The Germanicus Mosaic (A Libertus Mystery of Roman Britain) [Paperback]

'The story is agreeably written, gets on briskly with its plot, and ends with a highly satisfactory double-take solution' (Gerald Kaufman, Scotsman )

'A traditional country-house mystery translated to the Roman world - even featuring the mandatory body in the bibliotheca... There are charming details about innocent life on the fringes of empire' (Independent )

'A witty, readable crime novel' (Cornishman )

'Demonstrates Rowe's pithy command of the Roman sleuth genre... A considerable achievement' (The Times )

'Demonstrates Rowe's pithy command of the Roman sleuth genre... A considerable achievement'

'A witty, readable crime novel'

It is AD 186, and Britain is the northernmost province of the hugely successful Roman Empire. In Glevum (modern Gloucester), Libertus, a freedman and pavement-maker, lives under the patronage of Marcus Septimus. When a body is found in the furnace room of a nearby villa, and identified as that of Crassus Germanicus, a retired centurion, Marcus asks for Libertus's help. A slave is missing and the solution to the mystery seems obvious. But Libertus soon discovers that Germanicus has many enemies, and he must use his mosaicist's skill to put together the pieces of a most deadly puzzle.

Rosemary Rowe is the pseudonym of an author who has successfully published novels in another genre. Born in Cornwall, she lived for twenty years in New Zealand. A highly qualified academic, she has written more than a dozen best-selling text-books as Rosemary Aitken.