Reviews

A Dying Light in Corduba by Lindsey Davis

jakelewis_23_'s review against another edition

4.0

Another great Falco book! Had a big break between the previous one and this one and its been great to get back to these great characters

3.5 stars

rosannelortz's review

3.0

A Dying Light in Corduba saw our hero, Marcus Didius Falco, set off on a mission to Spain with a very pregnant Helena Justina in tow. Racketeers are forming a cartel to control the export and prices of olive oil. With a commodity that important to Roman society (think how important electric lighting is to us today!), the stakes are high and men are ready to kill for control. Marcus finds a close-knit and close-lipped society of provincials in Baetica, Spain. Everyone knows something about the incipient cartel, but no one wants to peach on their neighbors. The plot thickens when Marcus discovers that a second spy has been sent to shadow his own mission–but which dancer is she? And is she friend or foe?

The convoluted banquet scene at the beginning of A Dying Light in Corduba made it one of my least favorite in the Falco canon, but the pace picked up and the story clarified itself by the end. And honestly, how could you skip any one of these novels without missing out on major events in the main characters’ lives. Can Marcus crack the case before Helena Justina’s water breaks, or will he be stuck delivering the baby himself in the wilds of Hispania?

ijsvogel's review

adventurous challenging funny mysterious tense medium-paced

4.5

roshk99's review

4.0

Oddly satisfying book although the layers of intrigue were a bit to complex and not well enough explained. Falco's wry humor never fails to amuse

didactylos's review

3.0

Not my favourite, convoluted and lacking a focus

cake_cats_books's review

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

momsterlee's review

informative mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

gillianthomas's review

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes

vesper1931's review

5.0

Falco has been invited to a dinner with the Society of Olive Oil Producers of Baetica, along with The Chief Spy Anacrites.
When two members of the party are attacked Falco travels to Baetica in Spain to track down and question witnesses. Along with a very heavily pregnant Helena Justina.

mumsie_2's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0