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Marcus Didius Falco #13
A Body in the Bathhouse
In another classical crime romp, this time in Roman Britain, Falco investigates a spate of killings, only to find himself next on the assassins' list.
Marcus Didius Falco, once a common informer, now middle class, discovers that newly acquired rank brings associated problems, the most gruesome of which is a corpse buried under the tiles of his new bath house. The contractors have fled to Britain where, as the Fates have it, Falco is ordered.
A local chief and ally of the Romans is having a palace built by the Emperor Vespasian. However, the project is running late, work is slipshod, and fatal accidents keep happening. Somewhere on the site are the murderers who may be behind this latest spate of killings. Somewhere in the forefront, troubleshooting for the Emperor, is Falco, without an ally and now next on the list for assassination.
Marcus Didius Falco, once a common informer, now middle class, discovers that newly acquired rank brings associated problems, the most gruesome of which is a corpse buried under the tiles of his new bath house. The contractors have fled to Britain where, as the Fates have it, Falco is ordered.
A local chief and ally of the Romans is having a palace built by the Emperor Vespasian. However, the project is running late, work is slipshod, and fatal accidents keep happening. Somewhere on the site are the murderers who may be behind this latest spate of killings. Somewhere in the forefront, troubleshooting for the Emperor, is Falco, without an ally and now next on the list for assassination.
354 pages, Hardcover
First published August 28, 2001
139 people are currently reading
899 people want to read
About the author
Lindsey Davis
78 books1,493 followersLindsey Davis, historical novelist, was born in Birmingham, England in 1949. Having taken a degree in English literature at Oxford University (Lady Margaret Hall), she became a civil servant. She left the civil service after 13 years, and when a romantic novel she had written was runner up for the 1985 Georgette Heyer Historical Novel Prize, she decided to become a writer, writing at first romantic serials for the UK women's magazine Woman's Realm.
Her interest in history and archaeology led to her writing a historical novel about Vespasian and his lover Antonia Caenis (The Course of Honour), for which she couldn't find a publisher. She tried again, and her first novel featuring the Roman "detective", Marcus Didius Falco, The Silver Pigs, set in the same time period and published in 1989, was the start of her runaway success as a writer of historical whodunnits. A further nineteen Falco novels and Falco: The Official Companion have followed, as well as The Course of Honour, which was finally published in 1998. Rebels and Traitors, set in the period of the English Civil War, was published in September 2009. Davis has won many literary awards, and was honorary president of the Classical Association from 1997 to 1998.
Her interest in history and archaeology led to her writing a historical novel about Vespasian and his lover Antonia Caenis (The Course of Honour), for which she couldn't find a publisher. She tried again, and her first novel featuring the Roman "detective", Marcus Didius Falco, The Silver Pigs, set in the same time period and published in 1989, was the start of her runaway success as a writer of historical whodunnits. A further nineteen Falco novels and Falco: The Official Companion have followed, as well as The Course of Honour, which was finally published in 1998. Rebels and Traitors, set in the period of the English Civil War, was published in September 2009. Davis has won many literary awards, and was honorary president of the Classical Association from 1997 to 1998.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
August 13, 2023
Lindsay Davis has a rare gift among historical fiction writers of combining vignettes of everyday life with a riveting plot.
For those familiar with Marcus Didius Falco, this book fits nicely into the series. For those unfamiliar, you might want to start with The Silver Pigs, but this book can certainly be read on its own (and it is one of the best). https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Falco is an informer (not much different from a contemporary detective) who has a history of discretion and success. He now has a family to support and domestic difficulties are deftly woven into the plot. "I was worse than staid. I was suffering like any householder whose domestic life had filled up with crying infants, sex-crazed nephews, disobedient freedwomen, unfinished business tasks, and jealous rivals who wanted him dismissed or dead. I was like the harassed foolish father in a Greek play. This was no milieu for a city informer."
This story takes place in the time when Vespasian held the reins of the Roman Empire. This is also the period of Boudica’s uprising against Rome which almost (but not quite) pushed the Romans back to English Channel. Falco has many memories (and not many delights) associated with his previous time in Britain. He turns a deaf ear toward requests from Britain’s chief administrator to return and audit the very large “palace” being built for the head (king) of one of the few tribes that stayed loyal to Rome. Falco finds that Vespasian won’t take no for an answer and Falco’s only bargaining chip is a demand that his family (extended) accompany him.
One of the unusual aspects of this novel is that the “palace” that is the venue for most of the story was a recent archeological discovery. Davis uses as much of the material as became available to give us a tale of fraud, intrigue and death.
"The atmosphere was quiet, tense, and sour. They were all aware (that their architect) was dead, and they probably knew how. There had been collusion obviously. Instead of me watching them for their reactions, they were all staring at me. Informers recognized the challenge: Well, let’s see if you can work this out, Falco! If I was lucky, they were just curious to see how clever I was. A worse alternative would be that they had set some trap. I was the man from Rome. I should never forget that."
Falco finds himself engaged in an investigation involving so many players that Davis supplies a very handy list. When construction auditing turns to murder investigation, Falco never falters.
"It was not the first time everyone in a case was hostile, but that was to my advantage. I had professional experience. Unless they regularly arranged murders when life became difficult on-site, they were amateurs."
A total delight for those of us who have ever had to contend with project mismanagement.
