Customer Reviews

Nemesis (Falco 20)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Number twenty in this series of excellent detective stories set in Vespasian's Roman Empire and featuring the informer Marcus Didius Falco begins with a terrible family tragedy for Falco.

Nemesis was the Roman Goddess of retributive justice: one of the characters in this story says that "when a man receives more from Fortune than he should, Nemesis will come along and right the balance."

The book contains Lindsey Davis's usual mix of ironic humour about human relationships, nuggets of information about the society and politics of first century Rome, and an intriguing detective story. But although the style and content is fairly similar to the first nineteen books in the series, the tone of this latest volume is much darker.

The full Falco series, in chronological order, consists at the moment of:

1) The Silver Pigs
2) Shadows in Bronze
3) Venus in Copper
4) The Iron Hand of Mars
5) Poseidon's Gold
6) Last Act in Palmyra
7) Time to Depart
8) A Dying Light in Corduba
9) Three Hands in the Fountain
10) Two for the Lions
11) One Virgin Too Many
12) Ode to a Banker
13) A Body in the Bath house
14) The Jupiter Myth
15) The Accusers
16) Scandal taks a Holiday
17) See Delphi and Die
18) Saturnalia
19) Alexandria
20) Nemesis


This book is set in Summer AD77, during the period when the Flavian dynasty, e.g. the Emperor Vespasian and his sons Titus and Domitian, were building the huge stadium known to historians as the Flavian Amphitheatre and to most of the rest of us as the Coliseum.

Picking up the pieces after the double tragedy which strikes Falco on the first day of the story, he learns that his father Geminus had won a contract from the Flavians to provide a large number of statues for the alcoves in the Coliseum. One supplier, Modestus, from whom Geminus had bought some of these statues cannot be paid because he, his wife, and the slaves in his household have all disappeared. So Falco travels to Modestus's home near Antium to investigate.

He learns Modestus had last been seen when heading into the Pontine Marshes to talk to a notorious family called the Claudii about a boundary dispute. And his wife had last been seen when she went to find why Modestus had not returned. Local people, when persuaded with difficulty to talk, are convinced that the Claudii had murdered Modestus, his wife, and many other people, but that nothing will be done because the Claudii had friends at the imperial court.

Falco and his friend Petro start to investigate, and it soon becomes clear that there is indeed a serial killer at work in the Pontine Marshes. Is it the Claudii? If so, is someone at the Imperial court protecting them, and why? Will Falco and Petro have to take the law into their own hands - or could this case be their own nemesis?


I agree with previous reviewer about this story being the darkest in the series. This is not because the witty banter, cynical humour or any of the other normal elements are missing: they are all still there and one or two of the jokes are quite funny. Nor is this story darker than the previous ones just because innocent people get murdered, although they do: that happened in previous books. A delightful girl in her early teens was murdered in the first few pages of the first Falco book, for instance.

Part of the reason that this book comes over darker in tone is that it dwells a bit more than usual on the consequences of evil behaviour for the victims. One passage in the book reminded me in the most depressing way of real-life accounts of violence against women, such as the columns police doctor Theodore Dalrymple used to write in the Spectator magazine, describing conversations with women who will neither leave or bring charges against the abusive partners who keep putting them in hospital.

But the main reason this story is so dark lies the impact of the evil they are trying to eradicate on Falco and Petro themselves.


One bit of series trivia: most of the novels in this series read as if they were being told in a chatty style shortly after the events described. However, "Nemesis" is the second Falco book (the other being "Ode to a Banker") which contains oblique references to events after the conclusion of the book. "Ode to a Banker" explicitly states that the story of the book is being told twenty years later in about 94AD and one or two references in "Nemesis" appear to hint that this book too is being narrated at about that time.


I initially tried this series because I had enjoyed the "Cadfael" mediaeval detective stories by Ellis Peters. Where Cadfael is excellent, Falco is brilliant. Ellis Peters herself (or to use her real name, Edith Pargeter) said of the early books of the series, 'Lindsey Davis continues her exploration of Vespasian's Rome and Marcus Didius Falco's Italy with the same wit and gusto that made "The Silver Pigs" such a dazzling debut and her rueful, self-deprecating hero so irresistibly likeable.'

