The Iron Hand of Mars cover art

The Iron Hand of Mars

Falco, Book 4

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for £0.00
£8.99/mo thereafter. Renews automatically. Terms apply. Offer ends 31 July 2025 at 23:59 GMT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.

The Iron Hand of Mars

By: Lindsey Davis
Narrated by: Gordon Griffin
Try for £0.00

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends 31 July 2025 23:59 GMT. Cancel monthly.

Buy Now for £15.99

Buy Now for £15.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

"I’ve always wanted to see something of the Empire outside Rome."

AD 71. Germania Libera: dark, dripping forests inhabited by bloodthirsty barbarians and legendary wild beasts, a furious prophetess who terrorises Rome, and the ghostly spirits of slaughtered Roman legionaries.

Enter Falco, an Imperial agent on a special mission: to find the absconding commander of a legion whose loyalty is suspect. Easier said than done, thinks Falco as he makes his uneasy way down the Rhenus, trying to forget that back in sunny Rome his girlfriend, Helena Justina, is being hotly pursued by Titus Caesar. His mood is not improved when he discovers his only allies are a woefully inadequate bunch of recruits, their embittered centurion, a rogue dog, and its innocent young master - just the right kind of support for an agent unwillingly trying to tame the Celtic hordes.

©1992 Lindsey Davis (P)2015 Audible, Ltd. Crime Fiction Historical Mystery

Listeners also enjoyed...

 Brother Cadfael cover art
The Course of Honour cover art
Voices of Rome cover art
Falco: The Complete BBC Radio Collection cover art
Vesuvius by Night cover art
Medicus cover art
A Plague on Both Your Houses cover art
The Great Game cover art
Marius' Mules I: The Invasion of Gaul cover art
Warrior: The Epic Story of Caratacus, Warrior Briton and Enemy of the Roman Empire cover art
The Apocalypse Troll cover art
Cathedral of Bones cover art
Funeral Games cover art
A Conspiracy of Violence cover art
Blood on the Crown cover art
The Fort cover art
All stars
Most relevant  
The early Falco books are, in my opinion, the best. Once you have got your head round the characters this must rate as the best of the best. The "rescue scene" in the forest is just breath taking, I listened to it several times

Great Read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I now have to get a Roman map of Europe so that when I revisit this, I can trace Falco's journey!

Excellent story.

Map needed!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Loved it Lindsey Davis brings the Roman Empire to live . I love Falco his wit is well matched by Helena. Can't wait to hear the next one

Falco at his best

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Yet again Davis delivers another stonking tale of Ancient Rome and all the machinations and deceit of those times. Strangely echoing modern times! Light hearted detective series with just enough humour and wit knitted through. Many do not like Griffin’s narration, but I must admit that I find it absolutely fine. Different to other narrators, but for me he suits Falco quite well. Very enjoyable listen.

Another stomping jaunt through ancient Rome

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Any additional comments?

It may not be read by Christian Rodska but is really well read and I will be getting the others read by Gordan Griffin.

Definitely worth getting if you are a Falco fan

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great book and a good narrator. I love this roman world, nice characters and good story

Great series, good listen

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I love this series. I am transported immediately back into Roman civilisation, and have the added bonus of criminal investigation. Although at times I feel that real Roman soldiers might have been more hard bitten and less cosy, I think some of this tone is down to the narrator. As this episode involves significant travel to Germania, this sparked quite a lot of research into roman maps and towns, which added to the interest.
Perhaps, if Falco did not have such a soft human centre I might not feel as much sympathy for him and his family and friends, and it is this human interest which keeps me hooked; something I found deplorably lacking in school history lessons.

Another good Roman yarn

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I've listened to all the Falco novels several times and love the plots, the characters and the wit. This one is of the usual quality - excellent.

I find I enjoy Gordon Griffin just as much as Christian Rodska. I don't know what the criticism is about. They are both brilliant!

The usual quality recording

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Well worth a listen, the narration is just right and the story is just right

Great read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The historical references are very good, embedded as they are in a multi-stranded plot with the wonderful characters from the Falco series. Prefer Christian Rodska to read these books as he gives a more authentic impression of Falco.

Great characters and plot

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews