Un cadáver en los baños
Lindsey Davis
Publicado: 2001 | 389 páginas
Novela Histórico Intriga
Serie: Marco Didio Falco #13 /suRov2pa8_G4

Las temibles maquinaciones de una amante despechada de Anácrites recomiendan a su socio Marco Didio Flaco alejar a su familia de Roma, y la oportunidad se la ofrece el emperador Vespasiano al proponerle viajar a los confines del imperio, a Britania, para investigar las misteriosas muertes que están entorpeciendo el proyecto de Togidubno de construir un nuevo palacio. Lo que en realidad se encuentra Falco, es una trama de malversación, estafas y corrupción en la que participan tanto arquitectos como constructores.

Falco and his father discover a corpse under the floor of his new bath house. The contractors unfortunately may have fled to Britain, a place that Falco hates. But he is ordered to go to southern Britain to investigate the overly high running costs of a palace being built for Togidubnus, an ally of the Emperor Vespasian.

( )

Always a good story. Woven into a real place. ( )

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/4178465/#14789917 ( )

Marcus Didius Falco is an "informer" in Ancient Rome. His Caesar has asked him to go to the wilds of Britain to investigate the building of the native king's palace which is taking longer and costing more than it should. Falco takes most of his family with him.

I had high expectations of this. I mean, it had high praise from Ellis Peters for crying out loud! The back cover says it won a "Best Comic Detective" award. I should love it. But I don't. I couldn't finish it.

I found the narrative to be stilted, unnatural and Falco is spiteful, not funny. It is difficult to follow the timing of events, but that settles down once they get to Britain. However, all the modern slang grates on my ears and throws me right out of the story. "A man croaked," and so forth. I'm sure the Roman's had slang, I'm equally sure that I could not read this in Latin, however, there has to be somewhere in between. If you take away a few of the notable props like togas and other vocabulary words, this might well be set in modern times. It didn't work for me, but I am obviously in the minority here, so don't let me stop you from trying it! ( )