Shadows in Bronze

This is a rather long and complicated novel. I don't mind novels being long and complicated, and this is not a bad novel, but I didn't feel sufficiently entertained while being dragged around Italy in the wake of Falco and his mission.

I read through to the end, wanting to find out what happened, because I'd completely forgotten the story since last reading it 28 years ago. But in the end I don't wonder that nothing had stuck in my memory; it's not a story that leaves much of an impression on me.

The relationship between Marcus Didius Falco and Helena Justina, which was such an enjoyable feature of the preceding book, is here intermittent, fretful, and uncertain. Despite travelling separately for different reasons, they keep accidentally bumping into each other, but they're not always glad to do so.

This book is a part of their story, and people who want the whole thing will want to read it, but for me at least it's not much fun, and this isn't one of my favourite Falco books.