Reading the Detectives discussion

Welcome to our June/July buddy read of Two for the Lions The tenth book in the Marcus Didius Falco series was published in 1998.

Lumbered with working alongside reptilian Chief Spy Anacrites, Marcus Didius Falco has the perfect plan to make money - he will assist Vespasian in the Emperor's 'Great Census' of AD73.

His potential fee could finally allow him to join the middle ranks and be worthy of long-suffering Helena Justina.

Unexpectedly confronted with the murder of a man-eating lion, Falco is distracted from his original task, uncovering a bitter rivalry between the gladiators' trainers. With one star gladiator dead, Falco is forced to investigate and the trail leads from Rome to the blood-soaked sand of the arena in North Africa. But what lies in store?

This is currently 99p on kindle (at time of posting 31/05) if you don't yet have a copy.

Please feel free to post spoilers in this thread.

I found this very interesting. I have been to the Coliseum and it is HUGE, so I could imagine how it must have felt to have been watching the games in Rome.

The coliseum is the amphitheater that the emperor is building in Falco's day - still ten years away by his estimation. Called the Flavian Amphitheater on the map in the front of the book.

Yes, absolutely. Sorry, I wasn't very clear. Just thinking of the experience of watching the games then. They had several different locations didn't they? I believe that they even flooded certain parts of the countryside, outside the city to hold battles with ships?

Well, what did we think of the ending? And Falco's brother-in-law?! I should have seen that coming, but I didn't.

The brother-in-law's death is one of the moments in the series that I remember vividly.

I never clocked to that one. Really, I should have realised. I dread poor Falco having to tell his favourite sister when he gets home.

I'm really enjoying re-reading this series. I know there is a spin-off with Falco's daughter but I can't remember whether they had other children?

Susan wrote: "I never clocked to that one. Really, I should have realised. I dread poor Falco having to tell his favourite sister when he gets home.

I'm really enjoying re-reading this series. I know there is ..."

Falco's daughter in the next series is an adopted daughter who will appear later. A very good series as well but second to Falco (in my opinion).

Oh, that's interesting. He nearly adopted a son already, but his childless sister took him in, so perhaps the author was playing with that idea early on so Helena did not have to be constantly pregnant.

Susan wrote: "I never clocked to that one. Really, I should have realised. I dread poor Falco having to tell his favourite sister when he gets home.

I'm really enjoying re-reading this series. I know there is ..."

I kind of saw it coming, with all the foreshadowing about how he would shout nasty, hateful things about Carthaginians when he was drunk, which was often. I didn’t think it would end well, but I was thinking stabbing in a bar fight, or beat up by a crowd, this was yikes!

Yes, telling his beloved sister will be awful.

Sandy wrote: "Susan wrote: "I never clocked to that one. Really, I should have realised. I dread poor Falco having to tell his favourite sister when he gets home.

I'm really enjoying re-reading this series. I ..."

Thanks, i wondered - I’ve seen the book covers, and references to “a Flavia Alba (Albia?) mystery”, and thought, wait, that’s not the baby’s name!?

Susan wrote: "Oh, that's interesting. He nearly adopted a son already, but his childless sister took him in, so perhaps the author was playing with that idea early on so Helena did not have to be constantly preg..."

Good point - that is the traditional way to sideline women in books!

I don’t know if anyone else listens to the audiobooks, beautifully narrated by Simon Prebble, but they make this series for me! There are so many characters (and I struggle with keeping the Roman names straight), and historical info about Roman life and politics-I enjoy learning it all, but as much as I love history, I struggle with ancient history, and sometimes it all just runs together…Prebble’s narration helps me pick up on context.

Love the audio books. A couple have a different narrator but I can hardly tell the difference.

We have Gordon Griffin as narrator. He doesn't work for me - sounds too elderly, so I prefer to read them.

Susan wrote: "We have Gordon Griffin as narrator. He doesn't work for me - sounds too elderly, so I prefer to read them."

Not our second narrator - luckily.

Sandy wrote: "Susan wrote: "We have Gordon Griffin as narrator. He doesn't work for me - sounds too elderly, so I prefer to read them."

Not our second narrator - luckily."

Regarding the elderly bit, at some point Falco mentions he is writing his memoirs after the fact (perhaps when referring to Pompeii) so maybe you could picture an elderly Falco?

No, I really couldn't Sandy! I tried, to be fair, but I don't like his narration at all.