Thriller – MJ Porter

I’m sharing a fab post from Robert Whanslaw to celebrate the release of his new novel today, Dark Orchid Affair (there’s a competition too) #blogtour #thriller #newrelease #blogpost

Elizabeth Chadwick, historical fiction author, helped me craft my first sex scene…

There is nothing more satisfying than writing the final words of a book. Whatever the genre—crime, historical fiction, romance, or epic fantasy—anyone who reaches that moment has my full admiration. My advice to anyone planning to write a book is simple: begin, keep going, and finish. Ideas are wonderful, but persistence is what fills the pages.

It was fifteen years ago that I first conceived Dark Orchid Affair. Back then it had a different working title, and the concept was little more than a skeletal outline. During those intervening years, I completed creative writing courses, experimented with countless short stories, and wrote one-and-a-half novels that never saw the light of day. Those abandoned projects were not failures—they were apprenticeships. That, I think, is a truth shared by writers of every genre and every era. Even the chroniclers of medieval courts, whose works survive to this day, were honing their craft long before any parchment bore their name.

If I could offer any advice about improving your writing, it would be this: write, and write often. It sounds obvious, almost simplistic, but developing a voice takes time—just as a medieval scribe took years to perfect a steady hand and a beautifully flowing script. The second essential is to read widely. And I mean widely. I have a deep appreciation for historical fiction and tremendous respect for those brave enough to venture into its demanding terrain. It is a genre where the past must be honoured, and where readers often know their Plantagenets from their Picts. Get the century wrong, or describe a weapon not yet invented, and your reader will spot it instantly.

As a crime writer, I sometimes envy the historian’s burden of accuracy—while simultaneously being relieved that my stories are not tethered to real timelines. Noir and suspense allow more invention, more shadows in which to hide. But all writers, regardless of genre, learn from one another. The joy lies in borrowing the best techniques from across the literary spectrum and melding them into your own voice. Art, after all, has always been a dialogue with the past. Medieval poets borrowed from the troubadours; the noir writers of the 1930s borrowed from the classics; and contemporary authors continue the tradition of artistic inheritance.

I used to dread writing sex scenes. Not because they weren’t relevant to my stories, but because I knew most of my readers were women, and I was anxious about striking the right tone from a male perspective. Strangely enough, it was historical fiction that helped me overcome that fear. Elizabeth Chadwick—whose novels vividly bring the twelfth century to life—offered lessons in writing intimacy with subtlety, restraint, and emotional depth. Drawing inspiration from her approach, I crafted my first sex scene in a short story. To my astonishment (and relief), it went on to win a competition.

To Elizabeth Chadwick, should you ever read this: thank you for the early guidance. I promise I now have my own polished method, but you gave me the confidence to enter a terrain that once felt daunting.

Dark Orchid Affair will be published on 1 December 2025. Whether you are a writer yourself or a devoted reader of historical fiction, perhaps you might consider giving it a place on your reading list—if only to step momentarily from the medieval courts and battlefields into a contemporary world tinged with noir.

And who knows? One day I may gather the courage to test the waters of historical fiction myself. If that ever happens, I will be standing on the shoulders of the writers who have already illuminated the past with such skill.

Here’s the blurb

Ben Walker’s life shatters after one reckless night. Seduced by Maxine—a ruthless femme fatale—he wakes to a nightmare: compromising photos, blackmail, and the threat of losing everything—his marriage, career, and freedom.

Faced with impossible choices, Ben pays the price. But one payment is never enough.

Dragged deeper into a deadly web of lies and manipulation, the stakes escalate, and the noose tightens. What began as a desperate bid to protect his secrets becomes a desperate fight for survival.

With his world crumbling and prison on the horizon, Ben must confront a brutal truth—how far will he go to break free? And can anyone truly escape the sins of their past?

A gripping neo-noir thriller of betrayal, seduction, and deadly consequences.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Orchid-Affair-Love-Intrigue-ebook/dp/B0FVYFNJWG/

https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Orchid-Affair-Love-Intrigue-ebook/dp/B0FVYFNJWG/

Meet the author

Robert Whanslaw writes noir, dark crime fiction, and psychological thrillers, grounded in grit, flaws, and the messy business of being human.

He doesn’t write about perfect people. If he did, they’d be the kind you’d want to throw off a fast-moving train.

Raised on the likes of Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain, and the raw voices of mid-century noir, Whanslaw brings a classic noir fatalism into the modern world. His stories walk the fine line between justice and survival, where everyone has a secret and most people lie.

