Last Act in Palmyra

Marcus Didius Falco #6

by Lindsey Davis

Hoping to find the murderer of a Roman playwright, Falco--chief spy for Emperor Vespasian--joins a traveling theater group, putting his dramatic and detective skills to the test. By the author of Poseidon's Gold.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Historical, Fiction, Crime, Historical Mystery, Detective

476 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Lindsey 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.

Reviews

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is well into the saga of Marcus Didius Falco, solver of mysteries great and small in the Roman Empire circa 72 C.E. For me, it has been the least satisfying of Davis’ efforts.

Have you heard of The Decapolis? These are ten cities, not yet a formal part of the Empire, that are located within the trade routes between Petra to the south and Damascus to the north. Is Falco being sent there because the Emperor is deciding whether to incorporate them? Or, is he really just gathering facts while trying to track down a missing musician from a circus?

The motivation is very thin, but that doesn’t impede Falco’s journey from Rome to Petra accompanied by Helena, the love of his life / the woman that he would like to be allowed to marry.
It takes but twenty-four hours in Petra and the plot goes off in a wholly different direction with Falco having come close to witnessing a murder and being the first to come across the victim. Within the next twenty-four hours he has signed on as a playwright for an itinerant band of actors who then head to The Decapolis. Other attempts at murder seem to follow them.

I love the details of everyday life that Davis brings into the narrative. I am impressed with her research as to how a troupe of players got along in those times including: what it took to put on a production; how each night needed to be different; what costuming and musical accompaniment were necessary; how roles were written for new and classic plays; and, how the head of the troupe needed to negotiate in each new town.

Davis also does well in sketching the towns and how they were treated in the history of the time. We get details of what were the public edifices of cities on the rise. And, what were the challenges of cities struggling to survive.

However, unlike many of the previous stories that I have read, there is less of a mission than a travelogue. This comes off being mostly an excuse for Davis’ research and, though I am grateful, I am not quite satisfied by it

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Spook who spoke" the first version of "Hamlet".
Our detective hero Marcus Dido Falco becomes a playwright for a theater troop in the desert towns on the eastern edge of the Roman empire.

Without leaving your comfortable armchair you can experience;

Rome - city of emperors,
who wishes to annex the cities of the Near East,
who are home to scorpions and culture starved towns folk,
who charge exorbitant custom fees to itinerant players,
who harbor a killer,
who will kill again,
who is being traced by our hero Marcus,
who is supported by his wife(?) Helena,
who gets bitten by a scorpion,
who is crushed underfoot by Musa the temple priest,
who also wants to find the killer,
who hides in full view until...but any more would spoil this review.

And don't forget to see the play "The Spook who spoke" and surprise ending.

With such a dramatic story you may not believe that there is also subtle humor.

Enjoy!

[Matthew Gatheringwater · Rating 3 out of 5]

I keep waiting for the next book in the series to be a dud, but they just seem to get better and better. I'm enchanted by the romance between Falco and Helana--like Nick and Nora Charles in Imperial Rome--I like the carelessly anachronistic attitude toward speech and detail, and the author's continual allusions to British history and literature is a charming running joke. I suspect part of the reason I enjoy reading these stories is because the author enjoys writing them. They come across as light, fun, and consistently entertaining.

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book in 2013, and its the 6th episode of the wonderful Marcus Didius Falco series.

In this mystery Falco and his girlfriend, Helena Justina, are sent to the untamed east and on a spying mission by the Emperor Vespasian.

Also during this trip Falco is picking up extra fees from his old friend, Thalia, the snake dancer, in hopefully finding, Sophrona, her missing water organist.

What is important to note is the fact that the Chief Imperial Spy, Anacrites, will play a domineering part in this series right till the end.

After a dangerous brush in Nabataea, the sinister ruler of Nabataean Petra, sends Falco and Helena Justina on a fast camel-ride to Syria, where they will join a theatre group, which keeps losing members due to supposedly accidental drownings.

What is to follow is an astounding mystery, in which Falco and Helena Justina are thwarted by various sides, even attacked by the desert and its deadly scorpions, but in the end they will succeed to reveal and catch the culprit of the murders in a most spectacular fashion.

Very much recommended, for this another terrific addition to this awesome series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "An Incredible Palmyra Act"!

[Iris · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best of the entire series and I think it works even better as an audiobook. The characters seem warmer and more humane. And though Davis' writing tics are still present--as with any long term relationship where small habits can grate--mentioning them serves only the gods of unkindness.

