Marcus Didius Falco is on a family holiday again; this time in Alexandria. I say holiday, but as usual, things don’t go entirely to plan. It’s not long before he gets involved in the murky world surrounding the famous library, and it’s somewhat isolated and eccentric staff.
I will say straightaway, that the Falco books which are set away from Rome can be a little formulaic. It can seem that the author changes the location to show off her latest research about a place or event, and this has led on occasion to the story being something of an afterthought. The same criticism can be made of this book. The story is multi-layered and quite complex, as usual. There is also a lot of detail about the city, and especially the workings of the great library.
But all that detail gets in the way of Falco and his family, which, lets face it, is why we read the books in this series. In this volume, Falco is not quite his usual self. He seems to have lost much of his humour and light touch, and Helena plays a much smaller part than usual, which is a shame.
The cast of characters is as varied as usual, but a little less rounded. There are crimes, misdemeanours and murders aplenty. The tension between Roman authorities and the old order over which they are laid is dealt with well. Indeed the very reason why Falco is investigating events is that the local officials are more than happy to have an outsider causing potential ructions, while they themselves can get on doing as little as possible.
When Falco’s father suddenly appears on the scene, events gradually move a little too close to home. Add to that the appearance of Thallia, an exotic snake dancer and purveyor of circus animals, who is an old acquaintance of Falco and Helena, things start to get a bit out of hand. And far more confusing.
It’s an enjoyable read as usual, but – and I hesitate to say this – there is perhaps too much going on; too many unlikely occurrences. I know that the next volume will be the last in the Falco series, and I wonder if this book has become too much of a setup for the denouement to come.
This is a review of the Arrow Books 2010 Kindle edition.
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