Exemplary Performance of the Novel

This audiobook is one to savour for the various and excellent voice characterisations created by Christian Rodska. The voice he gives to Mina of Karystos is wonderful and will make you smile plentifully. The pity is that his presence is limited. As a Falco adventure, however, I found it less compelling than others in the series. The ending is somewhat contracted and abrupt, almost as if it is looking to race to the next novel in the series. That said Christian Rodska is skilled in taking the listener with him on this Falco adventure. For those that only listen, they will miss the delights of Davis’ list of principal characters and her witty descriptions of them for me I enjoy them so much. With three novels left in the series, I look to see what they bring, with an eager anticipation. I was very disappointed in the ‘chunking’ of the audiobook ‘chapters’ here. They are not chapters at all and bear no relation to the real chapters of the printed books. This is an unhelpful thing to have done as these ‘chunks’ have nothing natural about them.

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"The Sweeny" thug meets Julian Clarey!

Keep forgetting to check the narrator on the wonderful Didius Flaco stories - Gordon Griffin is a brilliant , believable story teller and only bested by the PERFECT Anton Lesser.
Why any self-respecting, strong, Senator's daughter would be associated with such a thick, thuggish sounding characterisation truly beggars belief.

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The Narrator

Loved the story as always - this narrator is excellent and really brought the characters to life . What a relief to have the best narrator back .

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Loved it

My favourite Falco narrator. Great story with a surprising ending. I learnt a lot about myths and legends.

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Ancient Package Holiday Murder Mystery

I have listened to the Falco series of books and have enjoyed them all, Some are more captivating than others, but that is true of all series. This though not best of the series is none the less enjoyable, I like the main characters and have enjoyed there development though the books, well written and researched with a humorous edge, these mysteries have enough twists and turns to entertain listeners with a liking for murder mysteries and historical novels, additionally this book as with several others in this series is narrated by one of my favorite narrators Christian Rodska,

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Better then Remebered

Always having been a voracious reader, I read all the Falco books, apart from the last, as soon as they came out, but found the later ones slightly hard going. Being no longer able to read, I've turned to audiobooks and am finding the narrations of Rodska adding so much more to the author's text making it far more than merely reading the prose out loud. For me, he brings alive what are ostensibly Falco's memoirs, written in the first person, making me laugh out loud in places. He also voices the other characters superbly; the "welsh" Athenian law tutor we meet is making me smile just thinking about it. This book is well worth listening to for the final chapter alone - when I read it for myself I remember feeling "is that it", but Rodska's comic timing and voice characterisation really brought it to a perfect close.

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7 people found this helpful

"Life must go on."

This is the 1 7th in the Marcus Didius Falco series and as vibrant, informative and funny as when I first read it in paperback many years ago. When Falco's brother in law,asks for help to solve the brutal murder of a recently married young woman who, with her husband, had been part of a group touring Greece for fun, reluctantly Falco, his wife Helena and their dog (plus several other young relatives) join the travel company to find out and stop the killer who might have killed before. Great characters, convoluted and intriguing plot and a brilliantly visual armchair trip around some of the best visitor sites of ancient Olympia, Athens and Delphi.
Christian Rodska again narrates, adding colour to the scenery and attitude to the protagonists: another excellent performance.
The book is a highly recommended stand alone especially for those who enjoy their mysteries combined with the eccentricities of a private detective (informer) in AD 76.

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As good as I expected

All the books in this series are well worth listening to or reading ! This book follows Marcus Didius to Greece and has an enjoyable plot and cast of characters. With the twists and turns expected in a good historical mystery.

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a triumph

davis' writing not diminishing. master of crime and comedy. every book a. winner. highly recommended.

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Another outing for Falco and Helena

Marcus Didius Falco and his wife, Helena Justina are off to Greece to try and discover why young women on the new phenomenon of a package tour keep having violent deaths. The murder mysteries are probably not Davis’ best, but the settings (meticulously researched as always) are absolutely wonderful, and the characters are all engaging: even the horrid ones. I listen to these at night and when doing chores, and I often laugh with delight when dusting or weeding the garden… got lots of strange looks from the neighbours over this one. Highly recommend,

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