Here enquiry agent Falco, in order to solve a murder, attaches himself to a traveling theater group. There are funny digs about Shakespeare's plots as Falco spends as little time as possible doing what he's hired for: refreshing tired Greek repertory standards. Meanwhile in between questioning suspects he's busy writing an unappreciated tragedy about a gloomy young man who encounters the ghost of his murdered father which Falco names The Spook Who Spoke!!!

[Assaph Mehr · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the sixth novel of the Falco series, Falco travels to the exotic East. Palmyra (modern-day Syria), though to get there he travels around a bit in Judea / Jordan. It's one of those site that even though I lived right across the border, I knew that there was little chance of me ever visiting. Now, following by the destruction of ISIL, it's another ancient treasure lost to human folly. I'm glad for books such as these, that bring the love of the ancient world back to modern readers - one can still find amazing photos of the theatre in Palmyra where parts of this book take place.

Expect a novel that explores the ancient world's performers and entertainers, set in the Eastern half of 1st-century Roman empire. Starting in Rome, travelling through Judea to Petra (modern Jordan), and then up to Palmyra (Syria), Falco gets acquainted with the life of a travelling theatre troupe while trying to solve murders, avoid his nemesis Anacrites, and work on his relationship with Helena. Many aspects fo life are discussed, including things like ancient birth control.

Be aware that while it's not necessary to read the books in order, it certainly helps.

--
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.

[Xabi1990 · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10 en 2008.

En total he leído 9 libros de esta autora y su detective romano Didio Falco. Este fué el segundo que cayó en mis manos y, como la mayoría, divertido. Al final acabas cogiiendo cariño a los personajes principales, no solo a Falco.

Aunque no los leí en orden, curiosamente los que más me gustaron fueron los tres primeros de la saga: La Mano de Hierro de Marte, La Plata De Britania (este el que más) y La venus de cobre. ¿Casualidad? Ni idea, pero si tengo que recomendar yo empezaría en orden.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite in the series, probably, if for no other reason than the shameless thievery from Shakespeare. ("The Spook Who Spoke" - destined for greatness.)

[Writerlibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excentric journey into the East, Falco and Helena travel through the Middle East from Petra, all around the Decapolis to Damascus ending in a grand spectacle in Palmyra. Helena is less present and the mystery is a bit longish. This is a reread for me still I didn't remember most of the plot. Still, it's entertaining, well plotted and is almost an ancient world travelogue and a good one. Still 4 stars.

[Marcus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, it was only to be expected – Lindsey Davis’ steady cruise from a high point to a high point has finally been interrupted. ‘Last Act In Palmyra’ is a slow-paced, somewhat dull detective story that dragged on and on. Davis’ characteristic witty writing style is still there, but somehow subdued, without any really memorable moments. The saving grace of this book is colorful characterization of supporting characters. I really hope that Lindsey Davis returns to her previous form in next book of this series.

[Mary Heron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Falco and Helena to travelling.

Falco reluctant to accepts a commission to go to Syria and investigate the political situation there for the Emperor, fortunately the job comes at an opportune moment as Thalia an old acquaintance also has a commission for him, to track down a young girl who has run off with a Syrian male. This is a two bird's one stone and two paydays deal. Things thkugh go wrong almost from the start, Falco and Helena are playing the tourist and manage to stumble upon a dead body, murdered, Falco sets off after the killer but doesn't manage to catch him, he does however mAke the acquaintance of a young priest named Mirso. The dead man is the playwright for a travelling theatre and Falco is pleased to take up the dead man's position as he wants to get to the bottom of who his killer is. He may as well as his mission for Vespasian has turned out to be a dud thanks to a nasty but if sabotage by and old enemy. So begins a very entertaining travelogue among the desert towns of Syria with an eccentric and diverse cast of characters.

[Liesl de Swardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good Falco novel. I feel the books just keeping getting better and better.

[Damaskcat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Falco has been asked by Thalia to try and find one of her employees who has disappeared. Fortunately he can combine the search with a commission from the Emperor Vespasian so he decides to combine business with pleasure and take Helena with him. After finding a dead body at the top of a hill at a shrine, Falco and Helena have to move on hurriedly and a priest, Musa, goes with them. They join forces with a travelling theatre group and Falco acquires the job of tracking down the murderer who was one of the group.

I am enjoying reading this interesting series. I love the wry humour of the writing and the characters of Falco and Helena. In fact all the characters in the books are well drawn and first century life is vividly and evocatively described. I find the historical detail fascinating and I can almost believe I am there with the characters when I’m reading.

