A Roman Death
Joan O'Hagan
Historical thriller set in Ancient Rome
Finalist in the American Legacy Book Awards 2024
Black Quill Press (second edition), October 2017
Paperback, 288 pp, 229 x 152 mm
ISBN 978-0-6480020-0-0
RRP AUD$22.95
Second revised edition
It is 45 BC, and Julius Caesar is at the height of his power. Quintus Fufidius agrees against his wife’s instincts to the marriage of their daughter to the handsome young Lucius Scaurus. It is an alliance which could heal old feuds and create a new dynasty. But before the wedding takes place one of the principals is murdered.
Suspects are few, but Roman society is shocked when Quintus’ wife is accused, not only of murder, but also of incest. The trial of Helvia, in which she is defended by Cicero, is a courtroom battle on the grand scale and accompanied by the political shenanigans which result in Caesar’s assassination.
Joan O’Hagan has written a brilliantly evocative novel and a unique whodunit, subtly combining the elements of a contemporary mystery with the atmosphere of Ancient Rome.
Foreword by Steven Saylor.
Will appeal to devotees of crime and detective fiction, historical fiction, and those interested in the life and customs of Ancient Rome.
About the author
Joan O’Hagan was a published crime writer (Incline & Fall, Death and a Madonna, Against the Grain, A Roman Death). Thanks to meticulous research, a wicked imagination, and over thirty years of living in Rome, here she breathes new life into an ancient saint and his world, drawing us irresistibly into a highly-charged world of danger and intrigue while reminding us to question our own values.
Available now:
Amazon USA, Amazon Australia, Barnes & Noble, Booktopia, Angus & Robertson, Fishpond
Praise for A Roman Death
