“With well-drawn, believable characters and a descriptive sense of both period and place, this is a thoroughly enjoyable novel which sets the scene for what, I hope, will be an on-going series to rival the author’s ‘Spartacus Chronicles’.”
NO MAJOR SPOILERS
For this story Rob goes back to Rome again, to the time of Emperor Hadrian, one of the ‘five good emperors’ as Rob says in the notes at the end. Yet again I’ve enjoyed reading this and I’m now looking forward to follow-up book.
Rob writes series of books and next on my list next ‘Jack the Ripper’ story. Happily, Rob is writing a third book in that stories – but I digress here …
Hadrian appoints a new magistrate with investigate and punish crimes and keep order in Rome while Hadrian is off on travels around the empire and just in time really because at the same time there is an assassin doing the rounds killing a number off well to do wealthy men. Lucius sets up his own household that includes a number of other men who help him with his investigations, one of whom is Bako, a battle hardened ex-legionnaire.
The investigation fallows a trail of bodies that seem to climb the social ladders of Roman and increases the danger to Lucius and his followers. The story fairly rattles along to the man at the top of ladder of ambition and deceit, all rampant in Rome at the time. It all comes to an end, but I doubt if it’s happy ever after. We have to wait for number two to find that out.
I buy Robs’ books on kindle and that is why it takes me so long to read them, not that are heavy going of course, they aren’t, it’s just that I don’t spend much time on my kindle. They are available as paperbacks too. Anyway, to round off then, I recommend all of Rob’s books and not just this one which the latest one I’ve read. So why not have look and give him a go folks, I’m sure you’ll enjoy his work.
Reviewed by:
Ron Clark
Added 8th November 2017