5*
For those familiar with Marcus Didius Falco, this book fits nicely into the series. For those unfamiliar, you might want to start with The Silver Pigs, but this book can certainly be read on its own (and it is one of the best). https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Falco is an informer (not much different from a contemporary detective) who has a history of discretion and success. He now has a family to support and domestic difficulties are deftly woven into the plot. "I was worse than staid. I was suffering like any householder whose domestic life had filled up with crying infants, sex-crazed nephews, disobedient freedwomen, unfinished business tasks, and jealous rivals who wanted him dismissed or dead. I was like the harassed foolish father in a Greek play. This was no milieu for a city informer."
This story takes place in the time when Vespasian held the reins of the Roman Empire. This is also the period of Boudica’s uprising against Rome which almost (but not quite) pushed the Romans back to English Channel. Falco has many memories (and not many delights) associated with his previous time in Britain. He turns a deaf ear toward requests from Britain’s chief administrator to return and audit the very large “palace” being built for the head (king) of one of the few tribes that stayed loyal to Rome. Falco finds that Vespasian won’t take no for an answer and Falco’s only bargaining chip is a demand that his family (extended) accompany him.
One of the unusual aspects of this novel is that the “palace” that is the venue for most of the story was a recent archeological discovery. Davis uses as much of the material as became available to give us a tale of fraud, intrigue and death.
"The atmosphere was quiet, tense, and sour. They were all aware (that their architect) was dead, and they probably knew how. There had been collusion obviously. Instead of me watching them for their reactions, they were all staring at me. Informers recognized the challenge: Well, let’s see if you can work this out, Falco! If I was lucky, they were just curious to see how clever I was. A worse alternative would be that they had set some trap. I was the man from Rome. I should never forget that."
Falco finds himself engaged in an investigation involving so many players that Davis supplies a very handy list. When construction auditing turns to murder investigation, Falco never falters.
"It was not the first time everyone in a case was hostile, but that was to my advantage. I had professional experience. Unless they regularly arranged murders when life became difficult on-site, they were amateurs."
A total delight for those of us who have ever had to contend with project mismanagement.
5*
May 5, 2021
Noveno libro que leí de Didio Falco, y hasta aquí llegué, no le he vuelto a catar.
Es que un 5/10 (que fue precedido por otro 5/10 con Alejandría) no me motivaba a seguir leyendo la saga. Ni, por extensión, a la autora.
En esta trama de malversaciones y corruptelas en Britania me aburrí bastante, bastante, bastante.
Es que un 5/10 (que fue precedido por otro 5/10 con Alejandría) no me motivaba a seguir leyendo la saga. Ni, por extensión, a la autora.
En esta trama de malversaciones y corruptelas en Britania me aburrí bastante, bastante, bastante.
October 2, 2019
For all those people, who have hired master craftsmen promising good quality work, quickly completed. Then watched their house being slowly demolished by workers who are never on site when you complain.
This story is for you.
Falco's new house has a body in the bathhouse. And its only the beginning of a murder/mystery for our Roman detective.
image:
It started with a smell
But for Rhea Favonia, we might have lived with it.
“There’s a smell! There’s a horrible smell. I’m not going in there!”
I didn’t need to be an informer to know we were stuck. When a four-year-old girl reckons she has detected something nasty, you just give in and look for it. My little niece would not go near the bathhouse until we proved there was nothing horrible in the caldarium. The more we scoffed and told her the hot room was only smelly because of its new plaster, the more Rhea screamed hysterically at bathtime. There was nothing visible, and the rest of us tried to ignore it. But the child’s insistence unsettled everyone.
There was a faint odor. If I tried sniffing it out, I lost it. When I decided there had been nothing, straightaway I smelled it again.
Bringing up children
It had already been a hard winter. For most of it, Helena Justina had been pregnant with our second child. She suffered more than with the first, while I struggled to let her rest by looking after our firstborn, Julia. As queen of the household, Julia was establishing her authority that year. I had the bruises to prove it. I had gone deaf too; she enjoyed testing her lungs. Our dark-haired moppet could put on a burst of speed any stadium sprinter would envy, especially as she toddled towards a fiercely steaming stockpot or darted down our steps onto the roadway. Even dumping her on female relations was out; her favorite game lately was breaking vases.
image:
The new live-in nurse maid
Hyspale had not approved when Helena Justina abandoned her smart senatorial home to live with an informer. She came to us with great reluctance. It was made clear at our first interview (she interviewed us, of course) that Hyspale expected a room of her own in a respectable dwelling, the right to more time off than time on duty, use of the family carrying chair to protect her modesty on shopping trips, and the occasional treat of a ticket for the theater, or better still a pair of tickets so she could go with a friend. She would not accept being quizzed on the sex or identity of the friend.
At the beginning of a voyage to Britain we see a dockside farewell
“We’re moving already!” Aelianus cried excitedly. Foreboding struck me. A panicky commotion was already telling me the worst: the captain had cast off and sailed out of Portus. Unluckily, he did so while Maia was still on board with us.
My sister was now straining at the rail, ready to throw herself over like a naiad crazed by too much sun and foam. I had never seen Maia so hysterical. She was shrieking that she had been taken from her children. Only real force from Justinus, who had grasped the situation in his quick style and then grabbed Maia, stopped her trying to hurl herself overboard to get back to shore. Like me, she had never learned to swim.
I leaned on the rail and stared back at the quayside. There indeed were Maia’s four young children. Marius, Cloelia, and Ancus stood in a solemn line togther; they seemed to be calmly waving us good-bye. Rhea was held up in the arms of Petronius Longus as if to get a better view of her mother being abducted. An extra small dot must be Marius’ puppy sitting quietly on his lead. Petronius, who could have tried commandeering a boat to chase after us, was just standing there.
