The Accusers (Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries (Paperback))

Marcus Didius Falco is a favourite fictional creation of mine. The series written by Lindsey Davis has followed his career as an informer from the beginning, and he has grown slowly but surely. This volume takes us into slightly different territory for Falco. He has returned from his adventures in Britannia, but his absence from Rome for a considerable time means that he has been largely forgotten, so business is slow. One of the small jobs he undertakes is to obtain evidence for a court case; job done; move on.But the case has repercussions, and Falco and his partners - his brothers-in-law - find themselves involved in an ongoing feud between two prominent advocates, and a suspicious death. Ultimately, rather than supplying evidence to a lawyer - a familiar role for him - he finds himself acting as a lawyer. Roman law being what it was, this means that his very livelihood, and the financial future of his family is at stake. Much of the action in the later stages of the book takes place in court, and the author does really well to explain the intricacies of the Roman legal process without resorting to history lectures.As usual, his wife Helena Justina plays a crucial role in both his life and his work. And his ever present mother also puts in regular appearances, mostly just to annoy him, but occasionally providing crucial, if unwelcome, insights.In any series of this kind, there is a delicate balancing act for the author. Each book is usually a self-contained mystery; a puzzle for Falco - and us - to solve. But there is also the ongoing arc featuring Falco's life; his family, his wife, his friends. For me, Lindsey Davis seems to get the balance about right in every book. She has in this one, and its on to the next in the series for me.*You can read all my reviews in full on my blog. The link is on my profile page.*

I Have always felt that every other Falco book is a slight disappointment, and this is one that I can't give 5 stars to. Having said that, on my second reading recently, I did find the story grabbed my interest more. Lindsey Davis bases each book on another aspect of Roman life and this is about the legal system, so perhaps that's one reason for my faint praise. Still, try it: you may get into the twists and turns of Who and Why the victim died.

This story is a real breakaway from the normal detective stories we have come to love.Not sure I would like to think the rest of the series is going to follow in this vein.I enjoyed the book, but not to the level of the previous exploits.But for once nice to see him get paid in the end. This is not a spoiler.

General reading. One of Lindsey's more complicated plots. I have to admire her several forensic speeches delivered before a court in true Roman style. That takes real skill, as I know from translating such works myself. I love her dialogue, laced with irony.

Do you like court-room dramas? If so, this story of the continuing career of Marcus Didius Falco, and his associates from the patrician Camilli family will appeal to you. It is about a murder disguised as suicide, with the aim of avoiding legal penalties to the deceased's estate. Bribery and corruption figure in the background, as many of the lawyers in Rome were crooked (so nothing different from today). This story is rather narrower in appeal than most of Lindsey Davis's other novels about her Roman detective, and the action is indeed mostly confined to the law courts. As I don't find this so engaging, I have given this novel only three stars in consequence.