Venus in Copper, Lindsey Davis
Venus in Copper, Lindsey Davis
List: $19.95 | Sale: $13.97
Club: $9.97

Venus in Copper
A Marcus Didius Falco Mystery

Author: Lindsey Davis

Narrator: Simon Prebble

Unabridged: 12 hr 4 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/01/2015


Synopsis

Rome, AD 71. Marcus Didius Falco is desperate to leave the notorious Lautumiae prison—though being bailed out by his mother is a slight indignity.Things go from bad to worse when a group of nouveau riche ex-slaves hire him to outwit a fortune-hunting redhead, whose husbands have a habit of dying accidentally, leaving him up against a female contortionist, her extra-friendly snake, indigestible cakes, and rent racketeers. All the while Falco tries to lure Helena Justina to live with him, a dangerous proposition given the notorious instability of Roman real estate. In a case of murder as complicated as he ever faced, Falco is at his very finest.

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.

About Simon Prebble

Simon Prebble, a British-born performer, is a stage and television actor and veteran narrator of some three hundred audiobooks. As one of AudioFile’s Golden Voices, he has received thirty-seven Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie in 2010. He lives in New York.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Kara

I swear I’ve read some of these before, but they’re the type of books that are made of the same mould. Marcus Didius Falco is a “private informer” in the first-century Roman empire. Recently back from a stint in Britain on the emperor’s business, Falco finds himself in jail for crossing the emperor’......more

Goodreads review by Clemens

Read this book in 2011, and its the 3rd volume of the tremendous Marcus Didius Falco series. This book is set in the year AD 71, and Falco is finally released from prison, and to make it worse for him, he's bailed out by his mother. After thinking thigs can't go worse, he's hired by a group of nouveau......more

Goodreads review by Assaph

Venus in Copper picks is the third in the Falco adventures series. While the overall framework is the same, Davis is starting to explore other facets of life in Rome. This is a theme that runs throughout the series. Rather than a stencil repeat, each novel concentrates on another aspect of society. B......more

As usual, Marcus Didius Falco, Informer (detective) is late paying his rent to landlord Smaractus on his sixth-floor walk-up in a slum of first century Rome. But this time, it isn't entirely his fault - during his last job for the Emperor Vespasian, Falco had to borrow the Emperor's lead ingots whic......more


Quotes

“Another redolent dip into corruption in Vespasian’s Rome…original and delightful.” Sunday Times (London)

“An irresistible package of history, mystery, and fast-moving action, all punctuated by a sense of humor that few writers can match.” Cleveland Plain Dealer

“Davis’ ancient Rome is a rambling, weird, wonderful invention that at times resembles something from the broadest kind of farce…Falco is a treasure, and Davis is a genuine master of the smart-ass one-liner. What’s more, she helpfully begins this third Falco novel with a listing of the good guys and bad guys. Of course, no one said the list was exactly accurate.” Booklist (starred review)

“Period details, humor, and Falco’s modern sensibility add up to another sterling performance from Davis.” Publishers Weekly

“Falco’s good-humored but intelligent narration provides a fascinating and authentic re-creation of a Rome bustling with activity…A wonderful escape.” Library Journal

“Intriguing characters abound in this skillfully written, Chandleresque mystery that gives readers a peek at the seamy side of life in first-century Rome.” School Library Journal