Ode to a Banker (2001)

Ode to a Banker begins with Falco reading his poetry at a public reading. He's flattered when Chrysippus, a wealthy banker and scriptorium owner, offers him the chance to publish, but outright refuses when he learns he would have to pay Chrysippus for it. He's commissioned for the investigation when Chrysippus turns up murdered in the library. There is an abundance of suspects - lots of people thought Chrysippus was as creepy as Falco did, including a bunch of bitter authors and a twisted family, all with motives of course. There is a twist when someone else turns up dead, but the plot of the actual mystery unfolds pretty slowly until the end when Falco gathers all the suspects and interrogates them. Until then the plot is driven mainly by Falco's crazy extended family and their bizarre relationships and escapades.
The twelfth Falco Ancient Rome mystery shows how the readers how the Romans feel about Greeks, banking, and publishing. The mystery develops slowly, or perhaps minimally until the end, but the story is enjoyable throughout the book. Overall, an enjoyable read but a slow plot. In many ways, this entry is written tongue in cheek as Lindsey Davis satirizes publishing, banking, and detectives. Thus the audience obtains an educated, humorous and well-written who-done-it that retains a freshness not all series have when they reach the twelfth plateau. ( )

When Falco goes poetic, he is offered publication, but the publisher is murdered. Was it an angry writer, one of his customers in his banking business or someone in his family? The answers will take you on a romp through Roman oratory and banking, with a satisfactory ending. ( )

This has the old Falco flair and the ever-amusing Falco family, but the plot is less compelling than in many of the earlier works. Indeed, it sometimes seems a bit like a succession of shticks. ( )

I love coming to a series late, so that all the books are published and you don't have to wait 3 years in between each of them coming out. You can just go to the library and borrow four at a time, devouring them basically one after the other. This was very standard, very formulaic, but that's why we love these books! I liked the extended 'interview all the suspects together to unmask the killer' routine at the end... ( )

A middling installment in the Falco series, with fun insights in the Roman publishing and banking businesses and a Christie-like denouement with all the suspects in one room. Add to the mix the usual amount of Falco’s domestic distractions and you have the Lindsey Davis formula. Enjoyable, but not memorable. ( )