Rating: 
Summary: A decent new case, but still witty character interaction
Review: "Venus in Copper," the third Falco novel, marks his first new 'case,' as the previous two novels covered facets of the same extended plot. However, the social scheming of the freed slaves the Hortensii, the reputedly deadly widow Severina Zotica, Falco's clashes with the Emperor's agents, and poisonings at banquets don't provide as exciting a plot as the political conspiracy of the first two novels. In addition, the action never moves outside of Rome, and therefore lacks the charm of the additional rural settings of Britannia and Pompeii featured in the previous novels. Falco still spars with his patrician girlfriend Helena Justina, often in the best of Davis's subtle and evocative prose, and Falco's morose attitude about the future of the relationship is skillfully fueled by the entrance of true historical personality Titus Caesar as a suitor. The Falco-Helena character relationship is the real core of these novels, not the actual plots, so the slightly lesser mystery in "Venus" does not detract from the continuing development of these rich characters.
Rating:
Summary: A decent new case, but still witty character interaction
Review: "Venus in Copper," the third Falco novel, marks his first new 'case,' as the previous two novels covered facets of the same extended plot. However, the social scheming of the freed slaves the Hortensii, the reputedly deadly widow Severina Zotica, Falco's clashes with the Emperor's agents, and poisonings at banquets don't provide as exciting a plot as the political conspiracy of the first two novels. In addition, the action never moves outside of Rome, and therefore lacks the charm of the additional rural settings of Britannia and Pompeii featured in the previous novels. Falco still spars with his patrician girlfriend Helena Justina, often in the best of Davis's subtle and evocative prose, and Falco's morose attitude about the future of the relationship is skillfully fueled by the entrance of true historical personality Titus Caesar as a suitor. The Falco-Helena character relationship is the real core of these novels, not the actual plots, so the slightly lesser mystery in "Venus" does not detract from the continuing development of these rich characters.
Rating: 
Summary: I Actually Enjoyed This Book
Review: I enjoyed this third book in the Falco series. It was as entertaining as the first one - The Silver Pigs. I think Ms. Davis gives her readers a rare view of ancient Rome, and Falco is a treat! The books are funny and there is a good mystery in them. In this one Falco has no shortage of suspects, and he gets in his usual scrapes trying to suss them out. Helena plays more of a role in this book too, and I think she's going to be a real asset to Falco to help solve his crimes. She can get into places and into households that he can't and helps him get the information he needs. It's almost like Thomas and Charlotte Pitt set in an much more ancient era. Only this hero gets into a lot more scrapes, and gets beat up a lot more than poor Thomas ever does. Read this series if you're looking for light-hearted, funny mystery stories.
Rating:
Summary: I Actually Enjoyed This Book
Review: I enjoyed this third book in the Falco series. It was as entertaining as the first one - The Silver Pigs. I think Ms. Davis gives her readers a rare view of ancient Rome, and Falco is a treat! The books are funny and there is a good mystery in them. In this one Falco has no shortage of suspects, and he gets in his usual scrapes trying to suss them out. Helena plays more of a role in this book too, and I think she's going to be a real asset to Falco to help solve his crimes. She can get into places and into households that he can't and helps him get the information he needs. It's almost like Thomas and Charlotte Pitt set in an much more ancient era. Only this hero gets into a lot more scrapes, and gets beat up a lot more than poor Thomas ever does. Read this series if you're looking for light-hearted, funny mystery stories.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Funny!!
Review: I LOVED this book!! It's packed full of that synical Falco humor! This book leans on the other two far less than Shadow In Bronze did. This you could read all by it's self. The only problem I have with this book is that it's a little long, but not extremely so. I highly suggest this book to anyone who needs a laugh.
Rating:
Summary: Great Wit--Great History!
Review: I'd give this novel a 4.5 if I could. It isn't the top of the line as Falco stories go, but it's so far superior to most other historical mysteries that I hated to rate it less than 5. This is the novel that contains Davis's most waggish bit of BRITISH fun, on page 135 (paperback version): "It was a hundred years since Rome decided to civilize the Gauls;. . . I am prepared to concede that one day the three cold Gallic provinces will come up with a contribution to the civilised arts--but nobody is going to convince me that it will be mastery of cuisine." My best friend, married to a Frenchman who is an excellent home-kitchen chef, fell off her chair at that one, as I had done when I read it a few years earlier! And that's just one sample of Davis's mordant sense of "tweak." I demand to know why this book is out of print!
Rating:
Summary: Great Wit--Great History!
Review: I'd give this novel a 4.5 if I could. It isn't the top of the line as Falco stories go, but it's so far superior to most other historical mysteries that I hated to rate it less than 5. This is the novel that contains Davis's most waggish bit of BRITISH fun, on page 135 (paperback version): "It was a hundred years since Rome decided to civilize the Gauls;. . . I am prepared to concede that one day the three cold Gallic provinces will come up with a contribution to the civilised arts--but nobody is going to convince me that it will be mastery of cuisine." My best friend, married to a Frenchman who is an excellent home-kitchen chef, fell off her chair at that one, as I had done when I read it a few years earlier! And that's just one sample of Davis's mordant sense of "tweak." I demand to know why this book is out of print!
Rating:
Summary: Marcus Didius Falco continues to please...
Review: In this third book of the Falco series, our erstwhile "informer" is hired to suss out the intentions of one recently engaged gold-digger whose previous two marriages ended in disaster for her betrothed. But, before Falco can piece the lady's plan together, her fiancee is killed, the gold-digger's suspectedness is questioned, and a sophisticated lady comes to reside -- for good -- in Falco's new high-society apartment. Davis continues to delight with the Falco series. Humor once again pervades the narration but is much subtler and wittier than ever. The story, too, is more subtle in its development and much more appealing to a mass market audience, not just fans of the genre. Well written and worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable read
Review: It helps not to take this book too seriously, it is not meant to anyway. The author is not a professional historian, and she does not claim to be either. As a historical mystery set in Rome of the Emperor Vespasian it has certain shortcomings. It more reads like a social satire of modern England. She does get enough the facts right to make it enjoyable, but the story lacks a roman feel.
I liked reading it, and will be happy to read the other books in the series. Falco and the other 'heroes' are likeable and believable enough (but not as Romans - as English oiks). The mystery had enough intrigue and social comment to be fascinating.
Rating:
Summary: High on Mystery, Low on History
Review: Lindsey Davis is no Steven Saylor - which is both good and bad. On the one hand, Davis crafts a better mystery, with excellent attention paid to dropping just the right amount of clues at just the right time, keeping us guessing til the very end as to who is to blame for what. On the other hand, Saylor is far, far more effective in evoking ancient Rome. Davis' Falco, to quote a previous reviewer, is "a modern mystery in togas." Ancient Rome is the backdrop, but it could just as easily be ancient Greece, or medieval France, or Victorian England. So, which is better: Saylor or Davis? That depends on your tastes, obviously. For the mystery, go to Davis. For the history, go to Saylor. Or, better still, read both! This was my first foray into the Falco series, and I did not feel any loss from missing the first two volumes. Almost the opposite, in fact. These books are very difficult to find nowadays, so do not wait until you find book one to get started.
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