Book III

PERSONA NON GRATA:

In which Ruso takes Tilla home to southern Gaul, only to find that his brother in law has disappeared and his family is on the brink of bankruptcy. In the midst of the crisis, his sisters are demanding dowries and his stepmother is busy organising dinner parties to which Tilla isn’t invited. Then the family’s chief creditor winds up dead, and the real trouble begins…

“Enormous fun: another lively winner from a newly established mistress of the genre.” – Kirkus, starred review.

‘Downie’s Roman Empire series… continues in gripping fashion. The plotting is clever and suspenseful, with subtle clues and lots of action, while the setting and supporting cast are vividly drawn. This is solid entertainment, nicely done.’ – Publishers’ Weekly

‘This lively sequel to Medicus and Terra Incognita continues Downie’s delightful historical series. Her characters are wonderfully memorable, particularly the dry and acerbic Ruso, whose internal dialog provides some genuinely funny laugh-out-loud moments despite shipwrecks, ex-wives, gruesome gladiatorial games, unruly children, family discord, and, of course, mayhem and murder. Highly recommended.’ – Library Journal, starred review

Follow this link to see a selection of the research photos. Some of them relate to scenes in the book while others were just for fun. There’s also an article on the Indian Book Reviews website about the inspiration for the story.

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