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otherwyrld's review against another edition
3.0
The Ides of April is advertised as Falco: the New Generation (F:TNG), which was a bit of a shock as I hadn't realised the Falco: the Original series (F:TOS) had concluded. Looking back at previous novel Nemesis though, it is easy to see that this might be regarded as a logical end to the story, though I heartily wish it wasn't so. I still need my fix of Falco and I hope that Lindsey Davis will consider writing more.
This book is set some 10 years after Nemesis, and we are now into the reign of the tyrant Domitian. Flavia Albia, the adopted daughter of Marcus Didius Falco and Helena Justina, is now an informer like her father. In this case she comes across a series of unexplained deaths that may actually be murder, but which seems to be being covered up by the authorities. In the course of her investigation, she is helped and hindered by a variety of people, falls in love, is threatened, and becomes the first anti fox-hunt protester.
While this was an entertaining book I only gave it 3 stars because it had several flaws which considerably weakened the story. Firstly, Flavia comes across far too much like a wisecracking female clone of her father. She needs to find her own voice and this doesn't happen here. This may come in time of course, but looking back to the first Falco story, The Silver Pigs, his voice was established from pretty much the first line of the book.
Secondly, the author uses the terrible cliche of. Even I spotted fairly early on how this was going to go down, and it spoiled at least some of the story as Flavia blunders to the same conclusion at least a hundred pages later. At least she works this out long before the final page, but we are then subjected to at least 50 pages of the heroes chasing and failing to catch the antagonist. One character even says "This is getting ridiculous!" after the villain escapes for about the fifth time, a sentiment I heartily concur with. The final denouement is also a bit of a cliche, with Flavia in mortal danger in her own home whilst the Keystone Cops/Vigiles look on helplessly.
One thing that did surprise me was that I did not realise the true identity of one of the main characters, which is a nice set up for possible future stories. Perhaps I was being a bit slow there, though, and maybe it was obvious to others.
There is a bit about animals being used in religious rituals that I could really have done without reading. It was a plot point but not that important, and it was a bit distressing to read.
Falco and Helena do appear in this book, but only in a cameo non-speaking way. This was a shame as I felt that their voices might have added to the story but I can see why the author chose to not have them speak. It might have been different if this was Flavia's first case, but she is well-established informer here and having dad advise her on the case might have been seen as weakening the story. Given what I have already said here though, I would have appreciated some fatherly advice to steer Flavia in the right direction.
So, all in all a good book but not a great one. I will be looking out for more Flavia stories, but I also hope that the author will write more Falco stories as well. Ms Davis, you will just have to write faster!
This book is set some 10 years after Nemesis, and we are now into the reign of the tyrant Domitian. Flavia Albia, the adopted daughter of Marcus Didius Falco and Helena Justina, is now an informer like her father. In this case she comes across a series of unexplained deaths that may actually be murder, but which seems to be being covered up by the authorities. In the course of her investigation, she is helped and hindered by a variety of people, falls in love, is threatened, and becomes the first anti fox-hunt protester.
While this was an entertaining book I only gave it 3 stars because it had several flaws which considerably weakened the story. Firstly, Flavia comes across far too much like a wisecracking female clone of her father. She needs to find her own voice and this doesn't happen here. This may come in time of course, but looking back to the first Falco story, The Silver Pigs, his voice was established from pretty much the first line of the book.
Secondly, the author uses the terrible cliche of
Spoiler
the protagonist falling in love with the villain of the storyOne thing that did surprise me was that I did not realise the true identity of one of the main characters, which is a nice set up for possible future stories. Perhaps I was being a bit slow there, though, and maybe it was obvious to others.
There is a bit about animals being used in religious rituals that I could really have done without reading. It was a plot point but not that important, and it was a bit distressing to read.
Falco and Helena do appear in this book, but only in a cameo non-speaking way. This was a shame as I felt that their voices might have added to the story but I can see why the author chose to not have them speak. It might have been different if this was Flavia's first case, but she is well-established informer here and having dad advise her on the case might have been seen as weakening the story. Given what I have already said here though, I would have appreciated some fatherly advice to steer Flavia in the right direction.
