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A Coin For The Ferryman
Libertus Mystery of Roman Britain #9

by Rosemary Rowe



      Pavement maker and sometime sleuth Libertus is adopting his former slave Junio as his son, and also plans to free Cilla so the pair can marry. On a plot of land close to Libertus’ own home the couple is clearing the undergrowth to build their own roundhouse - but they did not bargain on finding a body! Libertus’ patron Marcus and his household are soon going to Rome and so this is a very bad omen with the Lemuria festival so close, the time when hungry ghosts walk. Staying at the villa before their departure is Marcus’ supercilious cousin Lucius, and soon Libertus has another mystery to solve - who was the body, and are there likely to be any more victims?

Second century Roman Britain comes to life in Ms Rowe’s novels, and along with a good plot with a whole fishmonger’s stall of red herrings, you can be sure of plenty of interesting background information. This is not to say this is imparted in the way of a lesson; instead we have Libertus himself telling the tale, and describing the daily lives and customs of himself and the other characters. As usual this is a lively story with a quite bewildering plot that is sure to keep readers on their toes, and of course we can also catch up on the lives of the people in the series. This is one of the joys of long-running series (this is book nine) and adds an extra dimension to each story. If you have yet to enjoy this series, do start at the beginning with The Germanicus Mosaic; it is well worth the effort.

The Book

Headline
6 September 2007
Paperback
0755327446 / 978-0755327447
Historical Mystery [AD 189 Gloucester, England]
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Excerpt
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The Reviewer

Rachel A Hyde
Reviewed 2008
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