Scan barcode
alisonkinkead's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
saramar's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
heylook's review against another edition
2.0
Wasn't bad, but the person Whodunnit's reason for Dunningit wasn't supported very well by the rest of the story. You've got to set up your climaxes, you can't just be like "Oh, it was this dude, because I said so." That's lazy writing.
krobart's review against another edition
3.0
See my review here:
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2019/05/28/review-1356-the-ides-of-april/
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2019/05/28/review-1356-the-ides-of-april/
nuthatch's review against another edition
4.0
I was disappointed when Lindsey Davis ended her Falco series but his adopted daughter is following in his footsteps in this new series. I'm looking forward to Flavia Albia's next case.
tessisreading2's review against another edition
3.0
A pleasant read, but Flavia Albia somehow makes a less convincing narrator than her father did. Rome is depicted in a lively and realistic way, but Albia herself doesn't quite come alive; her sudden passion for a man she's just met is told to the reader rather than shown and frankly just never makes sense, and later the revelation of the mystery doesn't really seem like a revelation - it's all too clear who is responsible and what other secrets are lurking.
queencleo's review against another edition
4.0
Warm and fuzzy.
Falling into Davies novels is like pulling on a favourite hoodie. Comfortable and familiar. As you step into the streets of ancient Rome, the escapism all comes rushing back.
A spate of seemingly disconnected premature deaths has struck Rome in the time of Domitian's rule. Falco has retired, informers are out of favour in the new regime and it's Flavia Alba's turn in the spotlight.
Thoroughly enjoyable, a return to the heyday of the Falco mysteries without the politics and intrigues that came with the last few novels of the series. The murderer is exactly the person you expect and is despatched with the efficiency required, giving that cosy heavy blanket feeling with a dash of rambunctious thrill.
Exactly what I was looking for.
Falling into Davies novels is like pulling on a favourite hoodie. Comfortable and familiar. As you step into the streets of ancient Rome, the escapism all comes rushing back.
A spate of seemingly disconnected premature deaths has struck Rome in the time of Domitian's rule. Falco has retired, informers are out of favour in the new regime and it's Flavia Alba's turn in the spotlight.
Thoroughly enjoyable, a return to the heyday of the Falco mysteries without the politics and intrigues that came with the last few novels of the series. The murderer is exactly the person you expect and is despatched with the efficiency required, giving that cosy heavy blanket feeling with a dash of rambunctious thrill.
Exactly what I was looking for.
iffer's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this quite a bit, though sometimes the infodumps interrupt the flow of the story. The killer also must've been easy to guess, because even I guessed it early in the book. I'm not sure if the author intended for this to be the case so that the book is more of a police procedural than a whodunit. I find the characters intriguing, though, and I would like to revisit them and this setting, though the author's voice comes through in a way that seems anachronistic to me (but I also am not very knowledgeable about Ancient Rome).
kestrellady's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book took me a while to get into. This is a sequel series to the author's long running Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries, which I think is one of the reasons why I struggled with it. There's lots of references that I can tell I'm supposed to get, but don't since I haven't read those books.
The writing style is a bit more abrupt than I’m used to-it kind of reminded me of old noir mysteries, though it’s set in ancient Rome- but the ending absolutely hooked me for the series.
The writing style is a bit more abrupt than I’m used to-it kind of reminded me of old noir mysteries, though it’s set in ancient Rome- but the ending absolutely hooked me for the series.