Falco on His Metal: Venus in Copper / The Iron Hand of Mars / Poseidon's Gold

Marcus Didius Falco #3-5

by Lindsey Davis

Venus In Copper: In the heyday of the Roman Empire, a small accounting error has left Falco sharing a cell with a large rat. But when he is sprung from jail, he accepts a commission to help a family of freed slaves fend off a professional bride. The Iron Hand of Mars: AD 71: Titus Caesar is in pursuit of Falco's girlfriend Helena. Meanwhile, Falco is occupied on an undercover mission to Roman Germany to find the absconding commander of a legion whose loyalty is suspect. With murdered corpses along the way and an inadequate bunch of recruits for allies, the challenge increases for Falco to tame the Celtic hordes. Poseidon's Gold: Seeking the truth behind scandalous rumours about his dead brother, Festus, Falco suddenly finds himself a suspect when his brother's worst detractor is murdered.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical Mystery

1040 pages, Paperback

First published November 4, 1999

About the author

Lindsey Davis, historical novelist, was born in Birmingham, England in 1949. Having taken a degree in English literature at Oxford University (Lady Margaret Hall), she became a civil servant. She left the civil service after 13 years, and when a romantic novel she had written was runner up for the 1985 Georgette Heyer Historical Novel Prize, she decided to become a writer, writing at first romantic serials for the UK women's magazine Woman's Realm.
Her interest in history and archaeology led to her writing a historical novel about Vespasian and his lover Antonia Caenis (The Course of Honour), for which she couldn't find a publisher. She tried again, and her first novel featuring the Roman "detective", Marcus Didius Falco, The Silver Pigs, set in the same time period and published in 1989, was the start of her runaway success as a writer of historical whodunnits. A further nineteen Falco novels and Falco: The Official Companion have followed, as well as The Course of Honour, which was finally published in 1998. Rebels and Traitors, set in the period of the English Civil War, was published in September 2009. Davis has won many literary awards, and was honorary president of the Classical Association from 1997 to 1998.

Reviews

[Assaph Mehr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volumes 3-5 in the great Marcus Didius Falco series.

This series is the perfect combination of noir detectives and ancient Rome for me - specifically The Iron Hand of Mars, which was the first book I've read. I loved it enough to go and seek out the series and read it in order from the start.

I have left individual reviews for each of the three volumes:

Venus in Copper
Iron Hand of Mars
Poseidon's Gold


The short version is to expect a classic hard-boiled detective, set in a well-researched backdrop of Rome under Vespasian, in the 70's AD. The omnibus is a great way if you want volumes 3-5 in one go, but do make sure you read #1 (The Silver Pigs) and #2 (Shadows in Bronze) first.

--
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.

[Cáitlin O'ruadhán · Rating 5 out of 5]

I HATE these faux trilogies on this sort of website because I've just finished "Venus in Copper"--loved it!--and plunged headlong into the next novel. If you like historical who-done-its, Davis's entire 'Marcus Didius Falco' is hard to beat. Ms. Davis combines excellent writing with historical expertise on the Flavian Dynasty and brilliant wit. The mysteries that Rome's flat-footed 'informer' take us all over the Empire as Falco overcomes numberless obstacles--many of his own making--that are often hysterically funny. And then there are the obstacles created by his clients, by his competitors, and by members of his large--and largely dysfunctional--family. Although Falco does face all of these with his own brand of stoicism--one that does allow for much whingeing, he never gives up--he's got to pay his rent somehow, and his other career as a poet has so far failed to bring him the fame and fortune his talents deserve. Of course, the only reason we know he's a great poet is because he keeps telling us he is.

I could go on--and on and on--telling you about Falco's friends, family, beloved, and even his dog, but I won't because I would have to write too many spoilers. Falco is fun reading, folks, so just find a copy of the first book in this series, "The Silver Pigs", and try a little Falco for yourselves. If you love it, then you've got a long and continuing series to enjoy; if Falco's not your cup of tea, you won't have wasted your time because you will learn something new about the reign of Vespasian and the Eternal City, and you will have done so in less than 200 pages of good writing. Ave atque vale!

[Roxy The Bolshevik Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this series really hits it's stride after the second book.

[Darkpool · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've already read the first of the 3 books in the volume. Bought this second hand as the Manukau library has a rather incomplete set of the Falco series. Looking forward to getting through this while on holiday.

[Toast · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good giggle. And with the classical knowledge, gives the air of better than average. But, all in all, people are people and they get up to all sorts in every age. Loved the spice and the universal themes - ideal light reading.
Toast

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Falco 3-5