Poseidon's Gold: (Marco Didius Falco: book V): a fast-paced, gripping historical mystery set in Ancient Rome from bestselling author Lindsey Davis

The humor and sarcasm of the writer is an absolute delight. And I love getting Roman History lessons along with a great read !

Buena ambientación en época romana.

Fresh back from Germany, Falco lands in the middle of a family secret that threatens to bankrupt him or, worse, send him to the executioner or, even worse, cost him his girlfriend Helena Justina. In the process of this latest adventure, Falco has to come to terms with the last deeds and death of his brother, Festus, and we get a more in-depth introduction to the extended Didius family.Although there are side trips to Ostia and Capua, the bulk of the action takes place in Rome as Falco tries to clear his brother's name and accounts and keep himself from the city strangler. Along the way we learn a lot about the world of art collecting and other home decorating, and celebrate Falco's 31st birthday and the anniversary of his first kiss with Helena. (After six books has it really been only a year?)This book features many threads, all of which are (too?) neatly tied up by the end, in Davis' familiar witty style. It also inches forward the Falco/Helena relationship, with the by-now-expected hiccups and speed bumps, hope and heartbreak, that keeps us wondering what will finally overcome the by-now familiar obstacles: he needs 400,000 sesterces to qualify for the Equestrian (Knight) class; as a Knight he'd be only one rank below the Senatorial Helena Justina, so it wouldn't be too scandalous to her Senatorial family for him to marry her. Family approval is more or less there; the money isn't; even with the money, he needs the Emperor's power/approval as Censor to enroll him in the appropriate class. Vespasian has both offered him Knighthood, and turned him down when he learned why Falco wanted it, in "The Silver Pigs." This book offers both hope and heartbreak for Falco's ambitions.Although individual scenes are entertaining, the pacing is a bit slow, and an Informer as talented as Falco should by rights have figured out many of puzzles far earlier. But where family is concerned we often have blind spots, so it's forgiveable.

This is not the best of the five books dramatized and doesn't stand up well unless you have heard the prior 4 stories: "Silver Pigs","Shadows in Bronze", "Venus in Copper" and The "The Iron Hand of Mars." Like all fictional series, the characters grow and develop with each story.Linsey Davis has written about 17 of the Didius Falco informer (dectective) stories. Unfortunately, the BBC has only done full cast dramatizations of the first 5 books. I find them a lot of fun because although the stories were abridged, you don't loose the spirit or essentials of the story. These stories give you a good feeling of what it must have been like to live in the Roman Empire in the time of the Emperor Vespasian (around 70 AD).

This is by far the funniest Falco I've read in the series. Here we are drenched in the characters that make up Marcus's family. They are humorous,irritating, and unforgettable. Like I said, it's as though Everybody Loves Raymond went back in time to Imperial Rome.