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See Delphi and Die: A Marcus Didius Falco Novel (Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries (Hardcover))
Books: Travel: Athens: Item 3
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See Delphi and Die: A Marcus Didius Falco Novel (Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries (Hardcover))by Lindsey Davis
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34 of 34 people found the following review helpful: There is a reason why Ms. Davis has won so many awards., August 5, 2005 Reviewer:S. Schwartz "romonko" (alberta canada) - Her books are funny and her characters are like old friends. It's hard to believe that the time these books are set in is around 75 AD. Her characters are Roman, and they travel around the world. Not only do we get a history lesson, but we also have a travelogue for Europe in this time. In this book, Falco and his wonderful wife Helena (as well as a few other hangers-on) travel to Greece to solve a mystery. Greece is the home of the Olympic Games and we learn quite about these very early games from the narrative in the book. Falco is on one of his most puzzling cases ever. He has to separate the natural deaths and accidents from the murders. He manages to straighten this out, but he still has no proof to charge his main suspect with the murders of a young married couple on holiday with Seven Sights Tourist company. We have the privilege of following Falco through the Greecian countryside as he tracks his killer. I highly recommend this series, and suggest that it be read in order. This is the eighteenth book in the series, so you'll have a wonderful reading journey to get through. Be prepared to laugh out loud many times as Ms. Davis' humour runs rampant through each book.
From Publishers Weekly
In Davis's engaging 17th ancient Roman historical to feature "informer" Marcus Didius Falco (after 2004's Scandal Takes a Holiday), Falco takes his deductive powers to Greece, where two young women tourists have died under mysterious circumstances. Accompanied by a large entourage, including his independent and sharp-witted wife, Helena, Falco soon finds that one tour, promoted by the shady Seven Sights Travel outfit, has a suspiciously high mortality rate. The long trail of corpses Falco uncovers puts the sleuth in danger of running out of suspects. While the way Falco unmasks the killer may be less than ingenious, the author's vivid picture of life in A.D. 76 and the sparkling characterizations, particularly the amusing byplay between Falco and Helena, will satisfy most readers. For those new to this popular series, which has a new publisher, Davis provides a short introduction to Falco and his world. (June)
Copyright © Reed business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* If Sam Spade traveled back in time to A.D. 76, he'd be Marcus Didius Falco, the Roman sleuth at the center of Davis' mordant series. In the seventeenth outing, Marcus, who tackles crime on behalf of the emperor (and with the help of his tart-tongued wife, Helena), casts his cynical gaze on the case of two women who met their demise on tours of Olympia, Greece. Both women perished during excursions sponsored by Seven Sights, a dubious travel agency whose slippery host dispenses a litany of lies. Marcus focuses on the more recent victim, Valeria Ventidia, who was found beaten to death with a long-jumper's hand weight. Although there's no shortage of suspects among Seven Sights' colorful clientele, Valeria's shifty, jealous husband is at the top of the list. Davis provides vibrant period detail, from majestic Greek temples and teeming Roman slums to reprehensible rulers sporting tunics trimmed with gold. Some readers of this series may have difficulty accepting the hard-boiled veneer that Davis lays over ancient Rome, but for those willing to suspend disbelief, it makes a marvelous conceit. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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