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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
Falco has just returned from Spain with Helena Justina and new baby in tow. During his welcome home party, Falco and his friend Petronius Longus sneak out for a drink beside a water fountain which typically isn’t working. When a city worker comes along to repair it it turns out that the source of the blockage was a human hand. After making a few enquiries it turns out that this has been a fairly regular occurrence, usually a hand or two turn up after a public festival. Anacrites is also back to full health and what’s more, he is in no mood to express gratitude by helping Falco. Instead he steals the case and when Falco and Petro fight back, Anacrites sends a group of thugs to beat them up.
When two more hands turn up, and all but one are identified as having belonged to missing prostitutes, it would appear that Falco has a serial killer on his hands and must stop him before he kills again. Whats more, several more women are reported missing, including one associated with Helena Justina’s family.
More excellent research here from Davis, this time about the Roman water supply in the first century. Not the most riveting of subjects but nonetheless, an interesting way to mix research and story-telling. This is the first serial killer that Falco has investigated ands the plot is fairly formulaic and will be familiar to the average crime-thriller fan.
I enjoyed this but it is not amongst my favourites. To be honest, there is nothing here that really helps this book in the series to stand out against the others.
See more book reviews at my blog
When two more hands turn up, and all but one are identified as having belonged to missing prostitutes, it would appear that Falco has a serial killer on his hands and must stop him before he kills again. Whats more, several more women are reported missing, including one associated with Helena Justina’s family.
More excellent research here from Davis, this time about the Roman water supply in the first century. Not the most riveting of subjects but nonetheless, an interesting way to mix research and story-telling. This is the first serial killer that Falco has investigated ands the plot is fairly formulaic and will be familiar to the average crime-thriller fan.
I enjoyed this but it is not amongst my favourites. To be honest, there is nothing here that really helps this book in the series to stand out against the others.
See more book reviews at my blog
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Marcus Didius Falco is his irascible self. Helping his longtime friend Petronius learn the tricky work of being an Informer. They find a severed hand in a local fountain and even with Rome's finest patrols, the killer manages to capture another victim. Davis blends historical figures, facts, and the landscape with sumptuous ease. I still don't understand why her books haven't been made into a television series.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
'Three Hands in the Fountain' is kind of a fun serial killer thriller. Yes, yes, I know. That is all sorts of wrong!
Detective Marcus Didius Falco is on his next case in 73 AD Rome after a rotting hand is found blocking a fountain's pipe. At first, Falco and his new temporary partner, L. Petronius Longus, do not know whether the hand is from a body which has been murdered, but an examination of the cut shows the hand was sawed off from the arm. It is very disturbing, but so much else is going on in the inner circle of Falco's family and friends he cannot concentrate on the hand as much as happens in most mysteries, which is where the fun comes in.
I must emphasize this mystery series is a deeply researched historical novel which includes a lot of details about ancient Rome, and its strongest story element is a humorous family drama which is continued from book to book in the series. Oh, Falco and his friends and family periodically end up in fights for their lives, but so far, most of the nice characters survive and the bad guys don't.
Falco has a new baby and a new dog and a new apartment besides a new business partner. Although Falco never married Helena Justina (so far - its complicated), having the baby has finally reconciled Helena's mother to their relationship, but one of Helena's brothers is still seeing Falco as if he were a rotting fish head. Petronius is Falco's best friend, but he is not a good business partner. Falco doesn't have the heart to tell his friend to get lost, mostly because his friend has lost his job and his wife Falco's mother has sort of adopted another man as a son, having nursed him back to health at Falco's suggestion, but Falco actually hates him due to an ongoing antagonistic relationship (previous books).
I strongly suggest starting with book one: [bc:The Silver Pigs|44230|The Silver Pigs (Marcus Didius Falco, #1)|Lindsey Davis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388383057s/44230.jpg|1331066]
Detective Marcus Didius Falco is on his next case in 73 AD Rome after a rotting hand is found blocking a fountain's pipe. At first, Falco and his new temporary partner, L. Petronius Longus, do not know whether the hand is from a body which has been murdered, but an examination of the cut shows the hand was sawed off from the arm. It is very disturbing, but so much else is going on in the inner circle of Falco's family and friends he cannot concentrate on the hand as much as happens in most mysteries, which is where the fun comes in.
I must emphasize this mystery series is a deeply researched historical novel which includes a lot of details about ancient Rome, and its strongest story element is a humorous family drama which is continued from book to book in the series. Oh, Falco and his friends and family periodically end up in fights for their lives, but so far, most of the nice characters survive and the bad guys don't.
Falco has a new baby and a new dog and a new apartment besides a new business partner. Although Falco never married Helena Justina (so far - its complicated), having the baby has finally reconciled Helena's mother to their relationship, but one of Helena's brothers is still seeing Falco as if he were a rotting fish head. Petronius is Falco's best friend, but he is not a good business partner. Falco doesn't have the heart to tell his friend to get lost, mostly because his friend has lost his job and his wife
Spoiler
because Petro has become infatuated with a married woman who is part of a criminal mafia-style family. Falco is hoping to get Petro away from the floozy and back with his wife and three daughters and reinstated as a Roman police officer.I strongly suggest starting with book one: [bc:The Silver Pigs|44230|The Silver Pigs (Marcus Didius Falco, #1)|Lindsey Davis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388383057s/44230.jpg|1331066]
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Gore, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Standard Falco, with a particularly grim crime this time around, but I enjoyed the underworld descriptions around the Circus Max and several of the new side characters.
It's quite amazing to see a serial killer novel set in ancient Rome. You would think the two genres wouldn't mix, any more than the seriousness of the crime and the wise-cracking humor of the detective...and yet they do, well enough even for me, and I am not a fan of the serial killer mystery. The solution comes somewhat quickly at the end, an "aha" moment, but the author plays fair: it is based on clues that have appeared earlier.
But who am I kidding? The real reason to read this book is to find out what happens next in the families of Marcus Didius Falco, Helena Justina, and Petronius Longus. Or to learn more than you ever need to know about Roman aqueducts!
But who am I kidding? The real reason to read this book is to find out what happens next in the families of Marcus Didius Falco, Helena Justina, and Petronius Longus. Or to learn more than you ever need to know about Roman aqueducts!