Poseidon's Gold

I received this book shortly after placing the order, which was great, and it was in great condition. Based on this, I recommend this seller.

This is the fifth 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. In this the fifth novel Falco and Helena Justina seem like old friends. Falco is eager to get back to the hustle and bustle of Rome after what has seemed like an endless journey from Germania where his last adventure took him. Falco and Helena are shocked to find the apartment in Rome has been ransacked and used by squatters. Falco has been talked into staying with his mother until he finds out that she already has a lodger, an ex-legionary friend of Festus, Falco's brother and this so called "friend" is demanding money he says he is owed to him by Festus from a business venture. The next day the ex-legionary is found stabbed to death and the chief suspect is guess who? Falco has his work cut out to prove that he is innocent, find the real killer and also prove that his brother is innocent of the crime too. The last part won't be easy because it is just the sort of crude justice that Festus would employ. As if that wasn't bad enough Falco may have to call on someone else for help. The last person he wants to be indebted to . . . Geminus, formerly Marcus Didius Favonius, Falco's father. If his mother finds out his life won't be worth living.

This is an excellent book. It's sharp and witty like all Didius Falco books, but in this one we see a more vulnerable Falco as he tries to get rid of a lot of preconceived notions about his father. Geminus Falco is a wonderful character, and I certainly hope we see more of him in upcoming books. In this book Falco and his father are working together to try to clear his late brother's name and some very outstanding debts. Falco gets in a lot of scrapes as usual, but this is more of a caper book than the others I've read so far. It's great fun, and hard to put down.

This was, in my opinion, one of the best Marcus Didius adventures. Marcus's relationship with his father adds great humor to an already wonderful story.

A solid mystery with a good puzzle. Davis's greatest strength is her description of Rome and its daily life. However, the Sisyphean story of Falco and Helena not being able to get married is starting to pall. Memo to LD: time to pick up speed and move these two onto another level in their relationship.