I’ve read most — but not all — of this series, so when I find one I haven’t gotten to read yet, it’s like a little visit with my old friend Libertus. Let’s see what Libertus and faithful Gwellia are up to! What trouble has patron Marcus set him up for this time?

In Dark Omens, Libertus is hired to re-tile an entryway. The previous images of a ship at sea was once a symbol of the husband’s shipping and trading profession, but now his widow considers this image unlucky. The widow isn’t the client, though, it’s her former brother-in-law who now plans to marry her. Libertus is immediately intrigued by the situation, but it’s all aboveboard. A Roman woman needed a male legal guardian, usually someone in her family, and that guardian would decide who she married (or re-married), and there’s no reason he couldn’t choose himself for her future husband and get all her late husband’s property too.

I always enjoy when the story relies on Roman life and customs. The Vestal Vanishes is another Libertus mystery that uses Roman customs and law really well as part of the premise. In that one, the story hinges on a retiring Vestal Virgin, who’s completed her 30 years at the temple, and can — if she wants — go on to marry and live a secular life.

A Prisoner of Privilege uses Roman customs so well, too. Over the course of Libertus’ life, he doesn’t just lay pavements and solve mysteries, he’s also moving up in Roman society, which means fudging the property requirements to be eligible for duties he doesn’t particularly want. And The Price of Freedom talks about the rules and customs around provincial tax-collecting, besides the mystery to solve. I love what this does for the worldbuilding, and I also love how the mysteries aren’t automatically solved by catching the baddie and turning him over to the authorities.

I have to admit that I like the SPQR series or Marcus Corvinus slightly more, because I’m much more interested in the action in Rome than out in the provinces. Libertus is a Celtic workman in Roman-occupied Britain, which is fine and all, but it’s not quite backstabbing in the Forum, is it? Still, I enjoy how the Libertus stories often include warm scenes back at the roundhouse.

A good read for fans of historical fiction. This is a period I'm not familiar with and thus I was prompted to do a bit more research- always a positive. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

In 194 AD, following civil war, Septimius Severus is proclaimed Emperor of the Roman Empire, but Pescennius Niger is still contending for the throne. In Britannia, Governor Clodius Albinus is “bought off” with the courtesy title: Caesar and Co-Emperor of the West. The Britannia legions are looked upon with suspicion, and public figures are being denounced and imprisoned, or even murdered for anti-Severian sympathies.

In Glevum (present-day Gloucester), the duumvir—joint magistrate—Libertus is summoned by Marcus Septimus, the senior magistrate, to join him at the baths. Just as Libertus had suspected, Septimus is requesting a favor. This time it is to accommodate a visitor from Rome, a former Praetorian and Septimus’s distant cousin, in Libertus’ apartment. Septimus doesn’t want to entertain his cousin in his home, since he suspects the cousin is on a spying mission for the Emperor. While Libertus agrees, for the apartment was gifted to him earlier by Septimus, it gets him into serious trouble. When four murders occur in quick succession, and Libertus is accused not only of murder but of treason as well, he needs to muster all his sleuthing skills to uncover the pieces of evidence and identify the culprits.

This novel is the latest of Rosemary Rowe’s fine murder mysteries set in Roman Britannia. Although it’s the 18th in the series, sufficient historical details and character back stories are seamlessly provided. Rowe has used the turmoil of this period within the Roman Empire, and particularly its impact in Britannia, to craft the plot skillfully. Although it takes time for the plot to develop, and events move slowly from then until the denouement, the events feel realistic, and the superb dialogue and descriptions make us feel as if we are among the characters living in Roman Britain. The novel abounds with numerous interesting and informative details of that era, making it a pleasurable read. Highly recommended.

