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See Delphi and Die: A Marcus Didius Falco Mystery Audiobook
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(3.82) - 925 listener ratings
Publisher Description
It’s AD 76 during the reign of Vespasian, and Marcus Didius Falco has achieved much in his life. He has joined the equestrian rank, allowing him to marry Helena Justina, the woman he has been keeping time with for the past few years. But that doesn’t mean all is quiet for Falco, Helena, and their two young daughters.
By trade he is an informer, a man who looks into sticky situations, and he has been hired to pry his errant brother-in-law away from a murder investigation, which means Falco himself must take it on. To investigate the suspicious goings-on and the shady dealings of a fly-by-night travel agency connected to the case, Falco and his wife, Helena, travel to Olympia in Greece under the guise of being tourists interested in the classic sites. With two people already missing from the packaged tour, things only get stickier when two more—including Falco’s brother-in-law—disappear in what is Falco’s most complex and dangerous case yet.
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"Any book where the author shares my jaundiced view of tour packagers (well, some tour packagers: there's one British outfit that does it well) gets my vote. There is a whimsical quality, a sort of reflection of modern conditions--or are these eternal verities? I have MET Volcasius! "
— Peter (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Wickedly convoluted…Falco’s facetious tongue and domestic complications are the real fun.”
— Time -
“Prebble[’s] rough-hewn, slightly raspy voice gives the proceedings an appropriately noir feel. Prebble speaks in an informal, conversational manner, as though he’s talking directly to the listener…A masterful performance of a wonderful novel.”
— Booklist (audio review) -
“Every book in this series is a delight, the characters so finely drawn that they have become good friends and the plots so unusual and frothy with humor that it comes as a surprise when the climax is so shocking and original.”
— Library Journal (starred review) -
“Davis provides vibrant period detail, from majestic Greek temples and teeming Roman slums to reprehensible rulers sporting tunics trimmed with gold…A marvelous conceit.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“A bittersweet solution that’s a tribute to the complexity and depth of this series…Elegant and intelligent.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review) -
“The author’s vivid picture of life in AD 76 and the sparkling characterizations, particularly the amusing byplay between Falco and Helena, will satisfy most readers.”
— Publishers Weekly
See Delphi and Die Listener Reviews
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" Neat. Nice turns and twists. Rewarding read. "
— Isidro, 2/16/2014 -
" Since this book focused on ancient Greece, I was doubly pleased. "
— Shardebeck, 2/6/2014 -
" Another great Roman crime novel, great fun. "
— Sheila, 2/3/2014 -
" As always, I like the Roman-era setting but found the plot a little predictable. Falco's interminable bad temper gets tiresome as well. "
— Mary, 1/31/2014 -
" I love the characters and I love the tours. What's not to love? "
— Jen, 1/25/2014 -
" One of my favourite Falco novels. "
— Janet, 1/19/2014 -
" c2005: FWFTB: tourists, Olympic, sanctuary, tour-guide, myth. I found it interesting that two out of the three reviews quoted on the back of the book mentions 'old friends' which of course is what I have been rabbiting on about in previous 'thoughts'. This outing explores the 'Roman tourist' and Ms Davis does her normal magic and weaves the murder between historical facts and character development. Loved it - especially the involvement of the younger of the Falco extended clan. Oh and Nux, bless her. "At the girl's approach, both Gaius and Cornelius behaved like Aventine lads. They assumed she was after their bodies, so they rushed from the scene. "
— Ruth, 1/13/2014 -
" This was a good Falco mystery, but not as much fun as some of the early books. There was a road trip--to Greece--which is always fun. I felt like this plot line rambled a little. The information about Greece was very interesting, as is always true with these books. "
— Christina, 1/9/2014 -
" A weird mix of ancient Rome and Greece settings liberally sprinkled with anachronistic details pseudo-retrograded from modern times. Ending is dragged out with boring dithering long after the solution is obvious. Sloppy writing and editing. "
— pjreads, 12/17/2013 -
" Wow. What and ending! Marcus and Helena travel through Greece tracking down a multiple? murderer. Now, I have to read the next one to know how they get home. "
— Cynthiaj, 10/20/2013 -
" Good mystery, set in 1st century Greece. "
— Bruce, 10/6/2013 -
" Even though I'm getting better at spotting the plot twists before they happen, I really enjoy Lindsey Davis' writing, and Marcus Didius Falco is my kinda character :) "
— Sherry, 8/31/2013 -
" Any book where the author shares my jaundiced view of tour packagers (well, some tour packagers: there's one British outfit that does it well) gets my vote. There is a whimsical quality, a sort of reflection of modern conditions--or are these eternal verities? I have MET Volcasius! "
— Peter, 3/28/2013 -
" I always enjoy the tales of Falco and Helena. It was fun to follow Roman tourists in Greece and the humor was good. But the mystery seemed a little thin--not enough to sustain the book. "
— itpdx, 3/15/2013 -
" I liked it. Enjoyed Falco's quips and how he views the Greeks. Though, I did not fine the suspense over who was the killer like I had in previous books. Though, I did like the ending! "
— Travis, 1/18/2013 -
" Another great mystery! Very fun. "
— Amanda, 1/16/2013 -
" I usually like the Didius Falco books, but wasn't too impressed with this one. The mystery wasn't that impressive, the "shock" at the end was way too telegraphed, and the amount of time spent talking about the wonders of the Greek world was a little over the top. Meh. "
— Alex, 1/5/2013 -
" Disappointing, weak plot nowhere near as good as her other Falco stories "
— John, 10/1/2012 -
" As usual, Davis has produced a wonderful read. I enjoyed the clues given as well as the twists of the story. The characters, both the ongoing ones as well as the new ones for each book, are a joy. "
— Tchipakkan, 11/29/2011 -
" Another good story from the Falco series. Although Falco is a 1st Century Roman Informer/Investigator, and the books deal with crime, I think they should also be classed as humour. I have lost count of the number of times I have laughed as Falco gets into these situations. "
— Philip, 8/4/2011 -
" Since this book focused on ancient Greece, I was doubly pleased. "
— Shardebeck, 2/9/2011 -
" The one in Greece, with the tour company, the wrong date and the Very Tragic Ending (could well be my favourite of the lot). "
— Rachel, 8/12/2010 -
" A very good mystery and a wonderful guide to ancient Greece. <br/>I should have seen the ending but it was a surprise nonetheless. "
— Jack, 6/2/2009 -
" I usually like the Didius Falco books, but wasn't too impressed with this one. The mystery wasn't that impressive, the "shock" at the end was way too telegraphed, and the amount of time spent talking about the wonders of the Greek world was a little over the top. Meh. "
— Alex, 4/10/2009 -
" I really enjoyed this one! "
— Beth, 2/9/2009 -
" This was a good mystery with a mix of humor and history as Falco, his wife Helena, and various family members go to Athens, Olympia and Delphi, Greece. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Saturnalia. "
— krin, 1/1/2009 -
" As always, I like the Roman-era setting but found the plot a little predictable. Falco's interminable bad temper gets tiresome as well. "
— Mary, 12/15/2008
About Lindsey Davis
Lindsey Davis is an English novelist of historical fiction and best known for her award-winning historical crime stories set in ancient Rome and its empire, the acclaimed Marcus Didius Falco series and the Flavia Albia series. Her novels have won numerous awards, including the Crime Writers’ Association Ellis Peters Historical Dagger Award and in 2011 the Cartier Diamond Dagger from the Crime Writers Association for lifetime achievement. Born and raised in Birmingham, England, she read English at Oxford and worked for the civil service for thirteen years before becoming a writer.