Funny, exciting, and based on a painstaking effort to re-create the world of the early Roman empire between 70 and 77 AD.

It isn't absolutely essential to read these stories in sequence, as the mysteries Falco is trying to solve are all self-contained stories and each book can stand on its own. Having said that, there is some ongoing development of characters and relationships and I think reading them in the right order does improve the experience.

Family has always been a big problem in Lindsay Davis' books -- family will get you into trouble, but you help them even if they make your skin crawl. And in Davis' twentieth ancient Roman murder-mystery, family trouble catapults our favorite Roman informer into even more trouble in the less pleasant, healthy parts of Rome -- and the big problem is the sudden "dark" actions he takes. See below for spoileriffic details.

Death has visited Falco's family: his son dies just after birth, and on the same day he learns that his father has just died. Unsurprisingly, his dad left Falco the bulk of his considerable estate and his sleazy business -- and an ex-lover, Thalia, who claims to be pregnant with his baby (which, if it's male, will halve his inheritance). To make matters worse, Helena's brother returns home, newly married to a grasping Athenian woman.

It makes most families look positively peaceful, doesn't it? And that's before the MURDERS start.

While dealing with dear dad's estate, Falco discovers that the Pontine Marshes are not just yucky, but deadly -- citizens are vanishing and being found dead in Rome. Apparently it's connected to the Claudii, a strange family said to have imperial protection. As more bodies pop up in Rome, Falco and Petronius must unearth a nasty collection of facts -- which may be connected to someone they know.

Lindsey Davis has a rare writing knack -- she can write historical mysteries without spending the whole book constantly going, "Look at all my cool research! Check out all the uninteresting details I dug up to give the book an authentic feel!" as many such writers do. It's full of the flavour of ancient Rome -- the flies, the squalor, the sweat, and the faint scent of corruption when a great civilization goes downhill.

And as you'd expect from a book named after the goddess of divine retribution, there's a dark edge to this story -- sudden deaths, inheritance, plague-swamps and a mysterious half-hidden family. While Davis still weaves in some funny moments ("If this is the same ox, he's a sex maniac. I'm not driving him!"), "Nemesis" is undoubtedly a darker, grimmer story than the ones before it.

The big problem is the characterization. For the first two-thirds of the book, Davis smoothly explores Falco and Helena's shared grief, gentle humor and their fierce mutual love for their family -- especially since Anacrites is sniffing around Albia, and Albia is having a meltdown because of her crush getting married.

Then, without warning, Falco tortures a man, and it puts a nasty strain on his marriage. It feels like Davis made a stab at making things "darker" -- but it doesn't feel consistent for a man who always had such principles, and he doesn't seem in any way bothered by it. Fortunately, that part ends soon and everything shifts back to normal.

Winged "Nemesis" attacks the people around Falco in Lindsey Davis' twentieth novel. It's well-written, nicely dark and witty, but the "torture" part temporarily derails both Falco and the story.

In AD 77 on a hot summer day in Rome, informer Marcus Didius Falco has twin tragedies strike him almost simultaneously. His newborn son dies just hours after being born and when he took his baby to be buried on his father's property, he learns his dad died also. As the heir Marcus must make quick business decisions. Marcus has a contract to deliver over a hundred statues to the amphitheater, but when he arrives to pay his father's supplier for them and pick them up, Julius Modestus and his wife Livia Primilla are nowhere to be found.

The nephew of the missing couple takes remittance for the statues. He also informs Marcus that his Uncle Julius complained about Nobilis of the Claudii family who reside in the desolate Pontine Marshes. Marcus soon learns that the mutilated body of Modesto has been found. Falco and his friend vigiles Petronius investigate. They visit the Pontine Marshes and see how trashy the Claudii live and how everyone in a miles wide radius fears them. As they make progress on the case, their enemy Chief Spy Anacrites takes over the inquiry. Falco realizes someone high up in the government is protecting the Claudii so he and his partner continue their probe.

