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A review by silvernfire
The Ides of April by Lindsey Davis
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!