Paperback:
 Latest edition: 2021 Publisher: Sharpe Books ISBN: 9798513081081 Pages: 257 Availability & latest prices:    |
The Governor's Man: What’s it about? From the blurb: Roman Britain, 224AD. When silver from the Emperor’s mines goes missing, Roman Imperial Investigator Quintus Valerius returns to Britannia. The province where his brother died in front of him, and his career in the Praetorian Guard abruptly ended. It is one of the last places in the Empire the investigator wishes to be posted. With his assistant Tiro, a native Briton, Valerius uncovers a conspiracy of fraud and rebellion. The plot involves a resurgence in Druid activity — and potential witnesses are murdered. Trust is a commodity that’s scarcer than silver. Even the investigator’s former lover, Lady Julia, seems connected to the crimes. Valerius begins to piece together clues that reveal a shocking truth — and cast a terrible light on his own past. The two soldiers now have a frantic race across country with a handful of allies, in a final battle to prevent the loss of more than just silver. The fate of Britannia is at stake. Background This is a debut novel and the first in an intended series following Quintus Valerius in the third century AD. It’s a short book, 257 pages in paperback. It was published by Sharpe Books in May 2021 and is also available as an ebook. The Good and the Not so Good This is a detective mystery foremost rather than an all-out action story and as such it feels more comparable to books by say Lindsey Davis or Ruth Downie rather than Ben Kane which is quoted on the front of the book. The set up uses some familiar tropes such a protagonist travelling from home leaving a disgraced family behind in Rome and who is put together with a reluctant companion who is initially resentful of his new boss’s background and status. That said, these are useful devices to create conflict and show character development and the specific setting here in Roman Britain is original and interesting. The author has clearly researched the history and it shows in the detailed world she has described. It’s relatively unusual to read of a Roman Britain where the nobles of the tribes are cooperating with the Romans rather than simply at war with them. The mystery around the silver mines and the rebellion sub-plot kept my interest to the end. In terms of pacing, the second half of the novel felt better than the first, particularly once the characters became more involved in action and conflict. There was a genuine feeling of peril and as a result I was interested to keep reading to see the resolution. The characters themselves seemed to be the weakest aspect of the novel. The companion, Tiro, was by far the most interesting individual, he had the best action, the most convincing dialogue and character arc. Lady Julia, the love interest for Quintus dominated the first half of the book and had clear motivation for her behaviour. On the other hand, Quintus himself at times felt almost like a minor character in his own book, Tiro and Julia carried the plot along for the majority of the story and we didn’t get to know Quintus enough as a personality to be properly engaged with him. Final Thoughts and update on future books in the series Overall, The Governor’s Man had an intriguing enough plot to carry me through to the end and there were plot twists at the resolution to make the story feel fresh and different. I’m curious to see how Tiro gets on in the next adventure with Quintus and I will definitely be reading the next instalment in their adventures. Jacquie has further books already in progress. Book 2, with a working title The Carnelian Phoenix, takes Quintus and Tiro across Gaul and into the heart of the Ulpian assassination conspiracy at the court of Alexander Severus in Rome and is due for publication in early summer 2022. Book 3 has a working title of The Irish Slave and sees them on a tricky diplomatic mission to the High King in Tara, Ireland, taking in an apparently separate murder case en route in North Wales. The fourth book is expected to take Quintus back to Caledonia, and the festering legacies of the Severan campaigns north of the Wall. Many thanks to Jacquie for this update. | Kindle:
Latest edition: 2021 Publisher: Sharpe Books Availability & latest prices: |
If you want to read more about Jacquie and her work, her website is jacquierogersauthor.com and she posts on twitter as @rogers_jacquie.
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