The Silver Pigs is a highly entertaining mystery. It's very brisk, despite the length of time the plot occupies and the variety of settings. Actually,...moreThe Silver Pigs is a highly entertaining mystery. It's very brisk, despite the length of time the plot occupies and the variety of settings. Actually, it reads very much like a hardboiled detective film from the 40s.(less)
In the pantheon of "functional fictional relationships," I imagine Marcus and Helena rank pretty high.
Anyway, like an episode of a consistently good T...moreIn the pantheon of "functional fictional relationships," I imagine Marcus and Helena rank pretty high.
Anyway, like an episode of a consistently good TV show - Parks and Recreation? - judging any installment of the series happens on a curve. Is Last Act in Palmyra not quite as good as some other Falco books? Yes. Is it still enjoyable and entertaining and clever and generally fun and well-written? Yes. I thought this one was a little too long and disorganized (although I like that the official reason for Falco's being in ~Syria collapsed around his ears pretty quickly, because it's nice when we get to see just how unstable his life is). But also, it was sort of like Falco + Slings and Arrows and I am just a sucker for any + Slings and Arrows combination. Plus, as mentioned about, he and Helena are adorable.(less)
I liked this one, even though it was set almost entirely in Corduba and so most of our favorite Roman side characters are missing for most of the book...moreI liked this one, even though it was set almost entirely in Corduba and so most of our favorite Roman side characters are missing for most of the book. But there are a number of compelling new characters, and I actually hope to see some of them again. So, that's always good.
The resolution of the plot is slightly . . . hmm, unconventional. And I actually liked that too.
Sometimes, in wild moments I longed for a witness who would break the pattern and surprise me by croaking - under pressure of conscience or perhaps my own fingers squeezing their neck a little too tightly - that they were sorry to cause me extra work but they had mistakenly given me accurate answers. No doubt adding that it was quite unlike them, a moment of sheer madness, and they didn't know what came over them. . .
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