Falco is home after a best selling trip to Alexandria; once again Lindsey Davis brings to life Rome mostly through the eyes of the informer. As a sort of anti-hero, Falco gets his hands dirty while seeking justice for his late father's deceased supplier though the inquiry enables him to put his grief as the sandwich generation mourning two deaths on hold. The rest of the cast is strong especially the protagonist's partner, the first century bureaucrat Anacrites and the squalid living Claudii who ironically have high level protection. This is a terrific Ancient Rome whodunit with surprising twists and Falco running from his grief.

Harriet Klausner

With this latest installment Falco finally gets rid of a family pest. But this book left me with a bit of sadness for the Falco we have lost. Perhaps this was Davies' intent. To show us that not all heroes can come away unscathed. That we are inevitably a product of our time, and ancient Rome was definitely not the Pax Romana we sometimes dream about. Unlike with previous Davies novels I found myself frequently putting this one down to escape to something else. I did eventually finish it, but didn't come away eagerly awaiting the next in the series. I think perhaps Davies also misses her young hero's past and needs something fresh to revive her spirit. While I still consider her one of my favorite authors, I hope she finds something new to explore with as much passion as she's shown in this series.

The book opens with the death of Falco's new baby and his father at the same time. This book is much darker, Falco and his friend engage in torture and sending a man to a fate worse than death without a great reason at the time.

Gone is the sarcastic PI who has a heart of gold and just kicks a door or gives a bribe.

There are always deaths and some violence in this series, this time Falco is more of a darker hero, almost a bad guy working for the good side. The ending is fairly evil on his part (can't say more, spoiler).

The book also starts dragging about 2/3 of the way through. The plot just sort of plodded through scenes for a few chapters, then perked up again. Some editing would have helped there.

Although, like her previous Falco novels, Nemesis is exceedingly well written and plotted, and the principal characters easily adopted as if one of your own family, there were a few jarring notes that interrupted my enjoyment of the book. First, Davis uses contemporary language and slang in her ancient roman settings, which, while perhaps making the characters' personalities more accessible, can also distract from the atmosphere. For example, Falco repeatedly refers to his mother and father as Ma and Pa, which each time made me pause, thinking I was reading about the Beverly Hillbillies. Why not just use mother and father, or even the latin mater and pater. There was also a significant historical error early on in the book, which should have been caught by an editor, wherein Nero is cited as naming his horse consul. It was famously Caligula who named his horse consul. Another example of weak editing occurs when an autioneer introduced as Clusius early in the book, is later referred to as Cluvius.

These are small criticisms and perhaps only mine. Like all Falco novels, Nemesis is entertaining and well crafted.

I've read all this series over several years now. Nemesis is definately darker than some, but still with the lovely wit and fantastic atmospherics of all Falco novels. I have always loved the way this author brings ancient Rome to life. I was very surprised at the ending as it was a long standing character 'offed' by other long standing characters, and is bound to have repercussions heading into the future. Already wishing for the next installment

