A great start to a mystery series set in ancient Rome, with one of the funniest "heroes" written. Although it can sound, at times, a bit anachronistic, it is never jarring. Reminds me a bit of the syle of writing used in the book I, Claudius. It's as though Falco, the protagonist, was telling the story in modern language. Good period details and a complex plot with interesting characters. I've already started on the second of the series and will problably work my way through them all!

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Great detective novel. If you like historic books with twist of mystery -you will love this book.

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First rate hard boiled mystery set in Rome, A.D. 70. Marcus Didius Falco embards on an intricate case of smuggling, murder, and treason that reaches into the palace itself where Vespasian is emperor. Falco is a very engaging tough guy with a sense of humor, a sense of honor, and a real need for money.

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Another Anciet Rome series set 1st century AD. Not quite as good as Stephen Saylor's series. I find it gets bogged down a bit in the middle of novels. Characters are a lot of fun, and her descrition of the time period is lovely.

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This book is best described as light reading for those who enjoy Historical Fiction. This is a detective story written with the Roman Empire as the background. I read it while at the beach and I highly recommend it to others.

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I picked this book up from our faculty lounge and it was surprisingly good. The history was interesting. The main character is a guy like the main character in a Dick Francis novel. Honorable, with a twinkle. And this guy has an interesting mother.

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I am hooked! I've read both negative and positive reviews of this series on Amazon. Some compared Falco to Sam Spade. Since I didn't know who Sam Spade was, I had no idea of what that meant. Well, I read Silver Pigs straight through in two hours (yes, I am a fast reader!) Then the next two days, I re-read it slowly, savoring more of some of the humor I had missed first time around. The anachronisms do not bother me, as they are not glaring. For example, the hero is not named Constantius, which is a name that would not have yet been common in those times. I enjoyed getting the vivid feeling for Ancient Rome, without getting the feeling that I was reading a travelogue, or being treated to the author's 'see how much I've researched!" I am from Southern Europe, and in my 60s, and I've been in cities that still have that "Roman" atmosphere. The twisty turning streets, the laundry hanging overhead, the dog poop in the streets... a young girl of good family not being allowed out on her own (this was in the 1950s!).I love the sharp repartees, the subtle and not so subtle British humor, and the tender love story which does not go into graphic clinical detail (at 64, I know the facts of life, thank you very much!) but yet expresses the depth of love, both spiritual and physical. I also like Falco's character. I felt I was reading about a MAN, written by a male author (hey, in America, anything goes for a first name! I didn't realize Lindsey Davis was a female author until I received the book). I promptly ordered other books in the series. I recommend starting with Silver Pigs, as the next book in the series is a sequel to S. Pigs. If you like Gordianus from the Steven Saylor books, I think you will like Falco. Another comparison that will seem odd to some readers. Falco's mix of wit, anti-hero, and recklessness reminded me of Francis Crawford of Lymond, created by Dorothy Dunnett.

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