Giveaway to Win 10 x Paperback Copies of Dark Orchid Affair (Open to UK / US only)

https://gleam.io/TzcLu/win-10-x-paperback-copies-of-dark-orchid-affair-open-to-uk-us-only

*Terms and Conditions –UK & US entries welcome. Please enter using the Gleam box below. The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Posts

Stay up to date with the latest from the blog.

I’m sharing my review for Wolf Six by Alex Shaw #blogtour #thriller #newrelease

Here’s the blurb

Killing for a living is easy, living for a reason is much harder

Meet Ruslan Akulov.

In the shadowy world of assassins for hire, he is known as ‘Wolf Six’.

A Ukrainian raised in Moscow, conscripted into Russia’s most covert Special Forces unit ‘The Werewolves’, Akulov is full of loathing for the country that built and then broke him. The only rules he follows now are his own.

Unable to shake the guilt of his past, Akulov has made it his business to seek out those who prey upon the innocent. The name Wolf Six is legendary – whispered by those who know it with fear. But when Akulov accidentally thwarts the armed robbery of a Chicago Bank, he pits himself against both the Russian Bratva and the CIA, setting into motion a spiralling sequence of events which will bring his past back to haunt him, and potentially turn his future to ashes…

His mission of retribution takes him from Chicago to Kyiv, to Havana and back into the US, where Akulov must stop at nothing if he is to remain alive. No simple mission, even for the world’s deadliest assassin.

Perfect for fans of Tom Wood, Vince Flynn and Mark Greaney, this is an explosive action thriller you won’t be able to put down.

image shows the cover image for Wolf Six by Alex Shaw. This cover is in2 halves. The top shows a city scape image and the bottom shows a man walking away from the cameradown a street. The words Wolf Six are in capitals and are enlarged over the two images.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/wolfsix

My Review

Wolf Six by Alex Shaw is certainly a thrilling thriller. It takes the reader from Chicago to Ukraine, Cuba, Russia, and many other places.

Our main character, Ruslan, is usually a cold-blooded assassin, but all that’s about to change as we follow him through this tale of double-crossing and vengeance. There is a split timeline narrative, with some elements explaining how Ruslan came to be as he is while also following him in the present, in which he’s managed to unintentionally get himself caught up in all sorts of difficulties with all sorts of baddies and intelligence agencies.

I very much enjoyed the whistlestop tour of the world through Ruslan’s eyes, and you certainly have to be on your toes to keep up with all the action.

I do have a soft spot for thrillers of this genre, and I will certainly be reading more of Ruslan’s adventures.

Image shows the cover for Wolf Sox by Alex Shaw on a city scape backdrop.

Meet the author

Alex Shaw is the author of bestselling action thrillers published by HarperCollins including the Aidan Snow and Jack Tate series, for which he was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. He will start a brand new action-packed series for Boldwood, the first of which, Wolf Six, will be published in February 2025.

Connect with the author

Image shows the bloggers taking place in the Wolf Six by Alex Shaw blog tour arranged by Rachel's Random Resources for Boldwood Books.

Posts

I’m sharing my review for Notes on a Drowning by Anna Sharpe #legalthriller #newrelease

Here’s the blurb

Alex knows she risks getting fired from her law firm if she takes on another unpaid case, but when she hears Rosa’s desperate voice at the other end of the phone, she knows she has to help: the body of Rosa’s shy teenage sister, Natalia, has been dragged, lifeless, from the Thames. Alex can’t help but think of her own missing little sister. She knows how a lack of answers can eat you alive.

Kat has worked hard to become Special Adviser to the Home Secretary, and is eager to finally put the dark and tragic part of her past behind her. But when she discovers a series of cover-ups, she begins to wonder whether her seemingly perfect new boss could be involved. Then she she’s shocked to discover a letter that raises worrying questions about a girl found drowned in London… Natalia.

There are complex and painful reasons for Alex and Kat not to work together, but when it becomes clear that there are powerful people involved in Natalia’s death, and that other girls are at risk, Alex and Kat must overcome their differences to find answers. Will they save the girls and discover the truth? Or will the high-powered players in this game stop Alex and Kat for good?

Cover image for Noteson a Drowning by Anna Sharpe

My Review

Notes on a Drowning is an engaging and very well-plotted story about two women with an awkward shared past who work together to prevent a similar tragedy to the one that first brought them together.

