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A review by laurel_e
The Third Nero by Lindsey Davis
3.0
I am the biggest Lindsey Davis fan there is, but I feel that she dropped the ball on this one. Too much history, too little interaction between Albia and her male partner.
I've read the author's comments that an ongoing problem with the Falco series was contriving ways to get Helena involved, since women had so little power in imperial Rome. Presumably that's why she launched this second series with a female detective. Great. So why, then, did she marry Albia off in the fourth novel, so that again, Davis now had to contrive a way to keep Albia's husband Tiberius out of the action? (Struck by lightning? Seriously?)
Anyway, this series started off strongly. I hope that in future novels, Lindsey focuses more on Albia's relationships and less on historical exposition.
I've read the author's comments that an ongoing problem with the Falco series was contriving ways to get Helena involved, since women had so little power in imperial Rome. Presumably that's why she launched this second series with a female detective. Great. So why, then, did she marry Albia off in the fourth novel, so that again, Davis now had to contrive a way to keep Albia's husband Tiberius out of the action? (Struck by lightning? Seriously?)
Anyway, this series started off strongly. I hope that in future novels, Lindsey focuses more on Albia's relationships and less on historical exposition.