“My children! Take me back to my children! My darlings; whatever will become of them without me? They will all be terrified—”
The neatly lined-up little figures were all looking quite unperturbed.
So that's how you escape from a stalker
My sister was being removed from the reach of Anacrites. Somebody had set this up, whether Maia liked it or not. My guess was Helena. Petronius and even Maia’s children might have conspired too. Only Helena could have invented the scheme and paid for it. Maia was unlikely to see the real truth. Once she had calmed down and started to work this out, then I, her utterly blameless brother, would end up being blamed.
image:
While investigating the embezzlement at the British king's building site and the unexplained deaths Falco must still track down the bathhouse builders (and murders). Excitement, family life and dangers are all mixed into this cozy murder/mystery.
Enjoy!
This story is for you.
Falco's new house has a body in the bathhouse. And its only the beginning of a murder/mystery for our Roman detective.
image:
It started with a smell
But for Rhea Favonia, we might have lived with it.
“There’s a smell! There’s a horrible smell. I’m not going in there!”
I didn’t need to be an informer to know we were stuck. When a four-year-old girl reckons she has detected something nasty, you just give in and look for it. My little niece would not go near the bathhouse until we proved there was nothing horrible in the caldarium. The more we scoffed and told her the hot room was only smelly because of its new plaster, the more Rhea screamed hysterically at bathtime. There was nothing visible, and the rest of us tried to ignore it. But the child’s insistence unsettled everyone.
There was a faint odor. If I tried sniffing it out, I lost it. When I decided there had been nothing, straightaway I smelled it again.
Bringing up children
It had already been a hard winter. For most of it, Helena Justina had been pregnant with our second child. She suffered more than with the first, while I struggled to let her rest by looking after our firstborn, Julia. As queen of the household, Julia was establishing her authority that year. I had the bruises to prove it. I had gone deaf too; she enjoyed testing her lungs. Our dark-haired moppet could put on a burst of speed any stadium sprinter would envy, especially as she toddled towards a fiercely steaming stockpot or darted down our steps onto the roadway. Even dumping her on female relations was out; her favorite game lately was breaking vases.
image:
The new live-in nurse maid
Hyspale had not approved when Helena Justina abandoned her smart senatorial home to live with an informer. She came to us with great reluctance. It was made clear at our first interview (she interviewed us, of course) that Hyspale expected a room of her own in a respectable dwelling, the right to more time off than time on duty, use of the family carrying chair to protect her modesty on shopping trips, and the occasional treat of a ticket for the theater, or better still a pair of tickets so she could go with a friend. She would not accept being quizzed on the sex or identity of the friend.
At the beginning of a voyage to Britain we see a dockside farewell
“We’re moving already!” Aelianus cried excitedly. Foreboding struck me. A panicky commotion was already telling me the worst: the captain had cast off and sailed out of Portus. Unluckily, he did so while Maia was still on board with us.
My sister was now straining at the rail, ready to throw herself over like a naiad crazed by too much sun and foam. I had never seen Maia so hysterical. She was shrieking that she had been taken from her children. Only real force from Justinus, who had grasped the situation in his quick style and then grabbed Maia, stopped her trying to hurl herself overboard to get back to shore. Like me, she had never learned to swim.
I leaned on the rail and stared back at the quayside. There indeed were Maia’s four young children. Marius, Cloelia, and Ancus stood in a solemn line togther; they seemed to be calmly waving us good-bye. Rhea was held up in the arms of Petronius Longus as if to get a better view of her mother being abducted. An extra small dot must be Marius’ puppy sitting quietly on his lead. Petronius, who could have tried commandeering a boat to chase after us, was just standing there.
“My children! Take me back to my children! My darlings; whatever will become of them without me? They will all be terrified—”
The neatly lined-up little figures were all looking quite unperturbed.
So that's how you escape from a stalker
My sister was being removed from the reach of Anacrites. Somebody had set this up, whether Maia liked it or not. My guess was Helena. Petronius and even Maia’s children might have conspired too. Only Helena could have invented the scheme and paid for it. Maia was unlikely to see the real truth. Once she had calmed down and started to work this out, then I, her utterly blameless brother, would end up being blamed.
image:
While investigating the embezzlement at the British king's building site and the unexplained deaths Falco must still track down the bathhouse builders (and murders). Excitement, family life and dangers are all mixed into this cozy murder/mystery.
Enjoy!
March 31, 2020
This is a good entry in the Marcus Didius Falco series. Falco returns to Britain at Vespasian's request to oversee the building of a villa of a Roman friend. As always, there is a lot of humor in the storyline, but this one also has some swordplay in a more serious vein. Recommended to anyone, but especially to Falco fans.
December 18, 2012
3,5 stars
This is one of my favorite series. The main characters (Marcus Didius Falco and Helena Justina) are in fact, one of my all time favorite couples, so it's always great to read a book that features them.I feel like i know them for more than a decade now. :)
The banter and witty comments that the characters exchange, were as always a pleasure to read.
It would however be a greater pleasure of mine, if this series would once again start being translated to portuguese...oh, how i miss thee!! (as happened with the first five books of this series)
And if that hipotethic translation (can't blame me for trying!) turned out to be anything like the first ones( that were perfect!)they would save me a lot of trouble!!
I love reading these books, but reading them in english, is complicated! lol
I'll just say, that the language is very rich, very rich indeed....and that the author has a wicked sense of humour, that forces me to use my dictionary all to often!! If i didn't i wouldn't understand half the jokes!
