The Accusers (Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries) [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

Falco's back in Rome in this latest installment and after his two-novel trip to southern Britain he seems all the better for it as he strolls round his old haunting ground with some alacrity. A fast paced, excellently written novel, Davis has restored the faith that was beginning to wane after the previous `Bathhouse' and `Jupiter'.
The Accusers finds our erstwhile detective being called upon by one of his informing peers who, having secured the conviction for bribery of one Gnaeus Rubirius Metellus during his son's (Metellus Negrinus) tenure as aedile, finds himself cheated out of his 25 percent fee by the convict's subsequent apparent suicide. Silius Italicus refuses to believe this and hires Falco & Associates to check out the facts.
With the Camillii in tow Davis gives us a quick report of the investigation in a format that in entirely new to her writing - a glimpse at Falco's written casebook where details of the suspects are given, leading to a subsequent confession by a herbalist that Metellus Rubirius' eldest daughter, Rubiria Juliana, (there is also the somewhat optimistically naive, Rubiria Carina) had given her father gold coated hemlock pills on the basis the gold would not dissolve and thus prevent release of the poison. However, the gold had failed in its task and as such the conclusion was accidental death. Coming so quickly it is obvious that there is a far more deeper plot, but a desire for funds means that Falco doesn't dig deeper until well after Saturnalia at which point he discovers that Silius has commenced prosecution for murder against Juliana. This also falls apart and eventually we come to the main plot which is Falco's defence of Metellus Negrinus for parricide against both Silius and Paccius countered by his own accusation against Rubirius Metellus's wife, Calpurnia Cara
What follows is an enjoyable exercise in sleuthing as Falco, ably assisted by the Camillii, works his way through a list of suspects as long as your arm and familial collusion that prevents much of the truth from being outed. Having to figure out where Negrinus' (not so fondly known as `Birdy') attachments to his ex-wife, Saffia Donata (also an ex-wife of his best friend Lucius Licinius Lutea) and the multitude of surviving children actually lie proves a headache as Falco uncovers corruption, scandal and major blackmail.
Eventually, half snippets of information and tracking down of various slaves and tradesmen and a soothsayer leads Falco to the eventual triple denouement as he hauls the entire Metelli family into a sitting room to unravel a web of deceit and lies simply to protect a family name that is as spectacular as it is brilliantly exposed.
The finest moment of the novel has a rendition of Falco's speech in the murder courts where Davis has a chance to pit her rhetorical oratory against the surviving greats of Roman speech-making (Cicero being the obvious) and, inevitably comes nowhere near them. However, in good humour, Falco's correct slander of the prosecutors, Italicus and Africanus and their own seedy history proves a delightful episode and his subsequent own blackmail of The Accusers allows him pecuniary redress.
Lindsey Davis fifteenth Falco novel finds him back on home territory and we settle easily back in to the comfort that is Imperial Rome (though Davis does explore some new writing styles to keep it fresh) with an alacrity that was missing from the preceding two efforts. Falco has certainly aged through his career and his informing is genuinely reflecting his social position and experience. Preferring to leave the physical side of matters to Aelianus and Justinus, he can spend more time thinking out the solution and the development of Falco & Asscociates works well.
As ever, a must-read.

Lindsey Davis' new Falco book is another good one. In this one Falco becomes embroiled in a court case and we actually get to see him in action in a court room. Falco and his associates (his two brother-in-laws) are hired to help a young senator as he fights to defend himself from the accusation of killing his father. On the way they become exposed to one of the most disfunctional families you'll ever come across. This liaison could end up costing Falco his whole net worth and then some, because if a court case is brought against someone and they are judged innocent, the advocate is ordered by the court to pay compensation which is determined by the rank of the individual who was accused. Ms. Davis books keep getting better it seems. She manages to keep her Falco interesting and fun through each of them. I haven't enjoyed a series so much since Brother Cadfael.

I seldom read fiction but I make exceptions for some science fiction and very rarely mysteries (my wife is an avid mystery reader and so I get my pick). In these genres I only read works by authors whom I consider to be good writers and that fit my interests in history and science. I realize that this may sound a bit high-handed and arrogant, but I only have a limited amount of time for recreational reading and so have to pick and choose. Lindsey Davis is one of those authors that always fits my standards. Anything written by her is sure to be a good read and is always thought provoking.

In her recent book (2003) "The Accusers" she has not disappointed me. Her knowledge of the culture of ancient Rome of Vespasian's time is astounding, at least as far as I can tell. The informer Marcus Didius Falco, his indomitable patrician wife Helena Justina, their various relatives, associates and enemies round out a group worthy of a Russian novel.

In "The Accusers" a Roman citizen, beset with legal problems, apparently commits suicide at the urging of his wife and possible collusion of his daughter (suicide would cut back on the liability of the family and save the family fortune, which in another twist has been left not to the man's wife, but to his daughter-in-law!) As it becomes evident that the death was murder, his son Negrinus becomes an easy target of those would profit by the murder. Falco and Associates (Falco's wife and her two brothers are the staff) take on the defense of Negrinus (also known as "Birdy"), who they realize is hiding something. As one might suspect, that secret is the key to the death of the father. By the time you read a few pages you are hooked and want to read more.

For me this is the best of mystery writing. I recommend it heartily.