Alexandria, Lindsey Davis

Alexandria by Lindsey Davis is a Marcus Didius Falco novel.  Part of a series of novels about an informer in the court of Vespasian.

Started:  1/10/2012
Completed:  2/15/2012
Recommendation:  If you are only going to read one historical novel about a Roman investigator I prefer the Roma Sub Rosa series by Steven Saylor.
Recommended By:  A librarian at the local library
Review:


As a mystery this book fails.   There are a series of deaths and a series of clues, but it is simply impossible to solve the "mystery" with the information given in the book before the detective, Marcus Didius Falco, does.  In fact, it seems that he stumbles on the solution just as the rest of us do.

As a character study, this book fails.  The protagonist is not terribly interesting (this is the 19th in a series of books, so his character is probably as well developed as it is going to get).  His wife, Justina, is equally undeveloped.  The potential here is to develop the uncle, but that character is wildly neglected and serves largely as a mildly sinister foil to the good nephew.

Alexandria is an interesting city, but it is used as a backdrop and the library itself is used as a cavity into which the story is placed.  There is the occasional step into historical information (I guess), but nothing that caught my attention.  The zoo that was associated with the library was interesting, but so little was told of the nature of it that the simple fact of its existence was all I was able to garner.  Perhaps the source material is lacking.

In short, if you are not a fan of Marcus Didius Falco already, this book should not compel you to read more.  If you are a fan, then I don't know whether this book is consistent with the series or an aberration.