This series reminds me of Robert B. Parker's "Spenser" series in that Marcus Didius Falco is such a wise guy like Spenser and his best friend, Petronius,is the strong silent type like Hawk.In this entry, Falco and his live-in Girl friend Helena have just returned to Rome in time for Falco to witness the exile of criminal mastermind Balbinus Pius. Petronius after years of trying finally was able to get Balbinus convicted of murder after which Balbinus was given the choice of death or exile. He chose exile. Soon after he leaves, however, a crime wave hits Rome. It appears someone is trying to take Balbinus' place. There are numerous sub-plots involving police corruption, sex scandals, power plays, and Helena's pregnancy, an event very unlikely to make her Senatorial family happy. There is also an expanded exploration of Falco's and Petronius' friendship. You would be hard-pressed to find an unliklier pair. Davis does a magnificent job of bringing Emperor Vespasian's Rome to life: the dangers of living in Rome, the importance of extended family, the life of an "informer"(P.I.), the power of the Emperor and his family and the strictures of class that keep Falco and Helena from getting married.Davis' characters sometimes seem more contemporary than Roman but they are also very entertaining. The details she provides of life in 78 AD illustrates the accuracy of her research. The main plot unfolds slowly so that the fascinating sub-plots can be developed. You won't be surprised at the conclusion but you will be satisfied with its logic.
After several books travelling the empire, Falco has returned to eternal city. Book seven in the series sees his friend Petronius Longus catch one of Rome’s most notorious criminals. Convicted criminals who are Roman citizens and facing the death sentence are permitted “time to depart” a period of grace in which they might choose to leave the empire in exile, considered a fate worse than death.After packing Balbinus off onto a ship at Ostia, Petronius Longus and Falco get the impression quickly that Balbinus will not stay gone for long. Following the discovery of the corpse of one of the arresting officers and later, a number of others associated with the case including several witnesses. What is more, Helena Justina is pregnant again and the matter is pressing that they get married… but Falco has yet to attain his promotion to Equestrian class.More of the same from Davis and the formula is really working well by now. All of the previous elements are there: flow, good plotting, humour, characterisation. I guess I don’t need to elaborate further for those who are already fans and those who haven’t read them shouldn’t really be starting with the seventh book. It is certainly nice to see Falco return to his native Rome after a seemingly endless number of trips to foreign landsSee more book reviews at my blog
What do You think about Time To Depart (1998)?
Very enjoyable read. I skipped over Last Act in Palmyra before reading this because it is taking too long to get here. There is a fair bit of revealing the ending of that book in this one and not just in the obvious early chapter that serves as a bit off a catch up where we left off. This caper revolves around a first century mob boss and a power vacuum. Petro and Falco work together or at least try to figure out who is pulling off some serious crimes after the mob boss has been put on his boat ready for exile. Lots of twists and turns among that shadowy crowd. More exciting is that Helena and Falco's families are all making more than cameos. Lots of fun
—Argum
3 1/2 stars rounded out to 4 stars. This one is almost a closed room mystery (if you can call a district of Rome a closed room) set in a very define area of Rome. It's the first tale where we learn and see what Petronius does and why he and Marcus are best friend, partners in crime and justice. The plot is intricate and there are a lot of strings tangling but ultimately Marcus, Petro and Helena put it all together. There are also a very good plot B that involves Marcus' and Helena's families reactions and relationships. That plot is not new and its the very solid ground Davis has built that makes these not just cozy mysteries set in Imperial Rome but slices of life novels with a side of mysteries set in Imperial Rome at the time where Rome was the center of the world. The reader learns how every day life probably was. Children, marriage, law and corruption, family and commerce. Davis wraps her knowledge of Imperial Roman life in a very pretty, easy cozy mystery that are not only fun but educational in a non boring way.
—Writerlibrarian
In this book Marcus Didius Falco and his friend Petronius Longo send the Balbinus, the leader of a crime syndicate, into exile after Balbinus is convicted and sentenced to death. A rather peculiar feature of Roman law was the option of "time to depart" for some under sentence of death. This meant that the one convicted could leave the Roman Empire. He could not come back and would be executed if he did. Just after Balbinus departs, a crime wave breaks out.As always, Falco's adventures are entertaining. There are plenty of plot twists and complications as well as interesting characters.
—Bonnie