So, all in all a good book but not a great one. I will be looking out for more Flavia stories, but I also hope that the author will write more Falco stories as well. Ms Davis, you will just have to write faster!
hannahhena's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
caityree's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderful! Revived my love of the Falco setting, I must go back and read them again.., but Flavia Albia is a treasure of her own.
rgreatreader's review against another edition
4.0
Lots of fun, and I love how well developed the world of Rome is ... I felt like I was really walking the streets of Ancient Rome!
attytheresa's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent start to a spinoff series set in Ancient Rome. I had forgotten just how much I enjoyed the contemporary sensibility, humorous eye and wry tone provided by Lindsey Davis in her mystery series featuring Marcus Didius Falco. Davis has marvelously cast the same net around Falco's daughter, Flavia Albia, who is also a private informer inhabiting a garret in Fountain Court.
My one quibble is that I tumbled to the various surprises and twists very early on, much earlier than the heroine who is too smart to have been bamboozled for more than a short time. But then the self-deprecating humor and deliberate witticisms of the narrator (Flavia Albia herself) serve as their own red herrings to just how much she knows when. I will definitely read more of Davis' books.
Read as my book with a month in the title for the 2017 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge.
My one quibble is that I tumbled to the various surprises and twists very early on, much earlier than the heroine who is too smart to have been bamboozled for more than a short time. But then the self-deprecating humor and deliberate witticisms of the narrator (Flavia Albia herself) serve as their own red herrings to just how much she knows when. I will definitely read more of Davis' books.
Read as my book with a month in the title for the 2017 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge.
marystevens's review against another edition
3.0
Falco's adopted British-born daughter, Flavia Albia takes over the family business with energy, wit and perseverance. She is the V I Warshawsky of Domitian Rome. This debut would have benefitted from more of Falco and Helena but it does include other characters from the Falco series and it's refreshing to see Flavia's perspective on them. I would have given it four stars if the villain hadn't been apparent so early in the book but it was fun and surprising to see the details of how the plot worked out.
silvernfire's review against another edition
4.0
At first, I was worried that this book would be a letdown. The Ides of April takes place twelve years after Davis' latest Falco novel, and the author is in the difficult position of needing to bring readers up to speed on the changes in Albia's life and in Rome itself while at the same time getting the plot going. The story was enjoyable enough, but kept pausing for an expository lump. (But then, I shouldn't be too critical of those lumps, because I did appreciate the help in getting oriented to this slightly different Rome.) Plus, Albia's narration sounded exactly like Falco's for the first third of the book or so.
As the book went on, things improved. The explanations were abandoned when they were no longer needed. Albia's voice became her own as she had the opportunity to express more opinions. I was pleased to see she also came across as more mature and experienced than she was in the Falco books, which fits with being twelve years older. And although it was a bit frustrating to hear about Falco and Helena only in passing, I think Davis made the right decision to leave them out of this book. It's not the next book in the Falco series, no matter how easy it is to think of it that way.
And no, the mystery isn't all that difficult to puzzle out. But then, I don't read the Falco books—or now the Albia books—for the mystery!
As the book went on, things improved. The explanations were abandoned when they were no longer needed. Albia's voice became her own as she had the opportunity to express more opinions. I was pleased to see she also came across as more mature and experienced than she was in the Falco books, which fits with being twelve years older. And although it was a bit frustrating to hear about Falco and Helena only in passing, I think Davis made the right decision to leave them out of this book. It's not the next book in the Falco series, no matter how easy it is to think of it that way.
And no, the mystery isn't all that difficult to puzzle out. But then, I don't read the Falco books—or now the Albia books—for the mystery!
reginaexmachina's review against another edition
2.0
I've been on an ancient history kick recently and a mystery series featuring Flavia Albia sounded up my alley. The beginning was promising but I found myself kind of bored around midway through. The characters were interesting but didn't have much growth and the plot felt slow and plodding. I also guessed who was the killer almost from the beginning and I'm usually not good at guessing. I technically finished it but only by skimming most of the second half.
lisaebetz's review against another edition
5.0
At last I meet Falco's successor, his gutsy, no-nonsense daughter Albia. The same snarky humor and cynical slant on Roman life, but with a new, feminine edge. Great fun. And I learned a thing or two about foxes and plebian aediles, too.