Regarding the story, well there were parts that i trully enjoyed, and others that... not so much...like Falco, i'm also tired of the Britain setting...
Even so, i'm looking forward in reading the next volumes of the series, and reading about Marcus Didius Falco adventures....and troubles!
This is one of my favorite series. The main characters (Marcus Didius Falco and Helena Justina) are in fact, one of my all time favorite couples, so it's always great to read a book that features them.I feel like i know them for more than a decade now. :)
The banter and witty comments that the characters exchange, were as always a pleasure to read.
It would however be a greater pleasure of mine, if this series would once again start being translated to portuguese...oh, how i miss thee!! (as happened with the first five books of this series)
And if that hipotethic translation (can't blame me for trying!) turned out to be anything like the first ones( that were perfect!)they would save me a lot of trouble!!
I love reading these books, but reading them in english, is complicated! lol
I'll just say, that the language is very rich, very rich indeed....and that the author has a wicked sense of humour, that forces me to use my dictionary all to often!! If i didn't i wouldn't understand half the jokes!
Regarding the story, well there were parts that i trully enjoyed, and others that... not so much...like Falco, i'm also tired of the Britain setting...
Even so, i'm looking forward in reading the next volumes of the series, and reading about Marcus Didius Falco adventures....and troubles!
August 4, 2019
As always Falco's cynicism and him being a trouble magnet made for one entertaining story. As much as I adore the ancient Rome setting, I was happy to see this bunch on a adventure in Britain. I adore how Falco despises everything about this place (it always makes me laugh).
In this one the dead bodies were on the heavy side. I was not expecting so many deaths. But where Falco goes the death follows. This was one exciting story and I can't wait to read the next one.
In this one the dead bodies were on the heavy side. I was not expecting so many deaths. But where Falco goes the death follows. This was one exciting story and I can't wait to read the next one.
October 11, 2021
Read this book on 2014, and its the 13th volume of the wonderful Marcus Didius Falco series!
Set in the year AD 75, Falco has not only problems with building contractors but also with the Imperial Chief Spy, Anacrites.
At first after supposedly finishing Falco's new home the contractors leave a bath house with a corpse in it, and the guilty contractors, Gloccus and Cotta, have fled to britain.
As it happens in the south of Britain the King Togidubnus of the Atrebates tribe is having his own makeover in building his new Palace , and the costs in materiel, personnel and supposedly accidental deaths are to be paid by Emperor Vespasian.
The Governor of Britain, Frontinus, is asking for someone to investigate all these deadly incidents during these works, and Falco and his family, with a new baby, are summoned to Britain, and for Falco although he hates Britain its a relief to be away from the clutches of the Imperial Chief Spy, Anacrites.
Once in Britain, Falco starts to investigate and will come into several sinister and dangerous situations, before finally being able to overcome the culprits in the end, who were also trying to take his life and that of his little family.
Very much recommended, for this is another astounding addition to this great series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Very Entertaining Bath House Investigation"!
Set in the year AD 75, Falco has not only problems with building contractors but also with the Imperial Chief Spy, Anacrites.
At first after supposedly finishing Falco's new home the contractors leave a bath house with a corpse in it, and the guilty contractors, Gloccus and Cotta, have fled to britain.
As it happens in the south of Britain the King Togidubnus of the Atrebates tribe is having his own makeover in building his new Palace , and the costs in materiel, personnel and supposedly accidental deaths are to be paid by Emperor Vespasian.
The Governor of Britain, Frontinus, is asking for someone to investigate all these deadly incidents during these works, and Falco and his family, with a new baby, are summoned to Britain, and for Falco although he hates Britain its a relief to be away from the clutches of the Imperial Chief Spy, Anacrites.
Once in Britain, Falco starts to investigate and will come into several sinister and dangerous situations, before finally being able to overcome the culprits in the end, who were also trying to take his life and that of his little family.
Very much recommended, for this is another astounding addition to this great series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Very Entertaining Bath House Investigation"!
December 17, 2017
Falco explores the building and construction trade.
In the first novel in the Falco series set in Britannia, Falco chases a murderer and gets a look at the construction of a new palatial mansion in the countryside (based on the archaeological ruins at Fishbourne).
Expect some emotional dramas as Falco's private life is a constant sub-plot, and some examination of Roman dentistry. The main focus, however, is on the construction industry. From Falco's new home's bath, to the grand palace for a local dignitary in Britain. Amongst all the plot twists and turns you will learn a lot about how those grand Roman ruins were put up in the first place.
Be aware that while it's not necessary to read the books in order, it certainly helps - certainly so far into the series.
--
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
In the first novel in the Falco series set in Britannia, Falco chases a murderer and gets a look at the construction of a new palatial mansion in the countryside (based on the archaeological ruins at Fishbourne).
Expect some emotional dramas as Falco's private life is a constant sub-plot, and some examination of Roman dentistry. The main focus, however, is on the construction industry. From Falco's new home's bath, to the grand palace for a local dignitary in Britain. Amongst all the plot twists and turns you will learn a lot about how those grand Roman ruins were put up in the first place.
Be aware that while it's not necessary to read the books in order, it certainly helps - certainly so far into the series.
