Libertus Mystery of Roman Britain – serie

An unwelcome proposal of marriage has far-reaching repercussions in this skilfully plotted historical mystery.April, CE 194. The tensions in the civil-war-torn Empire have come to Glevum now. Libertus's patron, Marcus Septimus, has received a letter from Druscilla Livia, a widowed cousin of his wife, seeking his protection. She has received an offer of marriage from a powerful Roman Senator, Hortius Valens, a man of cruel and unusual tastes, and she is in no position to refuse. She has run away . . . with Hortius in hot pursuit. This puts Marcus in a dangerous dilemma. If he accepts Druscilla as his ward and prevents the wedding, he offends not only her prospective groom, but also the Provincial Governor to whom Hortius is related. But if he returns Druscilla to the Senator, he offends another of her kinswomen - the Empress herself. Once again, Marcus turns to Libertus for help. But Libertus has worries of his own. His wife Gwellia has an injured foot, which is now infected and could cost her life. But when one of his own slaves is brutally killed he realizes how perilous the situation has become. Resolving to help Druscilla, he concocts an ingenious plan. But in defying the Senator, Libertus is making a powerful enemy. And even the best-laid plans can go disastrously awry . . .

A stolen valuable is just the beginning of a trail of strange events Junio has to uncover in this skilfully plotted historical mystery set in 2nd century Britain."A mastery of period detail matches the engrossing plot . . . Brilliant " Publishers Weekly Starred ReviewLate summer, CE 198. With Glevum an uneasy place since the current Emperor seized power, and with rebel Celts still actively opposing Roman rule, tension remains as Caesar turns his attention to stamping out all remaining threats to his authority.Junio, Libertus's adopted son, tries to be inconspicuous and focus on his workshop and growing family. This becomes difficult when Libertus's patron, Marcus Septimus, seeks Junio's advice about a valuable cloak-clasp which has disappeared - together with the jeweller who was repairing it.Unwillingly dragged into investigating this, Junio finds himself faced with a string of murders, betrayal and revenge, and his own small son in dreadful jeopardy! What secret was the missing jeweller hiding? What danger lurks in the ill-omened cave? And what part does the mysterious Celtic visitor who suddenly appears play in this tale of treachery?

An unwelcome proposal of marriage has far-reaching repercussions in this skilfully plotted historical mystery.April, CE 194. The tensions in the civil-war-torn Empire have come to Glevum now. Libertus's patron, Marcus Septimus, has received a letter from Druscilla Livia, a widowed cousin of his wife, seeking his protection. She has received an offer of marriage from a powerful Roman Senator, Hortius Valens, a man of cruel and unusual tastes, and she is in no position to refuse. She has run away . . . with Hortius in hot pursuit. This puts Marcus in a dangerous dilemma. If he accepts Druscilla as his ward and prevents the wedding, he offends not only her prospective groom, but also the Provincial Governor to whom Hortius is related. But if he returns Druscilla to the Senator, he offends another of her kinswomen - the Empress herself. Once again, Marcus turns to Libertus for help. But Libertus has worries of his own. His wife Gwellia has an injured foot, which is now infected and could cost her life. But when one of his own slaves is brutally killed he realizes how perilous the situation has become. Resolving to help Druscilla, he concocts an ingenious plan. But in defying the Senator, Libertus is making a powerful enemy. And even the best-laid plans can go disastrously awry . . .

"A mastery of period detail matches the engrossing plot . . . Brilliant " Publishers Weekly Starred Review of The Rewards of TreacheryOn his way to see the Emperor's spy, Junio is distracted by something even more unpleasant . . .Glevum, Britannia, 200 AD.Britannia is still reeling from the brutal Succession Wars. After the defeat and execution of Britannia’s governor, Clodius Albinus, Emperor Severus is determined to seek out his enemies in the Roman Empire’s northernmost outpost.In such troubled times, the arrival of the plague and the activities of Appius Limpnus, a suspected spy for Emperor Severus, are the last thing Glevum needs. Senior magistrate Marcus Septimus asks Libertus’s adopted son Junio to keep an eye on Appius by creating a mosaic outside his property.But when Junio discovers two bodies near the road on his way to Appius’s townhouse, he is reluctantly diverted to investigating another mystery. Suddenly Junio must navigate a deadly trail of spying, scheming and betrayal that leads to a killer . . .This smartly plotted, evocative and engaging historical mystery set in Roman Britain at the start of the 3rd century will appeal to fans of LINDSEY DAVIS, STEVEN SAYLOR and DAVID WISHART.