The Bottom Line
Featuring Marcus Didius Falco as the sleuth, "Two for the Lions" is Lindsey Davis' humorous murder mystery about the inevitable -- death, taxes, and bosses trying to stiff their employees.
Pros
- Entertaining story about Vespasian's Rome
- More about Falco-Helena's large extended family
- Behind the scenes look at gladiators
Cons
- Many dislikeable characters
- Presentation of Imperial Africa unimpressive
- Ends with a cliffhanger
Description
- Collecting delinquent taxes isn't an exciting enough job for Marcus Didius Falco.
- Not exactly madcap so much as a seasick herb odyssey around the Mediterranean.
- A look at the use of exotic animals and lusted-after men in the gladiatorial arenas.
Guide Review - Two for the Lions, by Lindsey Davis
"Two for the Lions," by Lindsey Davis, takes place in A.D. 73. Lindsey Davis' sleuth -- informer Marcus Didius Falco -- admits he needs a partner and so teams up (to work on a census project) with Anacrites, a man he loathes because of his previous employment as imperial spy. Falco ultimately discovers that working for the Roman Emperor Vespasian means neither a reliable salary nor a secure job, but first Falco and his partner, paid to engage in delinquent tax collection, wind up in Africa solving gladiatorial school murder mysteries.
