Lindsey Davis' detective novels of the Falco series deliver much
more than meets the eye. The main stories in each book are thrilling, twisting detective stories that introduce Falco to a series of
intriguing characters, each with their own qualities that really bring them to life in the minds eye. Each story has its share of
interrogation,
knife-fights and
brawls - classic components of the
detective novel - interweaved with complex relationships with characters that make up the
environment that Falco lives in.
As
Junkill noted, the interesting feature of this series is the development of the world where Falco lives. Each of the novels starts as the last finishes, so we are given in the sixteen (so far) novels in the series, a continuous five-year period in the life of
Marcus Didius Falco, citizen of
Rome. This means that if you read the series as a
whole, it becomes so much more than a series of detective stories. You follow the entire world of Falco, his
family and
friends as they progress through their lives.
For example; Through the series you follow the progression of Falco's
character from a rowdy
barfly to a respected
private detective, his travels of the world, having his first
child, the deaths of relatives. You follow his sister's plight when she is hounded from book to book by a seedy
palace official, and the entire relationship with his wife, from their first meeting to.. well, you know.
Another aspect of this series worth mentioning is that each book deals with a different aspect of
Roman life, or the cultures of different parts of the empire.
For example; 'The Iron Hand Of
Mars' deals with how the Roman
military machine worked, '
Ode to a Banker' dealt with how banks and finances worked, and 'One
Virgin Too Many' explains how
religion was observed in the
ancient times. Each book is a delicately handled history lesson, told through the observations of the
main character.
Lindsey Davis' books bring to light the everyday workings of life in
ancient Rome. While from looking at the
ruins of the period we can see how the rich lived, these meticulously researched books give us a fascinating
insight into the other side of roman life, life in the six floor wooden
tenement blocks of the
proletariate. And great stories to boot!