The Accusers

The Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries, Book 15

By: Lindsey Davis

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

This novel in the acclaimed Marcus Didius Falco series finds the first-century detective confronting Roman legal forces that may just destroy him - and his family.

Fresh from a trip to far-flung Londinium in Britain, Falco needs to reestablish his presence in Rome. A minor role in the trial of a senator entangles him in the machinations of two powerful lawyers. The senator is convicted but then dies, apparently by suicide. It may have been a legal move to protect his heirs; Falco is hired to prove it was murder.

As he shows off his talents in the role of advocate, Falco exposes himself to a tangle of upper-class secrets and powerful elements in Rome's legal hierarchy that may have unintended - if not fatal - consequences.

©2004 Lindsey Davis (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Still listening…

BUT that is NOT Simon Prebble! He knows Falco. His emotion and reading are the only acceptable ones for this. That’s disappointing, perhaps if Simon fell ill? Or, as in some rare cases, our voice actor passed away? But this is without explanation.

Odd editing

Midway through the book it seemed almost as if there were two different versions of Simon Prebble narrating the book. I don’t think it was the reader’s fault—it sounded like two different readings that had been recorded years apart had been spliced together in a mad rush. Solid Falco story but terrible production value.

Okay but not my favorite.

I love Falco. However this story plodded a bit especially with the characters reading legal/informer/investigation notes. As a narrator myself, I felt for Simon Prebble when it became clear that part way through the project he got a head cold which made his character voices nasally. This storyline did show us more of Helena’s brothers which was nice to see.

Another great story

The story is another intricate mystery, and Mr. Pebble's performance is a delight. I love the period detail, whether accurate or not.

Ok

I'll be honest this was not my favorite Falco story. The plot got a little overly complicated combined with the variation in narrators made it hard to follow. Glad for the summary in the last chapter because I lost my way at that point.