This review first appeared in the HNR Magazine Issue 90 (November 2019)

It's the first book I read in this series and won't surely be the last.
I found this book engrossing and entertaining.
I liked the well researched historical background, the fleshed out cast of characters and the mystery that kept me guessing till the end.
I look forward to reading other books in this series.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This is my first book by the Author and after reading this one will not be my last .
The Author brings to light the sights , sounds and politics of the era to life I can't wait to read many more mysteries in this series

Ah there’s nothing like a day or two with Libertus! I really felt for him in this one, getting pulled this way and that by his sponsor Marcus, his slaves, his acquaintances and their slaves.... in this book we see a decapitation- Druid doings?, a very drunk friend-or is he? And a worthless old coin- or is it?

194 AD and Libertus is summoned by his patron, Marous Aurelius Setimus, to a meeting in the public baths. He informs Libertus that a distant cousin, ex-Praetoriar, and presumed spy will soon be arriving in Glevum to investigate reports of treason. While at the baths, the money changer, Josephus Loftus wished to speak to Libertus. But before they can arrange a meeting Josephus is found dead. Libertus decides to investigate but it would seem that the guilty party is more intelligent that he thought, and Libertus makes a serious mistake.
An engaging well-written story, which although the 18th in the series I found it easy enough to read as a standalone story. It was quite a slow paced novel, and so it took awhile before I became involved in the story.

A Prisoner of Privilege by Rosemary Rowe

It is AD 194 and the Roman Empire is in turmoil following the murder of the Emperor Pertinax by his own Praetorian Guard. The new Emperor, Septimus Severus, sees threats on every side and one of those threats is the Governor of Britannia, Clodius Albinus. Sides are being drawn and the effects are felt as far away as Glevum (modern Gloucester) in Britannia. Pavement maker Libertus has risen high, thanks to the patronage of Marcus, a powerful man in Britannia and the friend of Pertinax. Libertus, a citizen who was once a slave, is now sitting on the town council.

Libertus now has influence of his own. But he must still do whatever Marcus instructs and one day Marcus informs Libertus that a cousin of his is being sent to Britannia as the Emperor’s own messenger. Everyone knows he’s a spy, sent to uncover dissenters and followers of Clodius. Marcus knows that his rank will not be able to save him from the spy’s awkward questions. And so the murder of a local moneylender, another influential man in Glevum, couldn’t have come at a worst time. It’s up to Libertus to solve it before he, too, falls victim to the spy. But then another murder upsets everything.

I’ve been reading Rosemary Rowe’s Libertus novels for more years than I care to recall. I’ve not missed one of them and I always look forward to them. They’re comforting and entertaining but they’re also packed with historical detail and research, backed up by informative introductions in which the author sets the time and place. A Person of Privilege is the eighteenth Libertus mystery. They all stand alone very well but I’ve loved getting to know Libertus and his household of family and young slaves over the years, as well as demanding patrician Marcus and the men and women of a beautifully realised prosperous Roman town.

Libertus’s life has been full of incident and drama and it’s given him insight into the lows and highs of Roman society. He was once a slave and slavery is a repeated theme through the series. Libertus is a father figure to his young slaves. He cares deeply for them. In this novel, slaves, recently sold, play an important role. Libertus never lets us forget that they’re human beings, in contrast to the attitudes of his patron, Marcus. Libertus’s family plays such an important role in his life, and therefore in the novels.

I really enjoyed the depiction here of local Roman government with all of its little rituals and expectations, such as the command that Libertus and councillors like him must always wear a toga, with its thin purple strip, when outdoors. Not that he does, of course, because at heart Libertus is still a pavement maker, a craftsman of mosaics. We also learn about the customs, rituals and practicalities of death. It’s all deeply fascinating and informative.

The Prisoner of Privilege, while not my favourite of the series (it has a lot of competition), was a delight to read. I love the world of Roman Britain it takes me to. It’s comforting and cosy but it’s also clever and superbly researched. Marcus is always leading Libertus into trouble and I’ve loved being there with him every step of the way as he puzzles, or blunders, his way out of it. I always look forward to these books. Long may they continue!

