Book description
Gaius Petreius Ruso, doctor to the Legions, is about to return home to
Gaul after many years' absence. Little does he realize the letter
summoning him back has been forged, or that the sunny Mediterranean
lifestyle conceals a dark threat lurking at every corner. His family are
in horrific debt to dangerous men and when the principal creditor,
Severus, is poisoned in the Ruso home they become the primary suspects
in his murder. But the crimes go far deeper. What role did Severus play
in the deliberate sinking of a cargo ship? Who are the brutal
investigators sent by Rome? And how worrying is the outbreak of the new
religion, Christianity, in the neighbourhood? When Ruso takes a job
stitching up gladiators in the local amphitheatre, matters come to a
head. He's literally in the lion's den and even Tilla, his loyal
servant, may not be able to save him from the clutches of a most devious
murderer . . . Ruso and the Root of All Evils, is published in the US as
Persona Non Grata. R. S. Downie is the author of two previous Ruso
novels, both available as Penguin paperbacks. She lives in
Buckinghamshire.
