Rating: 
Summary: Lindsey Davis is a worthy successor to Ellis Peters
Review: 'Last Act in Palmyra' follows the trend established by Lindsey Davis in the Falco series. Ms Davis spends considerable time exploring the growth in the unlikely relationship between Falco and his aristocratic girl friend, Helena Justina. The characters are well-drawn and the wry humour throughout the book makes it an easy read; however Ms Davis does gloss over the squalor and less savoury practices that prevailed in ancient Rome and its empire.Read the very latest Falco book 'Three Hands in the Fountain', a copy of which I have just received from Britain. Ms Davis has maintained her momentum in depicting further Falco's developing domestic life with his new baby daughter
Rating: 
Summary: Eagerly anticipated "Falco" novel
Review: As always, I eagerly await the latest in the Falco detective series. I was somewhat disappointed with this one however. I missed the usual sidekicks in this novel (Petronius, siblings, etc.) and found the novel to be a little long-drawn. Once Falco narrowed down his suspect list to two, it seemed to take forever to solve the case. I also missed the deity + metal title of the novel (although I guess she had to run out sometime). All in all, it was fair reading.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful Rollicking Fun!
Review: I don't care what everyone else had to say about this book. I really enjoyed it. It was rollicking good fun. Didio and his beautiful Helena are on the road again, this time in Syria, and they join up with a travelling group of performers. The antics and adventures that they get into during the book are hilarious. The actual catching of the killer is done in the most unique way (as part of a performance). Falco gets better with each outing. Ms. Davis' writing is sparkling with wit, and her characters breathe! This book is back to a real whodunit format, and that was fun as well. Bring on the rest!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Rollicking Fun!
Review: I don't care what everyone else had to say about this book. I really enjoyed it. It was rollicking good fun. Didio and his beautiful Helena are on the road again, this time in Syria, and they join up with a travelling group of performers. The antics and adventures that they get into during the book are hilarious. The actual catching of the killer is done in the most unique way (as part of a performance). Falco gets better with each outing. Ms. Davis' writing is sparkling with wit, and her characters breathe! This book is back to a real whodunit format, and that was fun as well. Bring on the rest!
Rating: 
Summary: A low point in an otherwise enjoyable series
Review: I have been happily ploughing through the Falco series over the past few months. This entry was most disappointing. It has Falco traipsing all over the far eastern reaches of the empire through town after town. Nothing much happens as Falco searches for a murderer in his midst and inevitably finds him. I found the travel to be repitious and I was bored by several pointless side plots. Also, is it just me or is this book particularly crass with language and blantant profanity? I'm not adverse to "realism" in my reading, but the tone of the books seem to have changed for the worse with this entry. I have the next in the series, Time to Depart, and am hoping for a return to form.
Rating:
Summary: A low point in an otherwise enjoyable series
Review: I have been happily ploughing through the Falco series over the past few months. This entry was most disappointing. It has Falco traipsing all over the far eastern reaches of the empire through town after town. Nothing much happens as Falco searches for a murderer in his midst and inevitably finds him. I found the travel to be repitious and I was bored by several pointless side plots. Also, is it just me or is this book particularly crass with language and blantant profanity? I'm not adverse to "realism" in my reading, but the tone of the books seem to have changed for the worse with this entry. I have the next in the series, Time to Depart, and am hoping for a return to form.
Rating:
Summary: Not the best
Review: I really enjoy the Falco novels, but this one was disappointing. I purchased it soon after it was published, started it, but left it unfinished until recently. I finished it and started Time to Depart which returns to Rome. I feel that Last Act leaves much to be desired, but enjoy the other titles in the series. Keep up the good work.
Rating:
Summary: Not the best
Review: I really enjoy the Falco novels, but this one was disappointing. I purchased it soon after it was published, started it, but left it unfinished until recently. I finished it and started Time to Depart which returns to Rome. I feel that Last Act leaves much to be desired, but enjoy the other titles in the series. Keep up the good work.
Rating:
Summary: Nice but less than stellar
Review: I think Lindsey Davis- bless her heart- is unfortunately beginning to get a bit of a case of sequelitis. This entry, although a nice little adventure that can while away an afternoon or two, does not measure up to the wonderful "Silver Pigs" (which has to be one of my all-time favorite mysteries). Someone mentioned earlier that the usually accurate Ms Davis goofed when she mentioned that plays were performed at night in ancient times. I have my own bone to pick as well- the one part in this story which rang particularly false to me was when Falco runs into a gaggle of early Christians while he is gallivanting somewhere around the Middle East. Now, according to Ms Davis, these early Christians come across more like wimpy hippies passing out daisies in an airport than the firebreathing folks you read about in the New Testament. (I can't imagine St Paul being anybody's idea of a wimpy hippie- especially when he was debating with the Athenians in the Areopagus.) I suppose "Jesus Christ Superstar," with its singing flower child apostles, has made, in many people's minds, an indelible impression of the nature of early Christianity. (Thank you Andrew Lloyd Webber!)
Rating:
Summary: Falco Road Novel-- Worth reading but not the series best.
Review: In this Falco story, he hits the road going to the
empire in the East. The story is good, with the
usual witty dialogue. However it is not the best
of the series.
Note the title of this novel departs from the author's usual combination of Roman deity and metal.
The best Falco novels are set in Rome. I think Falco sums it up in the
story when he says "the Aventine is my territory".
This story lacks somewhat by the absence of Petronious Longus, Falco's extended family, and the Roman political machine.
Besides the title change, one thing I didn't like was how Helena Justina stole the story. Falco comes off like a "Honeymooners" Ralph Cramden to
her Gladys. I like the way Helena complicates his life and acts as a foil. However, Falco novels have traditionally been gum-shoe, detective classics. I finished this novel wondering if I'd read a V.I. Warshowski spin-off.
"Last Act in Palmyra" is worth reading, however it is not the best in the series. Falco remains at his best beating the cobbles of Rome.
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