The Accusers

The Marcus Didius Falco Mysteries, Book 15

By: Lindsey Davis

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

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.

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.

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.

More than 1 narrator

Narrator's seemed to switch to fill in what other missed! There also seemed to be a different writing style -- the reading of each person's notes was tedious, and difficult when the narrator switched only for a few words, then switched again.

What on Earth? Pick a Narrator, please!

Where does The Accusers rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Love the Falco series, not one of the best but remains enjoyable

How could the performance have been better?

Sweet Lord Jesus, this is only the second time I've had to put an audiobook away due to the narration. There are two narrators and the editor just spliced their performance together at random. Either would be ok, but switching back and forth is jarring. A ridiculous way to destroy an otherwise acceptable book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, narration kept me from finishing in fact.

Any additional comments?

Buy and read the book, this audio isn't worth your time or money due to the multiple narrators.

hard to follow in parts

I lost track of the multiple disinheritance. And a few recurring ones. Good story line, though. Be better if I'd had a print copy for reference.

Poor narration quailty

It sounded like the narrator was swapped out every few paragraphs, Story was slow and a little tedious at times.