The beginning of the book is a little slower than the ending, as the reader begins to piece together the narrative of the two women, who have complicated lives without the addition of the mystery that reunites them. The mystery itself is complex and grows increasingly dangerous for them. Who can they trust, aside from no one but a very few?

This is a tale of corruption and power and how corrupting such power can be. It is also very current, contending with the persistent ‘boys club’ mentality that infects politics and the terrible underbelly that goes with it.

Yet, it is also a fast-paced and well-executed read. I devoured it in two sittings.

This is not my usual read. I’m a bit more ‘thriller’ minded and also more historical or cosy crime, but this is a timely tale of corruption and politics, unputdownable until the last page.

(Anna Sharpe also writes historical fiction as Anna Mazolla. I recently read The House of Whispers and thoroughly enjoyed it.)

Purchase Link

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Notes-Drowning-Anna-Sharpe-ebook/dp/B0D67B33XB/

I’m delighted to welcome Deborah Swift and her new book, The Shadow Network, to the blog #WW2 #Thriller #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

I’m delighted to welcome Deborah Swift and her new book, The Shadow Network, to the blog, with WW2 German and Irish Saboteurs.

The Shadow Network: WW2 German and Irish Saboteurs

The radio signal for the ‘fake news’ radio stations that feature in The Shadow Network needed to be strong enough to appear as though it came from Germany, and had to be more powerful than anything that was then available.

By coincidence, the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) had created two high-powered radio transmitters which could not be used in the US, because of a change in American law. The RCA were eager to sell them to Britain. So Harold Robin, a Foreign Office radio engineer, saw their potential, and travelled to America to examine them, and then worked to improve them. He adapted a transmitter so it was able to move frequency in a fraction of a second, at the flick of a switch.

The powerful ex-RCA transmitter, eventually installed in Sussex, England, was named Aspidistra, referencing the popular Gracie Fields song ‘The Biggest Aspidistra in the World’, in which an Aspidistra houseplant grows until it ‘nearly reached the sky’.

In fact, most of the technology was buried underground at the site at Crowborough in Sussex, though its antennae were visible – three guyed masts, each 110 metres tall, directing the signal broadly to the east. The Art Deco–style transmitter building was housed in an underground shelter which had to be excavated by the Canadian army troops who were stationed nearby.

As far as I know there was never any attempt to sabotage or bomb the Aspidistratransmitter, though I enjoyed making it a possible target for a German agent and saboteur. However, German agents were sent into Britain to sabotage British targets – mainly military, industrial, and transport facilities. Their aim was to create maximum disruption, and to lower the morale of British civilians.

Inefficient Saboteurs

In reality, the German spies were less efficient than my fictional Brendan – the German spies had poor English-language skills and little knowledge of British customs. One German spy was arrested after trying to order a pint of cider at ten in the morning, as he didn’t know that landlords weren’t allowed to serve alcohol before lunchtime. Two other agents were stopped because they were cycling on the wrong side of the road. The twelve spies we know of who landed in Britain as part of the so-called Operation Lena in September 1940 were nearly all captured.

The German war machine was generally very efficient, so it remains a mystery why these men were not better trained. For this reason, I chose to link my saboteur to the Irish Republican Army (IRA), and the Coventry IRA bomb. It is a little-known fact that the IRA and the Nazi regime were in collaboration during the war.

Irish Saboteurs

At lunchtime on 25 August 1939 an unknown bomb-maker cycled into the city of Coventry in England with a five-pound bomb in his bicycle basket. The device, wrapped in brown paper and with an alarm clock timer, was left outside Astley’s shop where it exploded fifty minutes later, killing five people and injuring seventy, and causing devastation to the surrounding buildings. For a while, the authorities and the public were wary of anyone Irish, but because of close ties to Ireland this vigilance soon waned.

The Coventry plot was linked to three other ‘bicycle bomb’ plots in London which were part of a concerted campaign by the IRA. The S-Plan (Sabotage Campaign or England Campaign) was a campaign conducted by members of the IRA to protest against control of Northern Ireland by the British.

Nazi links to the IRA

The Nazis made links with the IRA as far back as 1936, when IRA member Sean Russell sought German support for IRA activities and engaged in talks with the German Foreign Office, regarding IRA–German cooperation. When war was declared, the Germans saw the IRA as a useful ally should the Wehrmacht invade Britain. However the IRA saw Germany only as a stepping stone to a united Ireland, and these two motivations were not easily aligned. The IRA’s collaboration with the Nazis against Great Britain made the ideal background for me to construct the character of Brendan Murphy, the agent charged with sabotaging the Aspidistra radio mast.