If you like your mysteries set in an historical background then there are few authors who write as well as Lindsey Davis in my opinion. This book is the number six in the series of twenty which started with ‘The Silver Pigs’ they can be read in any order but it is preferable to read them in the order in which they were published in order to track the development of the series characters.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main action of this book takes place in the Decapolis, the "ten cities" in eastern Palestine. Falco replaces a murdered playwright in a travelling theatre group. The book bogs down a bit, because they do have to visit 10 distinct cities. Falco's relationship with Helena Justina deepens. It is a quite satisfactory book.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun romp of a investigator for the Roman Emperor getting entangled with a group of actors in the Middle East. He's found a dead body, and the killers must be within the acting troupe.

Fair amount of humor, lots of nice historical bits, reasonably well drawn characters. I've read others by this author, and enjoy them.

[Susan in NC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun for the humor and travel descriptions, but less satisfying as a mystery.

In this sixth entry, Didius Falco is given a commission for the emperor via his old nemesis, spy chief Anacrites. Helena has forbidden him to take any more such jobs since the disappointment of the last time (I honestly don’t remember what it was, although the informer and his lady love, a senator’s daughter of a higher class, still aren’t married, so I’m assuming it’s to do with that disappointment). still, beggars can’t be choosers, and Falco needs work, so agrees to the Petra mission. I don’t know exactly what it was for, but Petra was in ancient Nabatea and independent of Rome at the time, and a very successful trade center, so Falco implies Vespasian wants information before formulating a plan to absorb the city.

Anyway, old friend and menagerie owner Thalia hears Falco will be heading that way, and asks him to take on a commission for her - find a talented and missing water organ player named Sophrona. Thalia had adopted the orphaned girl and paid for her training, and wants her back; supposedly a visiting Syrian wooed her away.

When Falco and Helena get to Petra, they find a dead body in a sacred pool; Falco pursues the killer (they’d stop to rest hiking up the mountain, heard two men talking before finding the victim) and Helena goes for help. Turns out the victim was a much-despised playwright with a band of traveling actors; the local authority tells Falco and Helena to leave, but they must take Musa, a young priest (and possible spy) with them - I was honestly never sure why, but he was an interesting addition to their travels, and helped Falco and Helena investigate and apprehend the killer in an exciting climax. Falco questions the head of the acting troupe about the victim in Petra, and ends up taking the dead man’s job rewriting plays to fit the situation. All very coincidental and rather flimsy, but entertaining.

What follows is a long, rather rambling trek through the desert to various cities, “the Decapolis”, described in interesting detail by the author. Helena and Falco get to know the troupe members, there’s another murder, the reader gets a lot of interesting information about traveling and theater of the period - it’s entertaining, but the missing organ player definitely is pushed to the back burner until the end. Falco questions everyone repeatedly about the dead playwright, and it seems to go round in circles-when he finally divulges to Helena who he thinks the killer is and the motive, it sounds inadequate and unconvincing. But again, the climax is quite exciting and dramatic.

So, I look forward to the next book, I have a feeling I know what will happen (foreshadowing) - this was a weak mystery but a fun travelogue, especially reading about all the exotic desert locations in cold January!

[Johnny · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first Lindsay Davis novel which has disappointed me. My indifference to Last Act in Palmyra may be more my problem than the author’s. Ironically, it is the very nature of the “realism” in the book that seems to have removed my “suspension of disbelief” for the story. I realize it is somewhat oxymoronic when I say that the realism of Falco’s investigative procedure is what undermined my immersion into this first century setting, but the plodding itinerary of the investigation with very few discoveries of possible clues worked against my enjoyment. I’m glad this isn’t my first experience with this marvelous series because I believe it would have been a bad first impression. This disappointment will not keep me from reading other novels in the future.

Of course, with a title like Last Act in Palmyra it is no surprise that the important revelations would occur in the Roman settlement (nee Tadmor) named Palmyra. I just think the pacing was too weak to make that exciting. I think part of my disappointment may be predicated on the fact that there were, as often is the case, at least two mysteries being solved in parallel. The plot begins with “theater” and the beads of events and clues are strung on a tour with a traveling drama troupe. At first, I thought this was going to be an excellent structure, but it eventually prolonged the mystery so artificially (and mundanely) that I had trouble staying with the book with any sustained intensity. For more than two-thirds of the book, Falco (even with the help of the delightful Helena Justina), Falco draws “blanks” which don’t even have the value of taking the reader on a rabbit chase (or convince the reader to fish for a “red herring.” The initial motive is a “missing persons” case, but if you know Falco, you know it won’t be long before at least one homicide occurs.

Unfortunately for my level of impatience, Last Act in Palmyra is so realistic that it resembles the complexity and ambiguity of “real life.” Perhaps, I was hoping too much for simple escapism—even in this historical fiction/mystery hybrid. Though there was a large portion of the novel where I suspected that there was a small conspiracy to have committed the murder(s), I was never really derailed from the solution I suspected—whether perpetrator or perpetrators.