--
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
September 11, 2024
Falco ends up in Britain AGAIN.........after vowing never to return to Britain Falco finds.himself back again in the employ of Emperor "Vespasian, the Emperor is having a great palace hilt as a reward for an.old and loyal friend .. One.of the British tribal.leaders who calls himself a King Togidubnus....... Unfortunately the building project is turning into a bit of a disaster, no progress is being made and costs are going seriously over budget, enter Falco.sent to sort it out. He initially refuses the.job using his and Helena's new baby as an excuse but then fate takes a hand. While visiting his father they notice a terrible smell coming from the newly completed bathhouse. In investigation the Falco.men are horrified to discover a badly decomposing body, Falco is determined the lazy, feckless incompetent holders To issue and Cotto are going.to.answer for what they have done (if they are not.responsible for.the.man's death they are still guilty of hiding his body..... In Falco's bathhouse........ Turns out the pair have fled Rome and you guessed it on following their trail.Falco.finds they have gone to Britian. So........deciding he may as well be paid for the trip Falco accepts Vespasians commision. On arriving in Britain he soon wishes he'd stayed home, the country is as miserable as he remembers and there's more going on at the building site than he can comprehend, there's an awful lot of deaths (maybe accidental) for one thing and Falco is suddenly very aware of how vulnerable he is so far away from Rome .........
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2021
Here's the dilema of investing time in long-running book cycles - sooner or later they start loosing steam and should be abandoned, but you keep on picking up next book in the series simply out of habit and because the characters have become your friends.
'A Body in the Bathhouse' is a proof to that little theory of mine - the plot is only mildly interesting (although it is better than in last couple of preceding volumes) and if forced to depend on its own merits, it is a rather unremarkable book. But since Marcus, Helena and their families are by now your close friends, you don't really mind reading about the problems with the construction of their new villa or troublesome freed-woman they hired as a nanny. :-)
In other words, if you're new to the cycle, don't pick this one as your starting point. You'll get bored, confused and you'll wonder what's the fuss about Falco-books is all about. Find 'Silver pigs' and you'll get here eventually. As for the rest of us poor sods... well, maybe it's not the best volume in the series, but you'll read it and you'll enjoy it, whether you want to or not. :)
'A Body in the Bathhouse' is a proof to that little theory of mine - the plot is only mildly interesting (although it is better than in last couple of preceding volumes) and if forced to depend on its own merits, it is a rather unremarkable book. But since Marcus, Helena and their families are by now your close friends, you don't really mind reading about the problems with the construction of their new villa or troublesome freed-woman they hired as a nanny. :-)
In other words, if you're new to the cycle, don't pick this one as your starting point. You'll get bored, confused and you'll wonder what's the fuss about Falco-books is all about. Find 'Silver pigs' and you'll get here eventually. As for the rest of us poor sods... well, maybe it's not the best volume in the series, but you'll read it and you'll enjoy it, whether you want to or not. :)
February 21, 2020
In the beginning it was difficult to keep the Latin names straight but Davis almost always iterates their position. It was interesting to see how many crews and people were involved in building Roman "mansions".
I thought Falc0 and Helena vowed to never return to England where they first met, but fate sends them there. This time with their 2 children, Helena's 2 brothers plus Falco's nephew to assist Falco, and Falco's sister, Maia without her children, to keep her safe from Anacrites.
I thought Falc0 and Helena vowed to never return to England where they first met, but fate sends them there. This time with their 2 children, Helena's 2 brothers plus Falco's nephew to assist Falco, and Falco's sister, Maia without her children, to keep her safe from Anacrites.
December 25, 2025
fucking dreadful, you've heard of unlikable protagonists but would you care to try unreadable ones?
May 12, 2010
The one at Fishbourne Palace with the dodgy workmen and the irritating nanny.
October 25, 2012
Always good to go back and re-read a favorite. If you haven't met 'Falco' you should. A genuinely interesting character.
August 18, 2025
Marco Didio Falco, l’investigatore romano che opera nell’epoca dei Flavi, questa volta è in trasferta nella sua Inghilterra. Sua perché è lì che ha conosciuto Elena Giustina, la figlia di un senatore romano che ha sposato e che gli ha appena dato la sua seconda figlia, Favonia. Sua perché Falco si muove nell’isola di Albione con una certa dimestichezza, spiegata anche dal fatto che il nostro investigatore, affiancato dal fedele amico Petronio Longo, ha prestato servizio militare nella legione II Augusta durante la rivolta della regina Boudicca, nel 60/61 d.C.. Sua perché, naturalmente, Lindsey Davis — la sua creatrice — è anglosassone.
Falco ha appena terminato i lavori di restauro alla sua villa sul Gianicolo, ma uno strano e terribile odore lo costringe a distruggere i mosaici appena montati, facendogli scoprire un cadavere. Inviato da Vespasiano per indagare sui lavori della villa che lo Stato sta costruendo a sue spese per il re degli atrebati Togidubno, amico del popolo romano, Falco si imbarca per la Britannia. La sua meta è Noviomagus. Nel frattempo, l’investigatore spera di imbattersi in Glocco e Cotta — i costruttori delle sue terme private — che, dopo aver impiegato un’eternità per la messa in posa del mosaico, si sono dati improvvisamente alla fuga (probabilmente a causa del cadavere rinvenuto da Falco).
Ma Falco non andrà in trasferta da solo: porterà con sé una famiglia piuttosto allargata. Oltre a Elena e alle due piccole Giulia — di due anni — e Favonia — di quattro mesi —, ci sarà una bambinaia piuttosto impertinente, la liberta Camilla Ispale; i due aiutanti di Falco — i fratelli di Elena — Aulo Camillo Eliano e Quinto Camillo Giustino e la sorella di Falco Maia. Maia, da poco vedova, deve sfuggire allo stalking di un insistente e pericoloso corteggiatore: Anacrite, la Prima Spia di Vespasiano.
