Calidus Books
Sometimes, a snake is just a snake. And sometimes... First-century Rome. Senator Gaius Lucius Nerva is taken ill at a dinner party and dies a few days later. His heartbroken wife, Flavia, is told it was a natural death. Calidus, Nerva's recently freed slave, suspects otherwise. As he embarks upon the funeral ceremonies, Calidus becomes more and more convinced that his master was murdered and begins an investigation, seeking out everyone who had attended the dinner party. His enquiries lead him to rub shoulders with the 'great and good' of Rome; senators, soldiers, even the ruthless and mercurial Emperor Nero. And his former lover, Julia Eusabia, who seems intent on rekindling their romance and luring him away from his wife and daughter. Calidus' quest is by no means easy or safe as he encounters the darkest and most dangerous people in Rome. But he knows he must keep searching for the person responsible, to bring justice to the master he had loved. This racy historical whodunnit brings to life the sights, smells and sounds of ancient Rome, with sharp humour and a Christie-style finale to boot.
“Nero thinks on a grander scale than the rest of us.” Rome. The empire that conquered. Now, living in Rome in the time of Nero is a dangerous sport. But Gaius Calidus Nerva, former slave now freed and bastard heir to the house of Nerva, has got a good head on his shoulders. When the high priests of Rome are murdered, one by one, he begins an investigation. After all, if the high priests are being slaughtered, what’s to protect the rest of Rome’s citizens? Throw into the mix the rise of the Christians, the return of war-torn soldiers from Britannia, and the usual machinations of the elite, and Calidus is awash in people with plenty of motive. But who has the means to try and topple the might of Rome? Praise for M.J. Trow and Maryanne Coleman: 'Believable characters, a suitably intricate plot and immediate immersion into the treacherous world of Rome at the end of the first imperial dynasty' - Mark Knowles, author of The Consul's Daughter ‘Trow makes the political intrigue of the time palpable’ – Publishers Weekly ‘Trow’s style is subtle and often humorous’ – mysteryfile.com M.J. Trow and Maryanne Coleman Mei (M.J.) have been married for forty-five years and have been writing together for roughly seven. Writing as Maryanne, Carol has written two books of a fantasy trilogy, Goblin Market and Pandemonium . Mei has written almost one hundred books altogether.