Ravenna, 619 AD
At fifteen, Rodi is the youngest agent in the Byzantine Empire’s Intelligence Bureau. Fraud,
forger, blackmailer, snoop, hypocrite, thief – none of it loses him a moment’s sleep.
It’s the murder that’s his problem.
It shouldn’t be like this. His plan seemed as neat and elegant as anything the Bureau ever arranged. Find a child-murderer, cannibal and all-round beast, and lean on him to do the business – then have an alibi elsewhere in Ravenna while it was done.
Only, everything has gone disastrously wrong, and Rodi is chased through early mediaeval Italy by the directors of an illegal and obscene cult.
What do these people want of Rodi? What is Prince Aripert’s latest money-making scam? What is Simeon the Jew’s actual involvement in this? Can Rodi stay alive in the snake-pit of Lombard court politics? Is there a message in the nightly riot of his dreams?
In this fourth instalment of his “Rodi Series,” Richard Blake paints his usual canvas of a world pushed along who-knows-where on its vast and sordid under-belly – a delight for those who know his work, and an introduction for those who know him not.
Praise for Other Novels by Richard Blake…
‘Fascinating to read, very well written, an intriguing plot and I enjoyed it very much.’ - Derek Jacobi, star of I Claudius and Gladiator
‘Vivid characters, devious plotting and buckets of gore are enhanced by his unfamiliar choice of period…. Nasty, fun and educational.’ - The Daily Telegraph
‘He knows how to deliver a fast-paced story and his grasp of the period is impressively detailed.’ - The Mail on Sunday
‘A rollicking and raunchy read . . . Anyone who enjoys their history with large dollops of action, sex,
intrigue and, above all, fun will absolutely love this novel.’ - Historical Novels
‘It would be hard to over-praise this extraordinary series, a near-perfect blend of historical detail and atmosphere with the plot of a conspiracy thriller, vivid characters, high philosophy and vulgar comedy.’ - The Morning Star
Richard Blake is an historian, broadcaster and university lecturer. He lives in Kent with
his wife and daughter.
Genre: Historical
At fifteen, Rodi is the youngest agent in the Byzantine Empire’s Intelligence Bureau. Fraud,
forger, blackmailer, snoop, hypocrite, thief – none of it loses him a moment’s sleep.
It’s the murder that’s his problem.
It shouldn’t be like this. His plan seemed as neat and elegant as anything the Bureau ever arranged. Find a child-murderer, cannibal and all-round beast, and lean on him to do the business – then have an alibi elsewhere in Ravenna while it was done.
Only, everything has gone disastrously wrong, and Rodi is chased through early mediaeval Italy by the directors of an illegal and obscene cult.
What do these people want of Rodi? What is Prince Aripert’s latest money-making scam? What is Simeon the Jew’s actual involvement in this? Can Rodi stay alive in the snake-pit of Lombard court politics? Is there a message in the nightly riot of his dreams?
In this fourth instalment of his “Rodi Series,” Richard Blake paints his usual canvas of a world pushed along who-knows-where on its vast and sordid under-belly – a delight for those who know his work, and an introduction for those who know him not.
Praise for Other Novels by Richard Blake…
‘Fascinating to read, very well written, an intriguing plot and I enjoyed it very much.’ - Derek Jacobi, star of I Claudius and Gladiator
‘Vivid characters, devious plotting and buckets of gore are enhanced by his unfamiliar choice of period…. Nasty, fun and educational.’ - The Daily Telegraph
‘He knows how to deliver a fast-paced story and his grasp of the period is impressively detailed.’ - The Mail on Sunday
‘A rollicking and raunchy read . . . Anyone who enjoys their history with large dollops of action, sex,
intrigue and, above all, fun will absolutely love this novel.’ - Historical Novels
‘It would be hard to over-praise this extraordinary series, a near-perfect blend of historical detail and atmosphere with the plot of a conspiracy thriller, vivid characters, high philosophy and vulgar comedy.’ - The Morning Star
Richard Blake is an historian, broadcaster and university lecturer. He lives in Kent with
his wife and daughter.
Genre: Historical
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