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The sixth novel in the bestselling Gaius Petreius Ruso series.
Roman army doctor Ruso is in the borderlands to tend the builders of Hadrian's Great Wall, but it’s not long since the failure of a blood-soaked native rebellion, and it’s clear to his wife Tilla that the locals are still bitterly resentful.
When Ruso's new clerk goes missing, tensions mount and rumours begin to spread. Is there really a dead body hidden in the Emperor’s Great Wall? Or is it all a cunning plot by the natives? Things go from bad to worse when the young son of a local family also vanishes.
As Ruso and Tilla struggle to keep the peace between desperate Britons and frustrated Romans, will they unravel the mystery of the two disappearances before it's too late?
Praise for Ruth Downie:
“…the historical detail, judiciously deployed, is superb. Equally fascinating, however, are the contemporary parallels to be found in the Roman experience of conquering and occupying a foreign territory: their ignorance of the local language and customs, the blinkered arrogance of military power and the nerve-shredding presence of constant threat” – Declan Burke, Irish Times
“Historically fascinating, politically complex and properly mysterious” – Mat Coward,
Morning Star
“Downie’s attention to detail – both historical detail and human detail – makes this series a joy to read for the mystery lover, the classics fan, or anyone seeking more character-driven genre fiction” – Historical Novel Society
“…the book is a pleasure to read. The Ruso series might not be as well known as, say, Lindsey Davis’ longer-running Marcus Didius Falco series, but it’s just as entertaining” – Booklist
“Ruth Downie ranks among the very best of today’s generation of Roman writers; by far and away the most obvious inheritor of Rosemary Sutcliff’s honored mantle. Ruso is a complex, engaging, utterly human medic, straddling the line between occupiers and occupied in the divided lands of Britannia with panache and good-humored compassion. With a finely wrought plot, a densely woven cast of characters and plenty of action, this is a book to savor to the last sentence” – M.C. Scott, author of the Rome and Boudica series
“A superb evocation of the harsh life of Romans and rebels in the bandit-country of England while building Hadrian’s Wall. Ruth Downie shows why she’s considered the best of the Roman mystery writers. A crime writer to watch with a matchless style. Look out, Lindsey Davis!” – Michael Jecks, author of the Knights Templar series
“Excellent—a well-constructed murder mystery that skillfully brings Roman Britain to life. The story is told with Ruth Downie’s usual quirky humor—an immensely enjoyable read” – L.C. Tyler, author of the Ethelred and Elsie series and the John Grey historical mysteries
“This is a must for all lovers of historical fiction – it’s so vividly written that you can almost smell the wet wool and damp togas of the Roman and Britons on Hadrian’s Wall. I couldn’t put it down” – Susanna Gregory, author of the Thomas Chaloner and Matthew Bartholomew series.
“Human, satisfying and meticulously researched, Downie’s series is always a pleasure to read” – Imogen Robertson, author of the Crowther and Westerman series – Historia Magazine
Genre: Historical Mystery
Roman army doctor Ruso is in the borderlands to tend the builders of Hadrian's Great Wall, but it’s not long since the failure of a blood-soaked native rebellion, and it’s clear to his wife Tilla that the locals are still bitterly resentful.
When Ruso's new clerk goes missing, tensions mount and rumours begin to spread. Is there really a dead body hidden in the Emperor’s Great Wall? Or is it all a cunning plot by the natives? Things go from bad to worse when the young son of a local family also vanishes.
As Ruso and Tilla struggle to keep the peace between desperate Britons and frustrated Romans, will they unravel the mystery of the two disappearances before it's too late?
Praise for Ruth Downie:
“…the historical detail, judiciously deployed, is superb. Equally fascinating, however, are the contemporary parallels to be found in the Roman experience of conquering and occupying a foreign territory: their ignorance of the local language and customs, the blinkered arrogance of military power and the nerve-shredding presence of constant threat” – Declan Burke, Irish Times
“Historically fascinating, politically complex and properly mysterious” – Mat Coward,
Morning Star
“Downie’s attention to detail – both historical detail and human detail – makes this series a joy to read for the mystery lover, the classics fan, or anyone seeking more character-driven genre fiction” – Historical Novel Society
“…the book is a pleasure to read. The Ruso series might not be as well known as, say, Lindsey Davis’ longer-running Marcus Didius Falco series, but it’s just as entertaining” – Booklist
“Ruth Downie ranks among the very best of today’s generation of Roman writers; by far and away the most obvious inheritor of Rosemary Sutcliff’s honored mantle. Ruso is a complex, engaging, utterly human medic, straddling the line between occupiers and occupied in the divided lands of Britannia with panache and good-humored compassion. With a finely wrought plot, a densely woven cast of characters and plenty of action, this is a book to savor to the last sentence” – M.C. Scott, author of the Rome and Boudica series
“A superb evocation of the harsh life of Romans and rebels in the bandit-country of England while building Hadrian’s Wall. Ruth Downie shows why she’s considered the best of the Roman mystery writers. A crime writer to watch with a matchless style. Look out, Lindsey Davis!” – Michael Jecks, author of the Knights Templar series
“Excellent—a well-constructed murder mystery that skillfully brings Roman Britain to life. The story is told with Ruth Downie’s usual quirky humor—an immensely enjoyable read” – L.C. Tyler, author of the Ethelred and Elsie series and the John Grey historical mysteries
“This is a must for all lovers of historical fiction – it’s so vividly written that you can almost smell the wet wool and damp togas of the Roman and Britons on Hadrian’s Wall. I couldn’t put it down” – Susanna Gregory, author of the Thomas Chaloner and Matthew Bartholomew series.
“Human, satisfying and meticulously researched, Downie’s series is always a pleasure to read” – Imogen Robertson, author of the Crowther and Westerman series – Historia Magazine
Genre: Historical Mystery
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