Ode to a Banker

This is the twelfth novel in the mystery series featuring Marcus Didius Falco, an informer and sleuth in Rome at the time of Vespasian. A series of books that have become hugely popular, so much so that the author is now at the forefront of historical mystery writers. It was probably a stroke of genius on her part to have novels that are extremely well researched and contain all the elements that would be and should be found in the Roman world of circa AD70, but to have a lead character who has the vocabulary of a present day New York cop. This book sees Falco delving into the world of literary jealousies and everything that goes with them. Writers block, jealousy and fraud is just scratching the surface. He discovers that there are a series of puzzling links to the Aurelian Bank and finds out the business is owned by Chrysippus. Chrysippus is a man that Falco knows only too well, because a little private recital of Falco's poetry had recently been gate crashed by Aurelius Chrysippus, a scriptorium owner and some of his literary friends and the following day Chrysippus offers to publish Falco's poems. When the body of the scriptorium owner is found Petro, long time friend of Falco and the Vigil's enquiry officer, commissions Falco to investigate the murder, while at the same time trying not to pull his leg too hard regarding his poetic prowess.

If I were to review the Falco installments, Ode to a Banker would come very near the top of the list. Part of its charm is the subtle differences in Davis' writing. Rather than churning out the same old Falco reactions to everything right down to his meticulous interviewing technique she lends him an almost stressed and bored air to his `informing' this time. It is far more realistic for it. Look at Didius' situation: he is happily married with a screaming Julia Junilla and Sosia Favonia to appear, with his family leaning on him as the nominal paterfamilas. Everything has become so much more personal with Anacrites misguided courtship of Maia and bizarre relationship with Ma. If Falco were to remain his professional self in this novel it would simply be untenable.So, we plunge once more into the murky underworld of Rome and come up against unscrupulous bankers (always it's the freedman with his fingers where they shouldn't be - very Nero-esque) and set against a literary backdrop. You can almost laugh at Davis satiricizing of authors (I wonder if there are some real authors out there that they are based on?) and the entire novel exudes petty bickering with a tired Falco finally yanking all the suspects together for his Agatha Christie-eque denouement.I cannot fault this installment simply because Davis steps away from the formulaic Falcoisms that were appearnig (it was getting obvious to pinpoint the guilty parties in recent novels) and it came as a surprise to find out who the culprit was, especially given the punishment.Read it, delight in it, but don't expect it to be anything like the Silver Pigs era, Falco has matured, become a little more world-weary and his informing reflects it and this installment is all the more better for it.

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. [...]

It's the summer of AD 74, and if you think that Marcus Didius Falco, private informer, and his partner in life, Helena Justina, are having a wonderful time, enjoying the joys of the warm weather, think again. To begin with, Falco' s estranged father's mistress has recently passed away, and Falco's father is not so quietly going to the dogs. And if that's not bad enough, it looks as if Falco's sister, Maia, is getting much to cosy with Falco's arch-enemy, Anacrites! (Falco's biggest fear is that he may end up with Anacrites as a brother-in-law, so he's been very careful not to broach the subject with his independently minded sister just in case she decides to marry Anacrites out of sheer bloody mindedness!) Add to that the fact that the builders that Helena hired to finish their new house seemed to have shambled off to who knows where, and the fact that in a moment of weakness Falco allowed himself to be inveigled into giving a poetry reading with Rutilius Gallicus (last seen sentencing Maia's husband to death in "Two For The Lions"), and you get the idea that it is not going to be a summer of wine and roses for Falco.To begin with the poetry reading session gets out of hand, when first Domitian Caesar (the Emperor's younger son, who just happens to hate Falco) and his entourage turns up and makes a mess of the seating arrangements, and then Aurelius Chrysippus, a banker and publisher, more or less highjacks the whole show. Chrysippus later offers to publish Falco's work; however Chrysippus runs a vanity publishing outfit -- the authour pays for his work to b published. Falco is outraged at having been propositioned by a vanity outfit (what does it say of the caliber of his work?) and turns down Chrysippus's offer snappishly. Little does he realise that the next time he sees Chryippus, the banker/publisher will be dead, having been brutally and horrifically murdered in what looks like a frenzied attack of rage.Petro, Falco's best friend, who just happens to be the vigile put in charge of investigating Chrysippus's death, blackmails Falco into investigating the crime for him. And in no time at all Falco is busily checking out alibis, chasing down suspects, and looking for clues, all in order to get at the truth of who murdered Chrysippus and why. Could it have been Chrysippus's nubile, young, trophy wife, Vibia, tired of being tied to a much older husband? Or could it be Chrsippus's ex-wife, Lysa, still bitter about her divorce? Certainly Chrysippus's good for nothing son, Diomedes, is a suspect. As well as the stable of writers and poets that Chrysippus exploited. However, Chrysippus's murder could also have something to do with the shady doings that his bank seems to be involved in. There are just so many avenues for Falco to explore..."Ode To The Banker" is a really entertaining read. For the many fans of Lindsey Davis, be assured that this novel will be another great and engrossing read. For those who have yet to read any of the Falco murder my

In 74 AD informer Marcus Didius Falco (in modern terms this means he is a private investigator) believes he is a talented poet. After giving a reading of his works, an employee of Aurelius Chrysippus approaches Marcus to inform him that his master, banker and owner of a scriptorium, enjoys his poetry and wants to see it published. An elated Marcus arranges to meet with Aurelius.However, his euphoria quickly ends when Falco soon learns that Aurelius expects payment for publication. Disappointed and disgusted, Falco leaves. Not long afterward, Falco learns that someone killed Aurelius shortly after their meeting. Falco is hired to find the killer, which proves arduous because the victim made so many enemies that his anti-fan club could fill the Coliseum with SRO.The twelfth Falco Ancient Rome mystery shows how the readers how the Romans feel about Greeks, banking, and publishing. In many ways, this entry is written tongue in cheek as Lindsey Davis satirizes publishing, banking, and detectives. Thus the audience obtains an educated, humorous and well-written who-done-it that retains a freshness not all series have when they reach the twelth plateau.Harriet Klausner