Interesting Roman Murder Mystery - Rated 
This is an intelligent murder mystery set in ancient Rome and Britain. The actors work hard, using modern dialogue, to convey the story and create the atmosphere of this distant world. But it didn't quite work for me. Without the descriptive passages of the book it is hard to put the story into its proper context. The hero moves from Rome to Britain and back without any real sense of the nature, danger or length of the journeys involved. The plot moves briskly with some good twists and surprises. It is a little heavy-going at times; you have to concentrate to follow it and it is not completely convincing. But it is enjoyable nonetheless.
Love this recording! - Rated 
A total treat to listen to! I got into the Falco books through this BBC recording. I actually thought this was one of BBC7's special one-off dramas - silly me! Anton Lesser's voice is simply perfect for Falco - the lightness hiding, whilst exposing, so much depth of feeling. And he conveys Falco's confusion over his depth of feeling for Helena so well. Lesser makes Falco sound almost star struck, as if he's in awe of this Senator's daughter and has no idea where he stands with her. At the end, when he finds Helena on his balcony, the way that he says "I want you to stay" is soooooooo seductive. I'd have stayed! And Fritha Goodey was such a wonderful Helena. She managed to convey Helena's experience, cynicism and sadness,but also her joy and sense of fun. And her voice fitted beautifully with that of Lesser. A sad, sad loss.
It was interesting coming to the novels, which I love, after hearing this recording. I've now also bought Shadows in Bronze and Venus in Copper, and the recordings stand on their own two feet. I've yet to hear The Iron Hand of Mars, but that'll brighten my November!
The Start of a Wonderful Series - Rated
This is the first novel in the mystery series featuring Marcus Didius Falco, an informer and sleuth. A series of books that have become hugely popular, so much so that the author is now at the forefront of historical mystery writers. It was probably a stroke of genius on the part of the author to have novels that are extremely well researched and contain all the elements that would be and should be found in Rome in AD70, but to have a lead character who has the vocabulary of a present day New York cop.
Falco has done his time in the legions in that god forsaken place called Britain and it is the last place on earth that he would return to through choice but he has been told by the powers that be that he will go back to Britain and no, there is no choice.
When he arrives the weather is even worse than he remembered and the natives are still as unfriendly as ever. He just wants to complete his mission, find the missing silver and get the hell out of it, that is until he meets the lovely Helena Justina and if he thought he was having a hard time before he met her, he was in for an almighty shock.
|