Listen to a podcast about German agents trying to blow up Britain.

Here’s the blurb

One woman must sacrifice everything to uncover the truth in this enthralling historical novel, inspired by the true World War Two campaign Radio Aspidistra…

England, 1942: Having fled Germany after her father was captured by the Nazis, Lilli Bergen is desperate to do something pro-active for the Allies. So when she’s approached by the Political Warfare Executive, Lilli jumps at the chance. She’s recruited as a singer for a radio station broadcasting propaganda to German soldiers – a shadow network.

But Lilli’s world is flipped upside down when her ex-boyfriend, Bren Murphy, appears at her workplace; the very man she thinks betrayed her father to the Nazis. Lilli always thought Bren was a Nazi sympathiser – so what is he doing in England supposedly working against the Germans?

Lilli knows Bren is up to something, and must put aside a blossoming new relationship in order to discover the truth. Can Lilli expose him, before it’s too late? Set in the fascinating world of wartime radio, don’t miss The Shadow Network, a heart-stopping novel of betrayal, treachery, and courage against the odds.

Buy Link

Universal Link:

Bookshop:

Meet the Author

Deborah Swift is the English author of eighteen historical novels, including Millennium Award winner Past Encounters, and The Lady’s Slipper, shortlisted for the Impress Prize.

Her most recent books are the Renaissance trilogy based around the life of the poisoner Giulia Tofana, The Poison Keeper and its sequels, one of which won the Coffee Pot Book Club Gold Medal. Recently she has completed a secret agent series set in WW2, the first in the series being The Silk Code. Deborah used to work as a set and costume designer for theatre and TV and enjoys the research aspect of creating historical fiction, something she loved doing as a scenographer. She likes to write about extraordinary characters set against the background of real historical events. Deborah lives in North Lancashire on the edge of the Lake District, an area made famous by the Romantic Poets such as Wordsworth and Coleridge.

Connect with the Author

Website: BookBub:

Follow The Shadow Network blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club

Today, I’m reviewing Zero Kill by MK Hill #thriller #ZeroKill #NewRelease

Here’s the blurb

A TIMES BEST NEW THRILLER PICK

‘Runs at breakneck speed through a dark and dangerous universe populated with characters who are never what they seem’ KATHLEEN KENT, author of Black Wolf
‘A perfect thriller – page-turning excitement, expert plotting, a good dose of wit, and above all a fierce heroine you can’t get enough of.’ ASIA MACKAY, author of Killing It

Meet Elsa Zero: Bad neighbour. Single mother. Ex-deep cover agent.
And right now, the most dangerous person on Earth.

When Elsa’s dull but dedicated boyfriend proposes in a packed restaurant, she doesn’t think her evening can get any worse. But as the clock strikes midnight, her world is turned upside down.

Suddenly Elsa is running for her life, trying to keep her children safe, and desperate to discover what the hell is going on.

Every intelligence agency in the world wants her dead because she’s in possession of a deadly secret – she just has to stay alive long enough to figure out what it is.

But this is Elsa Zero we’re talking about. And it’s a very bad idea to get on her wrong side.

Bursting with tension, twists and humour, this is a brilliantly unique action-thriller perfect for fans of Killing Eve, Lee Child and people who loved watching Nobody and Hunted.

Purchase Link

https://geni.us/ZKPBRRR

My Review

Zero Kill has a fabulous premise, dropping the reader immediately into a scene filled with unexpected violence. It’s not often a character spirals from a proposal to flinging a hot frying pan at the head of her fiancé.

The story gets a little crazy from there. Our main character, Elsa, has no idea why she’s being targeted. Admittedly, we quickly learn she’s a former deepcover agent, but retired for 9 years, why is she suddenly a person of interest once more?

The story fluctuates between two timelines, and also between a few other characters, but Elsa remains the focus as she tries to gather enough intelligence to determine what’s happening and why she should trust anyone apart from her old pal, now a drunk and a bit of a mess.

Zero Kill builds well to its conclusion, and if it doesn’t quite match the rather brilliant premise (I’m not entirely sure how it could), it’s still a really fun read and sure to appeal to fans of Mission Impossible and Jack Reacher.

