests of Jupiter is a bit wacky, especially since the youngest member, Gaia Laelia, has gone to see Falco saying one of them is trying to kill her. Meanwhile Falco has his own family problems to deal with, what with a sister with four kids whose husband has just been eaten by lions, a girlfriend/wife whose father is a Senator, a brother-in-law who just discovered a dead body at "The Sacred Grove," divorced parents, a crazy great-uncle and his 'Ma' nursing his worst enemy, the Chief Spy Anacrites, back to health, and, unfortunately for Falco, doting on him. Meanwhile Falco's best friend, Petronius, a cop, has just been left by his wife for a gardener after an 'indiscretion' he committed with a gangster's daughter. Have I mentioned that Falco also has a baby daughter, Julia, who enjoys contemplating eating her own foot and gets into everything, which can be a lot when you've got a bunch of sacred poultry and a rambunctious and attractive dog named Nux around. Not to mention the Vestals. (Both Gaia Laelia, and Falco's eight year old niece, Cloelia are trying to become one. And wouldn't you know it? The lottery's fixed.) Some of the most entertaining moments in this story have nothing to do with the mysteries themselves, they're more about the domestic chaos that Falco and his family are constantly negotiating. And that interacts nicely with the dysfunction of the sacred family he's investigating and the topsy turvy world of the Imperial family headed by Falco's sometime boss, the Emperor Vespasian himself. Or as one slave says to Falco "you've got a lot of nerve!" And Falco grins "That's what HE says." You can't help but like this character, and you can't help but enjoy this historical detective story even as you learn a bit about Imperial Rome. Abrupt ending, but the whole story was leading up to it. This is an entertaining historical mystery with heart.
Rating:
Summary: Ancient History class was never like this. Fun!
Review: I had this in my bookshelf a long time. When I finally got around to reading it I was glad I did. Davis explains the mores and concerns of Ancient Romans very naturally. (Great maps, plust a nice genealogy and character list at the beginning of the book.) Falco is as cynical about his society's sacred cows (or in his case sacred geese) as we would be. Davis gets into a lot of detail about the Vestal Virgins and the cult of Jupiter in a way that never drags you down. As you might expect the family of the priests of Jupiter is a bit wacky, especially since the youngest member, Gaia Laelia, has gone to see Falco saying one of them is trying to kill her. Meanwhile Falco has his own family problems to deal with, what with a sister with four kids whose husband has just been eaten by lions, a girlfriend/wife whose father is a Senator, a brother-in-law who just discovered a dead body at "The Sacred Grove," divorced parents, a crazy great-uncle and his 'Ma' nursing his worst enemy, the Chief Spy Anacrites, back to health, and, unfortunately for Falco, doting on him. Meanwhile Falco's best friend, Petronius, a cop, has just been left by his wife for a gardener after an 'indiscretion' he committed with a gangster's daughter. Have I mentioned that Falco also has a baby daughter, Julia, who enjoys contemplating eating her own foot and gets into everything, which can be a lot when you've got a bunch of sacred poultry and a rambunctious and attractive dog named Nux around. Not to mention the Vestals. (Both Gaia Laelia, and Falco's eight year old niece, Cloelia are trying to become one. And wouldn't you know it? The lottery's fixed.) Some of the most entertaining moments in this story have nothing to do with the mysteries themselves, they're more about the domestic chaos that Falco and his family are constantly negotiating. And that interacts nicely with the dysfunction of the sacred family he's investigating and the topsy turvy world of the Imperial family headed by Falco's sometime boss, the Emperor Vespasian himself. Or as one slave says to Falco "you've got a lot of nerve!" And Falco grins "That's what HE says." You can't help but like this character, and you can't help but enjoy this historical detective story even as you learn a bit about Imperial Rome. Abrupt ending, but the whole story was leading up to it. This is an entertaining historical mystery with heart.
Rating:
Summary: a brilliant read
Review: I love historical mysteries. I esp love historical mysteries set in ancient Rome. And this Lindsey Davis mystery featuring the intrepid Falco is a winner -- a brilliantly intriguing plot and written with the wit , charm and humour that Ms Davis is famous for.This latest Falco mystery has religion as its central theme. As a reward for services rendered to the empire, Falco has been rewarded with a new official position: Procurator to the Sacred Poultry. And since could mean social advancement which he is most anxious to achieve, Falco is anxious to perform his duties to the best of his abilities. Therefore he has little time for the precocious Gaia Laelia when she comes to him with the story that one of her relatives is out to kill her. Falco thinks that he has Gaia pegged: a spoilt, young child who is bored and has too much time on her hands. Falco has too much going on in his life right then: not only does he have new responsibilities but he must also keep an eye on his sister, Maia, and her newly fatherless brood. Especially when it looks as if Falco's mother has decided to promote a match between Maia and Anacrites, someone Falco dislikes beyond reason. So, he dimisses Gaia's concerns and sends her away. Unfortunately Gaia has been slated to become a vestal virgin, and when she disappears a few days later, Falco is called in by Vespasian himself to investigate the matter, much to Gaia's family's chagrin. Filled with guilt, Falco is determined to find Gaia alive in spite of her family's interference and lack of concern. In the meantime, Falco has also gotten involved in another investigation involving Helena's brother, Aelianus. Aelianus is hoping to be invited to join the priesthood of the Arval Brothers. While at a celebration however, Aelianus stumbles over a corpse. But when Aelianus and Falco go back to the villa to investigate, the body is gone. Later, the priests try to pass off the death as an accidental one. But Aelianus and Falco have their doubts. What exactly is the connection between both mysteries? Very little except that Gaia's family seem to be at the centre of both. In this latest adventure Falco finds himself delving into the various aspects of religious life. There are too many taboos and too many people in positions of power with toucy sensibilities. Will Falco be able to solve the mysteries with his life and new job in one piece? Only Lindsey Davis can weave together a story with plots that seeminly have little to do with each other and yet come together in such a way that will keep you marvelling at the feat. A brilliant mystery, written with great elan. Definitely a 'must read'.
Rating:
Summary: Another Great Story
Review: If you have not read any of the Falco series, I strongly recommend that you do so, but start at the beginning. Lindsey Davis gets better with each outing. Her characterization is wonderful, and she peoples her books with lots of eccentric and wonderful people. If you read the series in order, you will get to know them all, plus be able to understand the undercurrants that run between Falco and the many people that are close to him. In this book we see Falco on the search for a missing child. His search exposes him to a very disfunctional family. No wonder the little girl was missing! Her grandfather and all her relations are the worst lot you'll ever meet. The search for the child becomes a race against time, and the last few chapters are "edge-of-your seat". All the while the quips and jokes just seem to flow from the pages. Falco finds himself in a very dangerous and embarrassing position where the lack of wearing a loin cloth under his tunic becomes of paramount importance. This is a wonderful, fast-moving book. Through all the turmoil and danger, Falco finds out that he has a number of people that are very loyal to him and this comes as a pleasant surprise to him, since two of his partners were people he didn't like or didn't trust, and the other - his friend Petronious - had been distant of late. Wonderful Book!
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