Other reviews
Dark Omens
The Fateful Day
The Ides of June
The Price of Freedom

Tables Are Turned on Libertus — He Is Being Accused

After the author sets the stage for the novel, it starts with Libertus meeting his patron, Marcus Aurelius Septimus in the baths. Marcus was very friendly with Libertus. Marcus had a reason; he needed a favor. In the last novel, Marcus gifted an apartment in town so that Libertus would meet the requirements to become a Councillor. Recently, one of the duumvirs dropped dead, and Libertus is elected. A distant relative of Marcus, an ex-Praetorian and confidant to the new emperor, Septimius Severus, is arriving. Marcus will need to provide housing. Since Marcus gifted the apartment to Libertus, he cannot ask for it back. He has to convince Libertus to offer it. What makes this visit even trickier is that Marcus believes that his cousin is a spy. While at the baths the town’s moneychanger who appears to be a little drunk wants to talk to Libertus. Since the moneychanger when sober tends to talk too much, Libertus tells him that he will talk with him tomorrow and leaves to catch up with Marcus. The next day Libertus visits the moneychanger’s stall in the forum to drop off some money, he discovered that only an assistant present. He learns that the moneychanger fell at the baths, and is at home. Libertus visits the moneychanger but discovers that he is dead in circumstances that appear not to be by natural causes. The novel speeds off from here.

The main storyline has two threads. First is Marcus’s cousin’s visit, and the second is Libertus’s unofficial investigation into the moneychanger’s death. In both threads there are many intriguing twists, turns and several misdirections. My attention was captured quickly and kept me reading so that I finished this novel faster than normal. I particularly liked the ability of the author to keep the tension as she weaved these two storylines together.

There B-storyline is rich with new insights into Libertus’s personality. Marcus had to purchase slaves to staff the borrowed apartment, but technically they belong to Libertus. One of them was a recently captured Dacian warrior that stirs up feelings of Libertus’s own time as a slave. The new slave is proving to be quite helpful, and Libertus needs to navigate his now unhappy slave, Minimus. These B-storylines enriched my reading experience.

There are not any sex scenes or colorful language. The violence is what I call in the third person, which means it is described after the fact. There should not be any objections to any reader for any these. Now, the setting is set near the end of the second century Roman England, so there are a few terms that are not in the Kindle dictionary and required access to the Internet. I do recommend reading this novel on the Kindle for its easy Internet access.

This is the 18th novel in the Libertus series. For me, it has not become stale. I have enjoyed reading this novel as I have reading the previous 17 novels. The downside was minor in that the first two chapters seemed a little slow because of the setting up the start of the novel’s main storylines, but I hooked soon in Chapter Three. Also, if this is the first novel in this series, I believe that you will enjoy reading it as the author provides adequate background to understand the nuances in this novel.

Based upon the above, I rate this novel with five stars. I am looking forward reading the next novel.
I have received a free kindle version of this novel through NetGalley from Severn House with an expectation for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Severn House for the opportunity to read this novel early.

I have to keep reminding myself that the stories featuring Libertus in this series are meant to be serious murder mysteries. There is just something about him that makes me smile which may be somewhat inappropriate when the man is being accused of all sorts of things which might result in him being executed. Libertus has been featured in eighteen novels now and I've come to know him quite well. I enjoy these books and look forward to a relaxing time watching Libertus find clues and then interpret them with regard to the crimes he is investigating at the moment. This story has a spy sent from Rome to ferret out treason in Glevum (Gloucester) and an official money changer who dies after a fall in the public baths. This particular investigation proceeds rather slowly, but once it heats up it goes at a full gallop. While the story is moving slowly it is still teaching me all kinds of things about the presence of the Roman Empire in Britannia.