Meet the author

M.K. Hill worked as a journalist and an award-winning music radio producer before becoming a full-time writer. He’s written the Sasha Dawson series, Ray Drake series and the highly-acclaimed psychological thriller One Bad Thing. He lives in London. Visit him at http://www.mkhill.uk or find him on Twitter @markhillwriter

Connect with the author

Twitter: @markhillwriter. Facebook: M.K. Hill Author.

Website: https://www.mkhill.uk/

Aries/Head of Zeus

Twitter: @AriesFiction. Facebook: Aries Fiction

Instagram: @headofzeus. TikTok: @headofzeus

Website: http://www.headofzeus.com

It’s cover reveal day for Her Last Summer by Emily Freud #CoverReveal #Thriller

Here’s the blurb

A twenty-year-old cold case unearths dark secrets in the scorching-hot destination thriller from Emily Freud.

Twenty years ago, Mari vanished while backpacking through Thailand with her boyfriend, Luke. He was accused of murder, but has always insisted he’s innocent. Besides, her body was never found.

Now, he’s finally ready to talk. And filmmaker Cassidy Chambers wants to be the one to uncover what really happened, back then, in the dark of the jungle.

But as she delves deeper into the past, Cassidy begins to fear what lies ahead, and the secrets buried along the way.

Publication Date: 11^th April 2024

Pre-order Link – https://amzn.eu/d/jkWr0DQ

Meet the author

Emily Freud is the author of My Best Friend’s Secret and What She Left Behind. She has worked on Emmy and BAFTA award winning television series including Educating Yorkshire and First Dates. Emily lives in North London, with her husband and two children. She is currently working on her next novel.

Connect with Emily

https://twitter.com/MsEmilyFreud

https://www.instagram.com/emilyfreud_

Today, I’m reviewing Faberge by Jo Fenton as part of a one day blog blitz to celebrate the book’s release, and there’s a competition too.#bookreview #thriller

Here’s the blurb

Heist. Abduction. Blackmail.

Manchester detective Becky White and her friends at the White Knight Detective Agency take on a case involving the theft of a multi-million-pound Fabergé egg.

Events quickly escalate, and they find themselves dealing with unscrupulous villains who will stop at nothing – not even at kidnapping or murder – to achieve their goals.

Can Becky solve the mystery before her hidden enemies catch up with her?

Purchase Links

Amazon UK Amazon US

My Review

Faberge is the third book in the Becky White thrillers series. I was compelled to read it by the title. Faberge eggs are certainly something to conjure an image in my mind.

As it’s the first book in the series that I’ve read, it’s taken me a little while to get to know the characters and to work out what’s happening. That said, it’s well worth the effort, for this is a very twisty and tightly woven thriller set in the UK, in the cities of Manchester and Preston, with a brief trip to London.

All three of our main characters, Becky, Will and Joanne, have their backstories, which we could be forgiven for thinking were irrelevant, but they’re not. What seems to be a seemingly random chain of events begins to have more and more relevance. The tension ramps up in the book as it tumbles toward its conclusion. This does have a tight and twisty plot.

A novel that was worth sticking with, and I would recommend that new readers perhaps start with the first book in the series just to give them a firm grounding for the events in Faberge, although the book works very well on its own – once you’ve worked out who all the characters are.

A thrilling thriller.

Meet the Author

Jo Fenton grew up in Hertfordshire, UK. She devoured books from an early age, particularly enjoying adventure books, school stories and fantasy. She wanted to be a scientist from aged six after being given a wonderful book titled “Science Can Be Fun”. At eleven, she discovered Agatha Christie and Georgette Heyer, and now has an eclectic and much loved book collection cluttering her home office.

Jo combines an exciting career in Clinical Research with an equally exciting but very different career as a writer of psychological thrillers.

When not working, she runs (very slowly), and chats to lots of people. She lives in Manchester with her husband, youngest son, a Golden Retriever/Husky cross and a tankful of tropical fish. She is an active and enthusiastic member of two writing groups and a reading group.

Connect with Jo

I can be found at my website www.jofenton137.com or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest (links below):

Facebook: Twitter: Instagram: Pinterest:

Giveaway to Win a Faberge mouse mat and notebook (Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494548/?

I’m reviewing The Discarded by Louis van Schalkwyk, #Thriller #BlogTour

Here’s the blurb:

A fast paced thriller you won’t forget!

