New author: Fiona Forsyth

We've added Fiona Forsyth to our list of authors publishing fiction set in ancient Rome, Fiona has so far published three books in the Sestius Files set in first century BCE, Rome's End,The Emperor's Servant and The Third Daughter. Another book in the same world, Philippi, is coming soon.

1. Rome's End

45BCE. Rome is under a Dictator. Caesar has won the final battle of a bloody Civil War, and Romans are ready for peace. So, when Lucius Sestius Quirinalis, an aspiring lawyer, is called into his father’s study one autumn morning, he is thinking of nothing more than the family’s latest case. The charge against the historian Sallust is his corrupt rule in Roman Africa. But it is his research into the twenty-year-old Catilinarian Conspiracy which is proving unsettling for some.

The Sestius family are alarmed when their friend Caecilius is killed in mistake for Lucius. Their involvement in the case has brought murder to their own house, and Lucius is in danger. With the aid of Cornelius Rufus, an informant from the Subura slums, Lucius goes into hiding. His mistake is to travel to Hippo Regius where Sallust was governor.

With nowhere left to hide, Lucius risks a return to Rome and a confrontation with Caesar. In the aftermath of the Ides of March, his questions will be answered. Caesar, it seems, was not the only one to suffer a betrayal.

2. The Emperor's Servant

Rome 23 BCE. In the depths of serious illness, the Emperor Augustus is forced to rethink how he governs the city. He calls upon an unlikely helper. Lucius Sestius, one of those who fought against Augustus in the early days, desires nothing more than to drink himself happy in the Italian countryside. But the once Republican is called upon to serve the Empire. To Lucius’ consternation, he is catapulted into office just at a time when a pestilence is sweeping through Italy. Thousands of people are dying and the River Tiber is riding dangerously high.

But Lucius finds himself not only fighting floods and an epidemic. A conspiracy is forming, centered on Lucius’ friend Aulus and the respected Primus, hero of the war in Macedonia. The Emperor feels threatened and Lucius is expected to choose sides. Lucius tries to bury himself in private life once more, but when Aulus comes begging for help to escape Italy, Lucius cannot refuse.

It is a mistake that brings the Emperor’s wrath down upon him and Lucius’ must pay a heavy price to redeem himself in the eyes of Augustus.

3. The Third Daughter

Rome, 68 BCE. Julius Caesar begins his controversial career in government. At the same time, a third daughter, Tertulla, is born to the Junius family on the Palatine Hill. Tertulla grows up under the guidance of her brother, Marcus Brutus, and her mother Servilia. When Tertulla discovers that her mother is Caesar's mistress, she begins to wonder who her father might be. Frustratingly, she has more questions than answers. As Rome descends into a civil war, the young woman realises how compromised and conflicted her mother is - torn between Caesar and the old Roman nobility.

After the civil war, Caesar stands victorious. Rome - and Tertulla - look to find some peace. But her brother is at the heart of a dangerous conspiracy to assassinate Caesar. The fate of Rome, and Brutus, stand at the crossroads at the Battle of Phillipi. From the ashes of the Republic an Empire is born.

Tertulla, enduring grief and tragedy, still asks the question - was Caesar her father?

Fiona's fiction available in paperback and kindle format. If you want to read more about Fiona and her work, her website is fionaforsythauthor.co.uk and she posts on twitter as @for_fi.

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