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  • The Silver Pigs

  • Marcus Didius Falco, Book 1
  • By: Lindsey Davis
  • Narrated by: Christian Rodska
  • Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (1,003 ratings)
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The Silver Pigs cover art

The Silver Pigs

By: Lindsey Davis
Narrated by: Christian Rodska
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Summary

One fine day, A.D. 70, Sosia Camillina quite literally runs into Marcus Didius Falco on the steps of the Forum. It seems Sosia is on the run from a couple of street toughs, and after a quick and dirty rescue, P.I. Falco wants to know why.

Falco finds out that Sosia, the niece of a highly placed senator, holds the secret to a stockpile of silver pigs, ingots intended for no good use. Hoping for future favors from Sosia's powerful uncle, Falco embarks on an intricate case of smuggling, murder, and treason that reaches into the palace itself. And if he does not tread lightly, the treacherous puzzle of the silver pigs could buy him a one-way ticket to his own funeral pyre.

©1989 Lindsey Davis (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about The Silver Pigs

Average customer ratings
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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Murder, Mystery and Mayhem in First Century Rome!

I know of the Falco novels since they were first published. The research by the author is meticulous and adds weight and authenticity to a gripping story.

Falco, our hero, is a very believable character, and more than a little put-upon. He manages to take you, the listener with him as he negotiates his way through the various twists and turns of the plot, collecting a few beatings along the way, as well as imparting some telling insights into the realities of human nature.

I'm biased, I like the Falco Novels anyway!

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37 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

completely believable characters and a great plot

I love these novels - why are there so few in the Audible catalogue? And most of those are short dramas, rather than the whole book. This, the first of the Marcus Didius Falco series, is a cracker. I have no idea how accurate the historical details are but the context rings true to me and I can easily visualise the scenes Davies describes. Falco is a great flawed hero and the narrator's accent is perfect for him. the only thing which seemed slightly unlikely was his meetings with the Ceasars. I'd recommend it as a good uncomplicated bit of escapism... and no gory stuff either.

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20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A real pleasure

I love the Falco series and have read the complete series to date but this was my first aventure into the audio version. I thought the narrator was superb, bringing the character of Falco to life perfectly.
He also did justice to the other characters. Excellent job

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Modern style - Historical setting - Great!

I enjoyed reading the Didius Falco series of Lindsey Davis so much that I hoped to be able to have them all as audio books to listen to whilst doing craft work. I managed to find The Silver Pigs on Audible and have enjoyed listening to this recording. The narrator does a great job of bringing the character to life. My one regret - the whole series is not available on Audible. I look forward to being able to listen to the whole series.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved the story - the reason I shifted from Itunes

I bought this audio book from Itunes - I loved it and was really enjoying the story and the quality. Unfortnately on the Itunes version the end of the book was missing from the file. Apple was completely unhelpful and refused to replace the file. I've moved to Audible and am extremely pleased with their service and support and more reasonable costs. If you are going to purchase use Audible!



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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Highly recommended

If you could sum up The Silver Pigs in three words, what would they be?

Intriguing, authentic, well-narrated

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Silver Pigs?

Really, I'd say Books l and ll were both excellent, Perfectly paced and beautifully plotted to set up the conclusion in Book lll which, due to the constraints of the narrative, packed too much in.

What about Christian Rodska’s performance did you like?

Rodska turned this audio version from just a good story to a masterpiece of listening pleasure. His interpretation of Marcus Didiys Falco as the gruff, cynical, mysogenistic former soldier-cum imperial informer, who is generally content with his station in life, is flawless. As an actor, his talent is boundless, able to flit vocally from the working class south london accent he bestiows on Falco to the softer tones given to female leads Sosnia Camilina, upper class haughtiness of Helena Justina, the Imperial clip of Tiberius Caesar and the faded nobility of Senator Decius Camilliys Verus - all seemingly effortlessly. I have read many authors of Roman fiction, from Scarrow and Iggullden to Sutcliffe and Mario Valerie Manfredi. Somehiow, I missed out Davis. Rodska has turned me into her biggest fan, Am most disappointed to see that his voice doesn't carry through the whole series. Book 2, a BBC production, is narrated by Anton Lesser. He more well-known than Rodska, of course; - talented and respected actor . But he gives Falco a middle class, almost effete accent that betrays his humble origins. With Rodska the smells of old cabbage, rust and linseed oil fill your nostrils. Lesser's performance is altogether more sterile. Such a pity. Listen to this audiobook if only just to hear Rodska, a master in action.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Left me truly invested in the characters, their flaws, failures and the hand dealt to them by fate. No other audiobook has really ever done this for me before.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars
  • PJ
  • 28-10-17

Awful narration

Couldn't finish the book as the awful narration due to the overly cockney accent distracts from the story so i gave up listening

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Mystery : Humour : Information.

Lindsey Davis has a relish for Ancient Roman history that brings the period and way of life alive to the reader. Her main characters have warmth and immediacy, with a sense of humour throughout that raises many a chuckle. I painlessly absorbed a surface knowledge of Roman law, architecture, religious ritual and deities, etc., in a totally enjoyable way.
I first read this novel many years ago and so enjoyed the Audible version I am ordering more of the series.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

So enjoyable

If you could sum up The Silver Pigs in three words, what would they be?

Got it all.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Silver Pigs?

The stable scene. Falco and Helena believe that they have made it home safely after the journey from Britain with all it dangers and stress of their relationship. They then have a hectic time escaping from attackers during which another side of Helena's character surprises Falco. They end up taking refuge in a stable with only a horse eavesdropping and their feelings for one another take over. This is the starting point for all the other Falco books. Though he is an informer and the plots are important, his relationship with Helena is so important in all the other stories.

What does Christian Rodska bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

For me Rodska is the voice of Falco. He gives Falco the air of someone who knows his place. Has been there, done it all and expects it all to fall apart on him. His tone is easy on the ear but holds your attention. He changes tone and timbre in subtle ways when he voices different characters so that you realise the change but it is not jarring and doesn't deter from the story in any way.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book can provoke laughter as Lindsey Davis writes with lovely humour. She can also invoke great empathy with the characters which makes for compelling reading.

Any additional comments?

I borrowed this book on CD from the library some few years ago now and since then have read all the other books in the Falco series and bought them all in hard copy (this was before I joined Audible). I remembered enjoying The Silver Pigs and wanted to reread it as it had been the reason for my going on to read the rest of the series. I was not disappointed. I also realised that when reading the other books it had been Christian Rodska's voice that had been in my head as the voice of Falco all the time.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Very enjoyable reading, good story

Very lively reading, enjoyed it immensely. Sagged a bit towards the end, then picked up. Will try more in this series

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6 people found this helpful