Ode to a Banker

Rating:
Summary: Better and better
Review: As one who has eagrly purchased each volume in this series in hardcover (an honour afforded very few authors in my collection) I must say that Falco is on the top of his form this time around. Davis continues to create entertaining plots, and Falco himself continues to grow and evolve as we learn more about him and about his life.

As the title suggests, Rome's answer to Sam Spade is rubbing shoulders with the banking fraternity this time around, as well as the publishing world - not necessarily to his advantage!

I only hope that Ms. Davis' publishers and bankers aren't like the ones portrayed in the book... :)

Rating:
Summary: A Bit of a Disappointment...
Review: I remember when I first discovered this series. I couldn't get enough of Falco! This was about two years ago. I bought this book and it has sat on my shelf for quite awhile; getting lost in the mounds of books I need to read. This weekend I decided to pull it out and re-visit ancient Rome. This book was a bit of a disappointment. I began to get bored at some point and question why I had liked this series. The plot just meandered around. It seemed unreal to me that Falco just "forgot" to check up on some basic facts and alibis. Falco and Lindsey Davis both seemed really tired. I am not giving up on the series...I hope to read more...I just hope that they are a little livelier. Hopefully this will be the only Dud in the bunch. I gave this three stars because I do love Falco and the gang so much, and hope does spring eternal...

Rating:
Summary: Falco among the literati
Review: It's difficult to be objective about this series of books, because I just love them! There's always something new to learn about ancient Rome, and the author has studied its architecture so well that you receive a virtual travelogue through its streets in every book. This is a good mystery, also, with the unusual ending that recreates the typical British mystery novel ending: the detective gets all of the suspects and witnesses in one rooom and reviews everything about the crime until the murderer is unmasked. A different approach, but I liked it. [...]