Senatus Populus Que Romanus discussion

I'm new to this site. Always had an interest in Roman History/Ancient History. Anyway, just discovered the Falco novels. I know they have been around for about 20 years, but just started reading them about 2 months ago. I'm up to book #12 "One Virgin Too Many". I like them because they are not too heavy, the main character is a hoot. And you learn some history at the same time.

Hi Debra, hope you're enjoying goodreads!

I've read the first 7 Falco books, and so far I like them very much, even more than Steven Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa series. The Falco books are very funny, and the author's quirky writing style gets better with every book.

I too have read about 7 of the Falco books, but while the mysteries are interesting, his character finally just got on my nerves. He seems too contemporary, while Saylor's Gordianus and Johm Maddox Roberts' Decius seem to belong to ancient Rome, but don't ask me why.

haven't seen this series. must have a look....

I love this series - read them all !

Note : Read in the right order - unlike me !

The Didius novels are treasures. The lead is very British, modern, and has a large amount of Sam Spade. However, Lindsay Davis is an amazing writer, and while some may not like the character he is balanced by his wife. You get a real setting of the immensity of the empire, although some of the plots are a little cliche.

I enjoyed the first few but then they became formulaic and you knew what to expect before you read them. I have enjoyed very much Davis's two Roman stand-alone novels, The Course of Honor
and Master and God, neither of which involves Falco but are both excellent, especially the former.

Haven't read Master and God, but The Course of Honor is very good.

I really liked Course of Honor, but I thought Master and God was really slow. I couldn't make up mind wheather it was a love story set against the reign of Domintian or the story of Domitians reign set against a love story. That said it I thought it was worth the read.

Even though they got formulaic, I still enjoyed the Falco novels

happy wrote: "I really liked Course of Honor, but I thought Master and God was really slow. I couldn't make up mind wheather it was a love story set against the reign of Domintian or the story of Domitians reig..."
I'd say 50% love story and 50% Domitian's reign. One thing that attracted me to each novel was that neither concerned the Julio-Claudians. In that, each was a little unusual.

I would agree with that assesment. Personally, the love story really didn't appeal to me, but I loved the look into Domitian's character and reign.

Her new novel seems to passing the torch from Marcus to his daughter.

Maybe Davis realized Falco had run out of steam finally. I have his daughter on my TBR, and I hope she's as good as the first few Falco's.

Just read the first one, and thought it was a kick! Some of the dialog is a bit modern, but so are the readers. It's a form of suspending disbelief to overlook the dialog. The plot is interesting, as are the characters, and you learn a lot about everyday life in the Empire, in this case about the mining industry and high-level politics/crime. I look forward to the next book after passing this one on to a fellow Roman lit fan. It is somewhat different style and feel than some of the more complex books, but worth the read. These books are fun!

The earlier ones in the series are more enjoyable! And, you get all the background of the characters.

Finished Ides of April

So-So - I thought the mystery was ok, but Davis was trying a little to hard to recapture the Falco of the early books

If good reads let us give partial stars - 3 1/2

Just started...Looks Good

I started one but couldn't get into it.

I liked the series until about 1/2 way through then thought they were dumb. The series about Falco's daughter--I couldn't get into that one at all.

Love the way this thread is years old! Still haven't read them! Guess they on kindle

Yes, they are available for kindle.