Strangely enough, in spite of my disappointment with this novel, I did find two lines that really grabbed me in the course of reading this novel. Even stranger, after plodding through what I considered a lethargically presented story (emulating the story’s trip through the Transjordan region and the Decapolis all too well), the two best lines in the book were only three pages apart. The first came after Falco identified the leader of the dramatic troupe as one of those fortunate who always seem to be bailed out by Fate (or the Fates, as Falco insists). “I knew they never learned from their mistakes because they never had to suffer from them.” (p. 251) The funniest described the typical politician of any age: “He loved the fine idea of democracy, like most men who couldn’t organize an orgy with twenty bored gladiators in a woman’s bathhouse on a hot Tuesday night.” (p. 254)

In addition, those who regularly read my reviews know that I love the use of colorful words. On page 394, I was delighted to read, “If someone got stabbed, the blood would not be cochineal.” Only in my archaeological reading on dye have I seen reference to the Phoenician process of creating purple-like dyes/inks.

Of course, pacing is a matter of taste. I personally think the “last act” for which Last Act in Palmyra came too far after the intermission. Others may find it all to be as frenetic as the “last act” itself. As I mentioned earlier, it won’t stop me from reading other Falco stories (even though I don’t always read them in their virtual-chronological order).

[aPriL does feral sometimes · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 'Last Act in Palmyra' Marcus Didius Falco, ancient 72 AD Roman detective, on a missing persons assignment for Thalia, circus owner as well as a snake charmer, joins a traveling actor troupe earning its living putting on plays throughout Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. The beautiful Helena Justina accompanies Falco to help him locate the missing talented musician, Sophrona. Sophrona does not want to be found, but the boyfriend for whom she ran away, Habib, is a Syrian businessman, so that is where Falco goes to look for her.

While sightseeing, of course Falco and Helena find a dead body, and of course, it is a case of murder! With priests of mystical god cults, acrobats, musicians, actors, and worst of all, stand-up comedians, surrounding the detective on all sides day and night, it isn't long before Falco and Helena are in danger!

Once again, Lindsey Davis rewards fans of the Falco series with the inclusion of detailed research about the ancient Roman world woven into her 1994 book. I was particularly interested in this novel because the area around and in the ruins of Palmyra was a place tourists could visit in Syria until 2015. Sadly, Islamic terrorists blew Palmyra into rubble with bombs.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmyra

The pictures of the city's ruins which had still been standing until ISIL blew it all up, taken by visitors in earlier years, are gorgeous and amazing. Palmyra was at the crossroads of many cultures, so it had been a sophisticated city. The huge stone lion, mentioned in the book along with other statues which had been still there to actually see and touch and photograph until 2015, are now bits of dirt and rock.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really looked forward to this one because I have seen pictures of Petra a number of times and heard people talk about visiting there so I was interested to see what MS Davis would do with the place when it was functioning. I don't know why I didn't worry too much about the murder, unless it was that seeing the different towns was so fascinating that it took precedence over the mystery, although I certainly cared about the musician. All of this series is lively and fun with literary references that make one laugh out loud (The Spook that Spoke indeed!)but this one was particularly good.It bounced, the characters reached out from the page and we were deeply concerned when the scorpion turned up because we all know how dangerous those little creatures are. Enjoyed the performance in Palmyra, performing for soldiers is always an experience.
Enjoyed the plays and would really like to see a performance of The Birds, which always sounds as if it is better than The Frogs.
I'm getting thoroughly hooked on this series. Thank goodness there are lots still to go.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

C1994. FWFTB: spying, Nabataean, Petra, theatre, killer. I am working my way through the Falco novels and this is number 6. I loved it. I think I have said before that you do not read these books for the murder/crime part but for the story of the characters which just gets better and better.This was probably the easiest murder to solve with the least likely reason for Falco to get involved but this is really a minor issue (ha ha). The gentle humour is really well done.“He looked like a friendly banker – one with his heart set on diddling you on your interest rate.”. Even the covers are starting to grow on me. Definitely recommended.FCN: Marcus Didius Falco (our outwardly grumpy hero), Helena Justina (our hero’s girlfriend who has the knack of handling our Marcus), Thalia (“snake dancer to the discerning”), Musa (caught up in all of Falco’s and Helena’s comings and goings), Heliodorus (the victim).

[Tess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not exactly sure what it was that made this book so hard to read for me. While the premise sounded promising - Falco and Helena are on a roadtrip with a theatre group, trying to find a missing girl while trying to solve the usual murder mystery - the execution was rather ... tiresome.

