Ode to a Banker by Lindsey Davis

This text consists of excerpts from the historical mystery novel Ode to a Banker by Lindsey Davis, featuring the investigator Marcus Didius Falco. Set in ancient Rome around AD 74, the narrative follows Falco as he navigates a complex web of murder and financial corruption involving a wealthy publisher and banker named Aurelius Chrysippus. The sources provide a detailed cast of characters, including thieving bankers, frustrated writers, and Falco’s own contentious family members. Through a series of interrogations and domestic scenes, the plot explores the collapse of the Aurelian Bank and the professional rivalries within the Roman literary world. Ultimately, Falco utilizes his skills as an informer to unmask the killer while managing the personal dramas of his sisters and the Chief Spy, Anacrites.