Semper Fidelis: A Crime Novel of the Roman Empire

The fifth novel in the bestselling Gaius Petreius Ruso series. Ruso rejoins his unit in the remote outpost of the Roman Empire known as Britannia, but all is not well with the Twentieth Legion. As the soldiers keep a suspicious eye on the barbarians to the north, they seem to have found trouble even closer to home-among the native recruits in Britannia's imperial army. Why did a young legionary jump to his death from the roof of the headquarters building? When more mysterious injuries and deaths begin to pile up in Ruso's medical ledgers, it becomes clear that this suicide is not an isolated incident. Can the men really be under a murderous curse? And what has all of this to do with the much-decorated Centurion Geminus? Praise for Ruth Downie: "Downie has a rare talent for combining great writing, razor wit and detailed historical research" - Hey there's a dead guy in the living room - Lynne Patrick "This latest installment in the best-selling series will delight readers of history, mystery, and popular fiction" - Library Journal "A mystery with twists and turns that keep readers guessing until almost the very end" - Roman Times blog

The fifth novel in the bestselling Gaius Petreius Ruso series. Ruso rejoins his unit in the remote outpost of the Roman Empire known as Britannia, but all is not well with the Twentieth Legion. As the soldiers keep a suspicious eye on the barbarians to the north, they seem to have found trouble even closer to home-among the native recruits in Britannia's imperial army. Why did a young legionary jump to his death from the roof of the headquarters building? When more mysterious injuries and deaths begin to pile up in Ruso's medical ledgers, it becomes clear that this suicide is not an isolated incident. Can the men really be under a murderous curse? And what has all of this to do with the much-decorated Centurion Geminus? Praise for Ruth Downie: "Downie has a rare talent for combining great writing, razor wit and detailed historical research" - Hey there's a dead guy in the living room - Lynne Patrick "This latest installment in the best-selling series will delight readers of history, mystery, and popular fiction" - Library Journal "A mystery with twists and turns that keep readers guessing until almost the very end" - Roman Times blog