‘There were many moments where I can honestly say ‘I did not see that coming’’ – Tina Simpson

Ellis Neill wakes up next to his family one morning, just as he had done for the last ten years, unaware that it would be his last taste of freedom.

His life soon spirals out of control and he is cast into a remote prison in the Arctic wilderness where nothing is as it seems, the inmates rule and a sinister figure wants him and his family dead.

Resulting from carefully laid plans he is plunged into a fight for survival, sanity and saving those he loves.

‘A masterpiece of a story with thrills and twists!’ – Laura, reviewer

Purchase Link – http://mybook.to/thediscarded

Review

It was the cover that drew me to this book. Anything with a wintry landscape! And the book did not disappoint.

The story begins with a gruesome murder and only then do we meet our main character, accused of a crime he didn’t commit, and convicted without any real chance of proving his innocence before he’s sent to a desolate prison.

The sequence of events is just this side of realistic and ramps up very quickly. The book is somewhat violent, but flows well and is fast paced, and the body count soon begins to build.

This very much reminded me of the movie Taken, or anything in that genre. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it to fans of thrillers. The writing style is confident and the pace never slackens.

Meet the Author

Louis van Schalkwyk was born in South Africa and currently resides in Hong Kong. “The Discarded” is his debut novel, inspired by years honing his writing skills and drawing influence from his favorite authors. When Louis isn’t writing he enjoys reading and sampling various cuisines with his wife, Courtney.

Connect with the Author

https://www.facebook.com/louisvsauthor

https://www.instagram.com/louisvsauthor/

https://mobile.twitter.com/louisvanschalk3

Connect with the Publisher

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/kingsleypublishers/?hl=en-gb

Twitter – https://twitter.com/kingsleypublis1

Follow The Discarded blog tour with Rachel’s Random Resources

Book Review – Deposed by David Barbaree (historical fiction) Highly Recommended

Here’s the blurb;

“More gripping than Game of Thrones and more ruthless than House of Cards – this a stunning new thriller of power, treachery and revenge

In a darkened cell, a brutally deposed dictator lies crippled – deprived of his power, his freedom – and his eyes.

On the edge of utter despair, his only companion is the young boy who brings him his meagre rations, a mere child who fears his own shadow. But to one who has held and lost the highest power, one thing alone is crystal clear: even emperors were mere children once.

Ten years later, the new ruler’s son watches uneasily over his father’s empire. Wherever he looks rebellion is festering, and those closest to him have turned traitor once before.

To this city in crisis comes a hugely wealthy senator from the very edge of the empire, a young and angry ward at his heels. He is witty but inscrutable, generous with his time and money to a leader in desperate need of a friend – and he wears a bandage over his blinded eyes.

The fallen emperor’s name is Nero.”

Wow, what a stunning debut novel.

I’ve never read any Roman themed novels before the last few weeks, but it would seem that they are both very popular and really rather numerous (I think this is now my sixth or seventh). That said, the books that I’ve read have, more of less, dealt with similar time periods and events. In the case of this novel, I’ve not long since read The Young Nero by Elizabeth George which follows Nero through his younger years and this novel seemed quite a perfect follow up.

This novel, however, is far more wickedly complicated and an absolute delight to read. It has a fast pace and is a very easy read. A note for future readers – do take account of the chapter headings – the novel moves through many different points of views and through two different time periods, as well as occasionally going backward in that time period. It sounds complicated, but it’s a brilliant way of unravelling the events of the novel.

I think it would be fair to say it’s a fairly simple story told in a complicated way – it’s about intrigue in the Roman Government during the AD 60’s-70’s – but it is also so much more than that because of the multiple point of views. This allows the author to decipher events as others see them, with all their attendant prejudices, worries and fears. It is, it must be said, as complex as the House of Cards and as much fun. The portrayal of the corrupt nature of the Roman Government is done very well – I garnered much more from this novel about events in Rome and the wider Roman Empire than I did The Young Nero.

The two timelines, interwoven throughout the novel, eventually offer explanations to the events taking place in the later timeline and while some may find the storyline a little far-fetched, I found it to be told in such a believable way that I had no problem allowing the author to take me down a slightly unconventional route.

My only slight gripe is that I’d assumed this was a standalone novel, and clearly it isn’t, which means I’ll have to keep my eye out for the next novel because I am incredibly keen to read more about Barbaree’s reimagining of Ancient Rome and his Deposed Nero.

And you can buy it here (and should) from May 4th 2017;