RIVALS OF THE REPUBLIC: A BLOOD OF ROME NOVEL

 

Rome, 70BC. Roman high society hums with gossip about the sudden, suspicious suicide of a prominent Roman senator. Shortly afterwards, the body of a Vestal Virgin is discovered in the river Tiber.

 

As the authorities turn a strangely blind eye, Hortensia, daughter of Rome's most celebrated lawyer, is moved to investigate a trail of murders that appear to lead straight to the dark heart of the Eternal City. Rebelling against convention, she soon becomes entangled in a an increasingly hostile world of intrigue, and when key witnesses are silenced by an ruthless and shadowy mastermind, Hortensia is forced to seek help from an ex-gladiator with secrets of his own.

 

 

'This is a stunning novel that immerses us in the brutal world of the Roman Empire in the 1st century B.C.. Annelise Freisenbruch is a gifted storyteller and tells a riveting tale. Highly recommended!'

 

Alison Weir, bestselling historian and author of  Innocent Traitor and The Marriage Game

 

'A brilliant debut novel. Rivals of the Republic is an enthralling and convincing imaginating of Ancient Rome, by an author who combines profound scholarship with a fluent and readable literary style.'

 

Harry Sidebottom, bestselling author of The Throne of the Caesars series.

 

"Annelise Freisenbruch's Hortensia is a delight - passionate, articulate, fallible and, better still, inspired by a real woman. This first tale of intrigue and murder is cleverly woven in with the turbulent history of the Roman Republic, and I'm looking forward to finding out what Hortensia will uncover next."

Ruth Downie, author of the bestselling Medicus series

 

'Rivals of the Republic takes us on an exciting journey as a young woman proves herself a worthy adversary in a war of wits with even general Crassus and his rival Pompey the Great. The enticing cast of characters includes Vestal virgins, gladiators, expert forgers, Cicero, and the young Julius Caesar.'

 

Margaret George, bestselling author of The Memoirs of Cleopatra.

 

'Rivals of the Republic is the start of a promising series of historical mysteries....Freisenbruch deftly intertwines her plot with the politics of the late Republic. The author is strong too on Rome itself and the layers of life, crime, grime in that most fascinating of cities....I look forward to Hortensia's next adventure.'

 

The Times

 

'Engrossing....this book transports readers to the streets of ancient Rome. It is an extremely satisfying blend of fact and fiction with plenty of surprises. Highly recommended.'

 

The Historical Novel Society