Lindsey Davis racconta in una nota all’inizio del libro che è la prima volta che basa interamente una storia su un sito archeologico. Il palazzo romano di Fishbourne, nei pressi di Chichester, sulla costa meridionale dell’Inghilterra (nel West Sussex) è uno dei più importanti siti archeologici inglesi. Era naturale che un’autrice inglese che scrive storie ambientate nell’Antica Roma — ambientate proprio nel periodo in cui quello specifico palazzo fu ricostruito per il grande re dei Britanni Togidubno — dovesse esserne immensamente interessata. Ed è naturale che si sia avvalsa sia delle fonti disponibili in loco, che di sopralluoghi. Da qui, la dettagliata descrizione dei lavori di restauro.
In questo romanzo viene messa in evidenza la rivalità che si crea fra le varie maestranze in un cantiere. L’architetto è un bersaglio comune, dal momento che, per portare a termine il suo progetto, è disposto a passare sopra alle esigenze degli altri lavoratori o, addirittura del committente.
«Può darsi che i progetti architettonici siano belli e ammirati dai critici, ma per essere validi devono servire per l’uso quotidiano. Sembra che tu, se posso dirlo, stia progettando soltanto un monumento alla tua creatività artistica. Forse otterrai un monumento del genere, ma soltanto se la tua visione sarà in armonia con la mia!»
Come al solito, Lindsey Davis punta il dito su problemi attuali, trasferendoli nella storia antica. Un esempio sono gli operai immigrati, che approdano sulle coste britanniche speranzosi di ottenere un lavoro nel cantiere, ma devono affrontare una triste realtà.
«Per essere ingaggiati nei gruppi d’oltremare gli uomini devono corrompere Lupo. Una volta che arrivano qui, pieni di speranze, è una lunga strada per tornare a casa se non vengono assunti. Così lui stabilisce le proprie condizioni. Per lo più gli danno una percentuale sulla paga. Alcuni riescono a tirare fuori mogli o sorelle da offrirgli. Lui non è esigente. Accetta pagamenti di qualunque natura.»
E naturalmente si affronta il problema sempre attuale della sicurezza nei cantieri.
«So che cosa intendi dire. Ho sentito che fatta eccezione per l’esercito restano uccisi più uomini nei cantieri edili che in qualunque altro mestiere.»
Il ritorno graditissimo di uno degli investigatori più amati che, nascondendosi sempre dietro alla cortina di onnipresente ironia e all’atteggiamento da uomo navigato, che non si scompone davanti a nulla — non dimentichiamo che è sempre Falco a narrare —, nasconde sensibilità e rettitudine; una certezza a cui rivolgersi in caso di bisogno, come un vero pater familias romano dovrebbe essere.
Potete leggere la recensione completa QUI
Falco ha appena terminato i lavori di restauro alla sua villa sul Gianicolo, ma uno strano e terribile odore lo costringe a distruggere i mosaici appena montati, facendogli scoprire un cadavere. Inviato da Vespasiano per indagare sui lavori della villa che lo Stato sta costruendo a sue spese per il re degli atrebati Togidubno, amico del popolo romano, Falco si imbarca per la Britannia. La sua meta è Noviomagus. Nel frattempo, l’investigatore spera di imbattersi in Glocco e Cotta — i costruttori delle sue terme private — che, dopo aver impiegato un’eternità per la messa in posa del mosaico, si sono dati improvvisamente alla fuga (probabilmente a causa del cadavere rinvenuto da Falco).
Ma Falco non andrà in trasferta da solo: porterà con sé una famiglia piuttosto allargata. Oltre a Elena e alle due piccole Giulia — di due anni — e Favonia — di quattro mesi —, ci sarà una bambinaia piuttosto impertinente, la liberta Camilla Ispale; i due aiutanti di Falco — i fratelli di Elena — Aulo Camillo Eliano e Quinto Camillo Giustino e la sorella di Falco Maia. Maia, da poco vedova, deve sfuggire allo stalking di un insistente e pericoloso corteggiatore: Anacrite, la Prima Spia di Vespasiano.
Lindsey Davis racconta in una nota all’inizio del libro che è la prima volta che basa interamente una storia su un sito archeologico. Il palazzo romano di Fishbourne, nei pressi di Chichester, sulla costa meridionale dell’Inghilterra (nel West Sussex) è uno dei più importanti siti archeologici inglesi. Era naturale che un’autrice inglese che scrive storie ambientate nell’Antica Roma — ambientate proprio nel periodo in cui quello specifico palazzo fu ricostruito per il grande re dei Britanni Togidubno — dovesse esserne immensamente interessata. Ed è naturale che si sia avvalsa sia delle fonti disponibili in loco, che di sopralluoghi. Da qui, la dettagliata descrizione dei lavori di restauro.
In questo romanzo viene messa in evidenza la rivalità che si crea fra le varie maestranze in un cantiere. L’architetto è un bersaglio comune, dal momento che, per portare a termine il suo progetto, è disposto a passare sopra alle esigenze degli altri lavoratori o, addirittura del committente.
«Può darsi che i progetti architettonici siano belli e ammirati dai critici, ma per essere validi devono servire per l’uso quotidiano. Sembra che tu, se posso dirlo, stia progettando soltanto un monumento alla tua creatività artistica. Forse otterrai un monumento del genere, ma soltanto se la tua visione sarà in armonia con la mia!»
Come al solito, Lindsey Davis punta il dito su problemi attuali, trasferendoli nella storia antica. Un esempio sono gli operai immigrati, che approdano sulle coste britanniche speranzosi di ottenere un lavoro nel cantiere, ma devono affrontare una triste realtà.