Marcus Didius, our favorite Roman Sleuth, is at it again....(think Mickey Spillane in Ancient Rome....with his private eye a devoted husband and father, and unwillingly, brother in law, son,friend, and uncle!) I kind of figured out the who done it fairly early on, but I am REALLY familiar with mystery genre and this particular one after decades of reading them....I kind of know how Marcus thinks by this time. It's been fun to watch him evolve from a gritty slum area snoop to a respectable family man who, in this installment, achieves the unwanted pinnacle of inheriting a thriving business and some estates. While trying to cope with the loss of a child, his father's death, settling the estate, and a snarky teenage adopted daughter,who is going through all the angst and parental terror inspiring teenagers give their parents, Marcus and his friend Petro have to deal with a pretty good murder mystery at the behest of the Imperial authorities. Who also try to rein them in and put blinders on them while expecting quick results. In short, the usual governmental attitude. And as usual, Marcus refuses to be reined in. It's fun to watch him go about it, it's fun to read about Ancient Rome in a new light that's probably closer to the real thing, when you come down to it, than most authentic histories or tales of the political powers of Ancient Rome come to. Marcus lives in the narrow twisting streets, the slums, and instead of grand banquets, he favors a hole in the wall place where bread and olives and watered down (usually) wine are available. His comments on the various establishments he has to patronize and the various people he comes across are lovingly sardonic. Lindsay Davis weaves not only a good if not great story, she, as most British authors, weaves a fair historically accurate one despite her rather tongue in cheek character. As a avid reader of "how people lived when" books, she is close on the mark throughout. Marcus and cronies speak more in line with modern vernacular but to me that's part of the charm. You can pluck Marcus out of Ancient Rome and plop him down in any modern large city and he would survive. He's pragmatic and, despite his wife and mothers...and his teenage daughters....claims, he's really quite practical. He's laid back but not lazy. He's professional and when he gets the bit in his teeth, even Imperial edict isn't going to stop him until his questions are answered. And he isn't above taking the law into his own hands if necessary. Staid and conventional Marcus will never be, and we love him the more for it, and for his kicking at the traces of everything that tries to pull him into respectability, be it his Ma or the troublesome ox in this story. His wife, Helena, ever patient and loving him for all his foibles, and perhaps because of them, keeps Marcus on a even keel with sage advice and subtle (or not so subtle) guidance. Helena can wield tact and a metal skillet with equal skill to make her point! As I do with all my favorite series writers, I have kept every one of the Marcus Didius Falco books, and in my old age intend to read them start to finish without that pesky 2 years or more between new books delay. They are always a decent re-read because you pick up nuances you missed in the first rush to the finish.

Full disclosure: I'm biased. I think I've read ONE Lindsey Davis book I didn't thoroughly enjoy. Falco and company especially have always been richly detailed, vibrant, "alive" characters that a reader really feels like he/she knows, especially if they've been with the series since the beginning. Perhaps I'd only give this volume 3 stars if I were less emotionally invested in the characters.

Nemesis is not the best book in the series, but it's a thoroughly enjoyable one and, more importantly to me, it marks a major transition for Falco et al. His legal status has changed, his old bugbear Anacrites is once more taking too close an interest in his family, he has lost and gained (although not all his gains are remotely welcome ones), and he is forced to resort to questionable and sometimes brutal tactics in his efforts to keep his family safe and solve the murder mystery de jour. This is a darker Falco than we've seen before, but he's still perfectly recognizable as the M Didius fans have come to know and love (after all, this is a guy who participated in the murder of his C.O. after the Boudica rebellion).

My only real complaint is that the two major plot points introduced in the first chapter needed to be explored in more detail. Either should have thrown Falco for a loop emotionally but neither really did. Still, I can see his attempts to cope being a major part of the next few books so I'm not complaining too hard.

I will admit that I wasn't at all surprised by the solution to the mystery but I was fine with that because I didn't entirely feel that the mystery was the point of the novel. Everything is in the process of changing for Falco, including his own approach, and that has remarkable promise to keep the series fresh and unpredictable 20 books in. "Nemesis" left me eager for more. I can't see what's next for Marcus and his unconventional family.

I have been a devoted fan of the Lindsay Davis series for years. I look forward to every book she comes out with. The Nemesis was the first one that was disappointing. I don't want to give the whole thing away - but the set up was great - I had all sorts of plot twists in mind. Unfortunately, the author seemed to get literally bogged down in the bogs of the Pontine Marshes.

I suppose this particular book is meant to set up Albia, Falco's adopted daughter as a sleuth herself. But it fell short even in that area. Helena, Falco's mother, his sister, Maia had much opportunity to shine but alas, all were given short shrift. Even the arch villain was less than compelling. I am not sure how the torture scenes helped either the story line or the character development.

It would have been far, far better had the death of Falco's father and baby been of greater - and I mean more significant in terms of Falco's future - significance. Inheriting money and slaves and the auctionering business seemed seriously shallow given what we have learned about Falco and his background.

Hopefully, Lindsay Davis will return to her usually sharp characters and plot twists in her next book.