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.
Rating: 
Summary: A rare find
Review: With Venus in Copper, Lindsey Davis is continuing her Didius Falco series in fine style. As a fan of mysteries and especially historical mysteries, I was ecstatic to find an author who can write a great story, not just mystery and who injects both fact and humor into the mix. Venus in Copper also adds a lighter note to the Falco storyline. You'll get an insight into everyday Roman life of 2000 years ago and you'll cheer for Falco and his friends (and even for his enemies) in this charming and addictive book. It can stand on its own, but it improved by having read Silver Pigs and Shadows in Bronze first.
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