«Per essere ingaggiati nei gruppi d’oltremare gli uomini devono corrompere Lupo. Una volta che arrivano qui, pieni di speranze, è una lunga strada per tornare a casa se non vengono assunti. Così lui stabilisce le proprie condizioni. Per lo più gli danno una percentuale sulla paga. Alcuni riescono a tirare fuori mogli o sorelle da offrirgli. Lui non è esigente. Accetta pagamenti di qualunque natura.»
E naturalmente si affronta il problema sempre attuale della sicurezza nei cantieri.
«So che cosa intendi dire. Ho sentito che fatta eccezione per l’esercito restano uccisi più uomini nei cantieri edili che in qualunque altro mestiere.»
Il ritorno graditissimo di uno degli investigatori più amati che, nascondendosi sempre dietro alla cortina di onnipresente ironia e all’atteggiamento da uomo navigato, che non si scompone davanti a nulla — non dimentichiamo che è sempre Falco a narrare —, nasconde sensibilità e rettitudine; una certezza a cui rivolgersi in caso di bisogno, come un vero pater familias romano dovrebbe essere.
Potete leggere la recensione completa QUI
January 5, 2011
2.5 stars. I always enjoy reading about Marcus Didius Falco and his family, but this isn't one of my favorites in this series, and it's not a particularly intriguing murder mystery. I find that I usually prefer the Falco adventures which take place in Rome.
After Falco discovers the titular body in his new bathhouse, he accepts an assignment from the emperor to investigate corruption at a huge building site in Britain. Falco suspects that his wretched bathhouse contractors might have absconded there, and anyway he wants to get his widowed sister out of town to protect her from the attentions of that villain Anacrites.
The building site is the Roman Palace at Fishbourne, the remains of which were discovered in 1960 on the southern coast of England. Much of the humor in the book is based on the presumed universal constants of crooked contractors, idle or absent construction workers, and disputes between labor forces (in this case imported labor vs. the local British workforce). At one point Falco obliquely describes the horrid death of one of those crooked contractors: "I mention it purely to give comfort to those of you who have found raw sewage backing up a waste pipe in your new caldarium, three days after your contractors vanished off the site."
At the end of the book I was a bit fuzzy on who actually committed the murders and why, and I didn't care enough to spend more time trying to puzzle it out. Falco's narrative continues to be amusing, though, and I appreciate the historical details.
After Falco discovers the titular body in his new bathhouse, he accepts an assignment from the emperor to investigate corruption at a huge building site in Britain. Falco suspects that his wretched bathhouse contractors might have absconded there, and anyway he wants to get his widowed sister out of town to protect her from the attentions of that villain Anacrites.
The building site is the Roman Palace at Fishbourne, the remains of which were discovered in 1960 on the southern coast of England. Much of the humor in the book is based on the presumed universal constants of crooked contractors, idle or absent construction workers, and disputes between labor forces (in this case imported labor vs. the local British workforce). At one point Falco obliquely describes the horrid death of one of those crooked contractors: "I mention it purely to give comfort to those of you who have found raw sewage backing up a waste pipe in your new caldarium, three days after your contractors vanished off the site."
At the end of the book I was a bit fuzzy on who actually committed the murders and why, and I didn't care enough to spend more time trying to puzzle it out. Falco's narrative continues to be amusing, though, and I appreciate the historical details.
August 30, 2012
No suelo abandonar un libro. Pero cierto es que hay una relación proporcional entre mi edad y el número de libros abandonados. Cuando era más joven no sentía que leer un libro que no me gustara era perder el tiempo. Ahora que soy menos joven, sí. Quizá sea porque el espectro de libros que me esperan ha aumentado considerablemente.
Hace unos años leí La plata de Britania, la primera de veinte dedicada a las pesquisas del detective romano Didio Falco y ya entonces tuve problemas. Me despistaba. No era capaz de centrar la atención más de una página y con frecuencia tenía que releer párrafos enteros. “Será que estás cansada”, pensé.
Cuando me regalaron Un cadáver en los baños torcí el morro. Pero a caballo regalado no se le puede mirar el diente, así que le di una oportunidad de doscientas páginas. Me seguía despistando, tenía que volver a releer y el tema inmobiliario en Britania me importaba un carajo. Y que el traductor confundiera “ir” con “venir” fue la gota que colmó el vaso. Lo abandoné.
Sospecho que la traducción tiene algo que ver con mi despiste. O es posible que mi cerebro no sea capaz de procesar el lenguaje de esta autora. Demasiado pedante. La conclusión es que las “Lindsey/Lindsay” y yo no nos llevamos nada bien.
Hace unos años leí La plata de Britania, la primera de veinte dedicada a las pesquisas del detective romano Didio Falco y ya entonces tuve problemas. Me despistaba. No era capaz de centrar la atención más de una página y con frecuencia tenía que releer párrafos enteros. “Será que estás cansada”, pensé.
Cuando me regalaron Un cadáver en los baños torcí el morro. Pero a caballo regalado no se le puede mirar el diente, así que le di una oportunidad de doscientas páginas. Me seguía despistando, tenía que volver a releer y el tema inmobiliario en Britania me importaba un carajo. Y que el traductor confundiera “ir” con “venir” fue la gota que colmó el vaso. Lo abandoné.
Sospecho que la traducción tiene algo que ver con mi despiste. O es posible que mi cerebro no sea capaz de procesar el lenguaje de esta autora. Demasiado pedante. La conclusión es que las “Lindsey/Lindsay” y yo no nos llevamos nada bien.