Endless descriptions of yet another city (even though they all felt the same to me), interrogations of actors from the group (who all seemed petty and unlikeable) that never led to any results, Falco stabbing in the dark for ages, moving on to another city, rinse and repeat.

When the - admittedly exciting - showdown finally happens, it's a relief. The redeeming qualities of this book are clearly Falco and Helena's relationship and their companion Musa, but all in all it's not quite enough to make me love it. Davis, you can do better than that.

[Terence · Rating 3 out of 5]

The situation in Rome becoming uncomfortable, Falco finds it expedient to take an assignment (two, in fact, one from the Emperor and another from Thalia, the statuesque snake-dancer from The Silver Pigs) that takes him and Helena Justina to the Empire's eastern frontier.

Last Act in Palmyra read a bit more grimly than the previous few novels, going back to the atmosphere of the first book, but I still enjoyed it and continue to recommend the series.

[John Frankham · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sixth in this well-written, amusing, and informative, series, this time based in Syria.

The GR blurb:

'It's AD 72 Rome, and Emperor Vesparian refuses to elevate sometime sleuth Marcus Didius Falco to the middle rank. Yet hope springs eternal, so when Vespasian's chief spy offers Falco an assignment in the East, he jumps at the chance. But his new assignment soon becomes a nightmare when he finds the corpse of a Roman playwright in a sacred pool. To ferret out the murderer, Falco joins the traveling theater group.'

[Jamie Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in A.D. 72, Falco and Helena travel the length of the Decaopolis with a band of actors. They're trying to find a murderer, of course, as well as track down a missing girl. The author has fun framing the book's sections as if they were acts in a play.

I missed Rome as a setting, but this was very entertaining. I am consistently amused by the writing, and I'm enjoying Falco and Helen's slowly advancing romance. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Natalie aka Tannat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best installment, but Marcus and Helena together are still enjoyable.

[Jacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Narrated by: Gordon Griffin
I love the Falco books, but this one seemed too long for the story it was telling. It was still a good listen, but not so tightly written as other books in the series. Marcus and his girlfrend, Helena Justina go off to the Middle East in order to do a bit of casual spying for Rome and also to find a missing girl who has run away from her obligations as a musician. After finding the drowned body of a man, obviously murdered, they fall in with a travelling theatre company and Marcus takes the dead man's job of playwrite. They are accompanied by Musa, a priest, sent to keep an eye on them. There's another murder and an attempt on Musa's life and Marcus spends most of the book travelling from place to place with the company, writing lines that no one ever appreciates, and questioning suspects. There are a lot of the company's stops and performances that simply don't move the story forward, and though Marcus gets there in the end, it all seems a bit tedious. Gordon Griffin is not the most exciting narrator. I much prefer Christian Rodska's interpretation in the later books, or Anton Lesser in the BBC radio plays.

[Pixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, this book is one of the best in the Marcus Didius Falco series - with masses of his usual insights into the personalities & motives of his suspects as well as himself as our Informer/Detective tries his best to find a murderer or two, all the while travelling with his new-found companion Helene (a Senator's daughter) in the recently conquered Roman parts of the middle east in the 1st century AD, accompanying a group of travelling entertainers/performers. By chance, he becomes very involved in writing the group's stage dramas as they travel from town to town - the plotline has all the usual terrific little details showing domestic and camping/travelling life of the time; this is a super read with a somewhat complicated train of events that suddenly resolves itself in a very satisfactory way.

[Benjamin]

How? Book 6(?) in the Falco mystery series.

What? In the last book, Marcus and Helena talked about leaving Rome due to some dashed hopes re: his social advancement due to the emperor. So in this book, Marcus and Helena leave Rome for an imperial mission to Petra, where they stumble on the murder of a playwright, and then head off with that traveling theatrical troupe, partly to solve that murder (and partly because the imperial mission has been sabotaged), with Marcus hired as the new playwright. Who murdered the old playwright and why?

And will Marcus ever become a good playwright?

Yeah, so? Goes on a little long, but sticks the landing; there's a little too much love for theatrical company fuck-ups, for my taste, and that Marcus eventually writes a proto-Hamlet is (to me) a groanworthy common mistake of British authors; but I always like the side characters in these books.

[Dennis Fischman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters continue to enchant, but the history and scenery are more ponderous in this book...plus, I’m not sure the clues really lead to the solution.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good paced excellent read. Perfect for the series with everyone a Falco fan should live by book 7. The endings leave you needing the next book immediately! Extremely grateful they are all included free in Audible. I love the voices and narration so much! Off I go to #8