Shadows in Bronze - SPOILER Thread - (Falco #2) (Sept/Oct 22)

[Susan]

Welcome to our Sept/Oct 22 buddy read of Shadows in Bronze the second Marcus Didius Falco mystery, first published in 1990.

Rome, AD 71: Against his better judgement, Marcus Didius Falco secretly disposes of a decayed corpse for the Emperor Vespasian, then heads for the beautiful Bay of Naples with his best friend Petronius. It's an opportunity to forget his doomed romance with the beautiful and bright Helena Justina.

He conveniently forgets to mention to his companion that this will be no holiday - they have been sent to investigate the murderous members of a failed coup, now sunning themselves in luxurious villas and on fancy yachts.

Nor does the idyllic seaside location help matters with Helena. The deeper he probes, the more it seems she is inextricably connected to the elite plotters, in ways that the smitten Falco cannot bear to contemplate ...

Please feel free to post spoilers in this thread.

[Susan in NC]

I was glad Petronius and family were along on this adventure. Loved the descriptions of Bay of Naples and surrounding areas! The pacing on this one seemed more even - a lot happened, especially toward the end, and it was interesting and exciting!

[Jill]

I struggled with this book. At first it was the politics of the times and place, then the cast list. The on/off romance got me down but the overall plot was interesting. I felt that the book went off at a tangent too much, as if the author thought of something and then decided to include in the story.

[sabagrey]

I'm a third of the way into this book, and find myself leaving it off after a few pages at a time; which doesn't happen often to me, and hardly ever with a mystery.

Still waiting for the plot to show up between the "alarums and excursions".

[Judy]

I have now finished and agree with you, Jill, that I struggled with the politics and the sheer number of characters at first. I also agree with you, Saba, that I found myself putting it down after a few pages in the first half.

I got more into the book in the second half, but also got a bit fed up with the on-off romance and the way that Falco and Helena repeatedly don't speak to each other to sort out misunderstandings. I like them both as characters but I think it's about time they got together and ended the stop-start element. I also felt this wasn't really a mystery.

[Susan]

Actually, I feel the relationship between Falco and Helena comes to a boil fairly quickly. I had read the first few books, but a long while ago, so it was a surprise to realise that they got together quite so quickly.

[Susan in NC]

Susan wrote: "Actually, I feel the relationship between Falco and Helena comes to a boil fairly quickly. I had read the first few books, but a long while ago, so it was a surprise to realise that they got togeth..."

I look forward to to getting to the settling down together phase, Susan, although I doubt they will ever be dull! I’m enjoying the series, and admit a big part of my enjoyment comes from the audiobook performance.

[Susan]

Gordon Griffin reads our audible versions, Susan and I don't really like him. He sounds so old and, while I don't mind that at all if the character is older, it doesn't work for Falco. Who reads your versions?

[Judy]

I was feeling at times that Helena should tell Falco to get lost - he seems ready to believe the worst of her rather too often, through much of the book, although that seems to be changing towards the end.

[Susan]

Well, I suppose he isn't a modern man, in any definition of the term. He is surely more understanding than most Ancient Roman males probably were :)

[Judy]

I suppose I feel as if he and Helena are both fairly modern in their hearts despite the ancient setting...

[Susan in NC]

Susan wrote: "Gordon Griffin reads our audible versions, Susan and I don't really like him. He sounds so old and, while I don't mind that at all if the character is older, it doesn't work for Falco. Who reads yo..."

Simon Prebble narrates my Audible versions, and he perfectly brings Falco to life for me!

[Susan]

The narrator makes so much difference. I would definitely listen to the Audible ones, but I can't warm to Griffin.

Judy, it's odd, but this series is doubly dated. Although 1990 does not seem that long ago to me, it is over 30 years ago, so you have that end of the Eighties vibe, alongside the Ancient setting. I feel that the book, and the relationship, is more about class. Falco feels that Helena would not think about marrying him or bearing his child, in an era where marriage was about financial security for women. What does he have to offer? He misinterprets her comments and broods too much, but they'll work it out by the end of the book....

[sabagrey]

Susan wrote: "Judy, it's odd, but this series is doubly dated. Although 1990 does not seem that long ago to me, it is over 30 years ago, so you have that end of the Eighties vibe, alongside the Ancient setting.."

doubly dated - yes; but in another way, I think, and intentionally. You get the Ancient Rome setting plus the language of a sleuth from the 30s or 40s (Dashiel Hammett maybe?).

Or even triply dated - the characters, and many details, smell modern.

I like this play with periods and plausibilities which does not pretend to be taken all that seriously. It might have been so, but probably it was not, and if it was not - what does it matter?

[Judy]

sabagrey wrote: "Or even triply dated - the characters, and many details, smell modern...."

I think you are right - there is the ancient period, the hard-boiled 1930s/40s feel that you mention and also the end of the 80s/90s vibe that Susan mentions - I think historical novels probably always have a feeling of their own period as well. All very interesting!

[sabagrey]

A lecture given by Lindsey Davis in 2007, about Pompeii, is reprinted in the kindle e-book. There is yet another time layer to add, i.e. that of the narrator, who is "old" Falco writing the adventures of "young" Falco:

The narrative style I use in these books does allow foresight and hindsight as my hero pretends to be writing his memoirs from idyllic retirement at some unspecified point in his future. So he knows it will blow. Readers who want to can also have a layered appreciation that these are stories written about a nineteen forties-style detective by a nineteen eighties era woman whom, they must realise, is keen on archaeology.

where "... it will blow" refers to Vesuvius.

I will certainly pick up the next book of the series! This one was indeed a bit slow at times, with a little too much of the descriptions and substories with which Davies breathes life into "her" Ancient Rome. I once read a later book of the series (can't remember which one), and I think there were less of these details. Although each book can be read out of sequence, it seems that she trusted readers to be already familiar with the scenes of everyday life.

[Susan]

I have read some of the Falco books and I think the series settles down after what I recall as the initial 'trilogy.' I think the early books are very wrapped up with Falco and Helena but then moves on so Falco can investigate other crimes. Books 3 to 7 are all 99p at the moment for anyone who wants to read on.

[Rosina]

I read them all as they came out - I even met Lindsey Davies at a book signing near Trafalgar Square. I recently re-read one of my favourites, Last Act in Palmyra and felt that there was a bit too much guide-bookery.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Other than the beginning & the ending I found this one disappointing & it dragged whenever Helena Justina wasn't on the page.