August 16, 2016
I am a fan of the Falco series, but I struggled with this volume. I think there are a few reasons for this; firstly, the story itself was rather tame - nefarious goings-on at a building site in Britannia, which Falco is sent to sort out. It is all rather straightforward stuff, without the twists and turns that normally follow Falco. Secondly, there are too many personal strands stretched out around this thin plot; too many of Falco's family end up going with him, and he even comes across the missing bath house builders from the previous story. But I think the major problem for me was that time and place were completely lacking. When set in Rome, Davis has built a well-drawn world for Falco to inhabit; over the course of the series, I have come to believe in the places that he visits. Here, in a new location, there was really no attempt to draw us into the location or the local people. It could have been set just about anywhere, anytime. It is a problem I have had in the series before when Falco went abroad - particularly to Spain - yet other volumes in far-flung places - Germania, Petra - have worked well. Perhaps the author was more confident in certain areas, but, for me, it led to a rather pedestrian read.
September 5, 2008
Dirty diapers and double dealing.
Really funny, well paced, and historically accurate with great details. Falco, the main character is witty without being overly quippy smarty toga. You have like a 'Man from Rome' who brings his wife, 2 small children, dog, nephews, lusty yet lazy Freedwoman and angry sister on a long trip by ship to the newly Romanized British Isles by order of the current Emperor. He and his wife make an interesting team and their relationship is healthy.
It is refreshing to follow characters like these. The author obviously has had practical experience with children and young adults, the romance is realistic, sexy, without taking over the book. The family relationships, I can dig it. Plus how often do we get a gumshoe who isn't some angst ridden loner struggling with fidelity issues or fighting complicated personal problems while wielding a sword/gun/penis? This is a guy who's life of adventure didn't end just because he got married had kids. Now I want to read the first novel.
Really funny, well paced, and historically accurate with great details. Falco, the main character is witty without being overly quippy smarty toga. You have like a 'Man from Rome' who brings his wife, 2 small children, dog, nephews, lusty yet lazy Freedwoman and angry sister on a long trip by ship to the newly Romanized British Isles by order of the current Emperor. He and his wife make an interesting team and their relationship is healthy.
It is refreshing to follow characters like these. The author obviously has had practical experience with children and young adults, the romance is realistic, sexy, without taking over the book. The family relationships, I can dig it. Plus how often do we get a gumshoe who isn't some angst ridden loner struggling with fidelity issues or fighting complicated personal problems while wielding a sword/gun/penis? This is a guy who's life of adventure didn't end just because he got married had kids. Now I want to read the first novel.
September 11, 2019
What if the twins who founded Rome weren’t raised by wolves but by shaggy dogs? That would explain a lot about this story.
It starts with the titular body in Falco’s bathhouse in Rome, proceeds through the discovery of another in Britain (where Falco has taken his whole family, including wife, two small children, two grown brothers-in-law, a nephew, and a dog), and it ends up with the Roman body identified and avenged. Along the way, you learn more about first-century architecture and dentistry than anyone with refined tastes will want to know.
This is action adventure heroism combined with accurate history and inspired silliness.
It starts with the titular body in Falco’s bathhouse in Rome, proceeds through the discovery of another in Britain (where Falco has taken his whole family, including wife, two small children, two grown brothers-in-law, a nephew, and a dog), and it ends up with the Roman body identified and avenged. Along the way, you learn more about first-century architecture and dentistry than anyone with refined tastes will want to know.
This is action adventure heroism combined with accurate history and inspired silliness.
August 10, 2012
I anjoy period mysteries and I enjoy mysteries with a wry sense of humor. The marcus Didius Falco series meets both of those requirements. This book was fun and had me stopping to pull up a map of Roman Britain so I could see where most of the events were taking place. Now I want to read up more on the Roman period in Britain.
January 5, 2013
The cast of characters at the front was quite intimidating, but this was much easier to follow than the detailed list implied, even if tere were actually a pair of bodies in two widely separated bath houses for Falco to investigate. Good fun: I'll pick up any others from this series that happen to cross my path.
April 14, 2014
Falco and his father discover a corpse under the floor of his new bath house. The contractors unfortunately may have fled to Britain, a place that Falco hates. But he is ordered to go to southern Britain to investigate the overly high running costs of a palace being built for Togidubnus, an ally of the Emperor Vespasian.
December 30, 2014
Marcus Didius Falco, along with Helena Justina and other family members, go to Britain on a mission from Vespasian to look into problems with a mansion being built for a tribal chief friendly to Rome. As always with this series, there is a lot of humor and many complications that add to the interest and entertainment value. The reader does a good job.
December 21, 2011
"The Decline and Fall of Ancient Rome" was a bit hard going for me. Lindsey Davis's books about ancient Rome are fun because they give an insight into the minutiae of ancient Roman life, within the context of a very engaging story.
November 18, 2013
I listened to this audiobook while deer hunting with my husband. I was enchanted with the characters, the humor, the time period (75 A.D.), the locale, the dialog ... everything. So glad this is a series. I'll definitely be reading others.
November 5, 2019
A bit of a return to form for the falco series after a few less impressive entries. Read this on holiday which is probably the ideal way. As always lindsey Davis is the master of creating interesting and engaging minor characters, even when they only survive a handful of pages! Good fun.
February 10, 2016
Lots of detail of Roman building techniques, but not my favourite
November 30, 2022
Another great adventure
Well worth a re-read.
Well worth a re-read.
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