Two for the Lions

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Summary: The Real Story of Roman Gladiators
Review: I am sure that I have never read a book that so accurately describes the life of the Roman Gladiators, and the bloodiness of the ring. This book is certainly the most graphic of all the books I've read in this series. We see the life of the gladiators and the sport in the ring right from the "front row seats". This story tells about Falco's work for the emporer in the census. He has partnered up with an old enemy of his -Anacrites. We get to know Anacrites quite well, and he is an appealing character. While Falco and his partner are doing the census work a lion of one of the men that they are auditing gets killed. This sets Falco out to disover the netherworld of the animal owners, and he and Helena end up making a trip to Africa while pursuing the mystery. The final pages in the book are "edge of your seat" type pages, and this is where things get really bloody. (Two people close to Falco end up in the ring in two different parts of the program). You will have to read to find out what happnes. Good Stuff!

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Summary: Falco in the lions' den!
Review: There's no place like Rome, where all roads lead to, and Marcus Didius Falco, ace Roman Sleuth, finds himself in another dilemma in author Lindsey Davis' "Two for the Lions." And Davis has no trouble maintaining her momentum in this latest of the Falco series. This time Falco is working as a tax investigator, appointed by the Emperor Vaspacian himself--but it's no ordinary tax investigation! He's on the trail of fraud committed by the "bestiarii" (the slaugherers) and the "lanistae" (the suppliers for the gladiator games). This "game" is deadly and the affable (but quite competent) Falco finds that dinner for the lions may include himself!

His pursuits lead him and his friend Helena to Tripoli--seems simple enough but first Falco has to render aid to Helena's youngers brother, who seems caught in the middle! Riddled with bits of humor as well as first-form suspense, "Two for the Lions" also offers history-with-an-exciting-twist. In addition, Davis doesn't hesitate to take pot shots at the local bureaucracy, and politics, society (a real "Roman a clef"!). And she is sure not to disappoint her "legions" of fans!([e-mail])