Rosemary Rowe always includes a Foreword to these stories where she gives readers the historical and political setting of the Roman Empire and what impact it was having on Britannia. The daily lives of slaves, freemen, Roman officials, all are portrayed in the story in such detail that I find new situations I had not thought about before. There is a kind of rhythm and flow to these stories that you begin to recognize after a time but I do not find that takes away from my enjoyment. Libertus is a reluctant "purple striper" and his stripe may be rather thin, but his elevation in social standing has given him more scope to investigate crimes of all different sorts. The books don't have to be read in order, but there have been big changes in the life of Libertus and his family so you might want to take that into consideration when deciding where to begin reading this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for an e-Galley of this novel.

Death of a spy

Libertus, ex-slave, retired pavement maker, now duumvir (joint mayor) of Glevum, finds himself in a lot of trouble when he realises that the death of a money lender, is not natural as others believe, but murder. Throw in the representative of a new emperor, counterfeit coinage, a number of dubious Celtic businessmen and a missing doctor and there are all the ingredients for one of Rosemary Rowe’s intricate, clever and involving mysteries.

I have never read a dud in this long series; the author’s inventiveness seems inexhaustible. Add the gritty and dangerous authenticity of the Romano-British setting. The final chapters, as Libertus attempts to argue for his own life, weakened by drugs and with the odds and evidence firmly stacked against him, are a real tour-de-force. Highly recommended once again!

This is an impeccably well-researched and nicely-written tale, the eighteenth in the Libertus series.
Set in Gloucester, AD194, at a time of great upheaval, it is a story of murders and deceit played out amid the uncertainty as to which of the claimants to the Imperial throne would emerge victorious from the Year of the Five Emperors.

Rosemary Rowe cleverly avoids being part of the “bleeding chunks of information” school of historical novel writing, by penning an interesting and illuminating Foreword which outlines all that the reader needs to know by way of background.

This story is strong on character, but again, weak in plotting. Nothing much seems to happen, until the last quarter of the book and the revelatory final chapters. Libertus does not really investigate, but rather, blunders into a solution which, I am afraid to say, is all-too-glaringly-obvious to seasoned mystery readers.

Easy to read, and entertaining enough, but not very “mysterious”.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for the digital ARC.

A Prisoner of Privilege is a fantastic book that is the first I have read by this author a d will not be my last. I enjoyed this book. It has great characters and is well written. A must read.

The arrival of a new book in the Rosemary Rowe series is joy. The character of Libertus has been with us for 18 books in total now and doesn't show any signs of being ready to put his feet up. Rosemary's writing continues to be fresh and the situations are entirely plausible. One of the great joys of her book is the richness of vocabulary used being descriptive and more varied than much modern writing. Before the story starts there is always an introduction to the happenings that are relevant to the story giving the real context within Roman Britain, that the books contain facts from many sources is not evident as the author wears her learning lightly.
The tale this time involves the untimely death of the money-lender and the nervously awaited arrival of a spy from Rome. The mystery of various apparently unconnected deaths are pieced together by Libertus aided and hindered by an interesting cast of other characters old and new.
These stories are eagerly devoured by me and I await the next instalment and I've only just finished this one!!

#AprisonerOfPrivilege #NetGalley

#AprisonerOfPrivilege #NetGalley I received this ARC from NetGalley and Severn House for an honest review. I gave it 4.5 stars rounded to 5 and enjoyed it a lot. There are times when Libertus' adventures are a bit too much for me, but this time I was happily surprised.

Libertus was being a normal Roman official ( Born a Celt) as duumvir for Glevum and not trying to do anything extraordinary. A series of deaths and the insistence by his patron, Marcus, inserts him in the middle of the "who is the spy" mystery.

Since most of the story takes place between his roundhouse and the town apartment at his disposal, I had a good taste of Roman British life. Rosemary Rowe, the author has a fine foreword where she describes the living situations and the current political situation in Rome. In 194 AD Britannia was still being rocked but a succession of rulers, each one being deposed or killed.Suspicion was rife and it was every man for himself.

A murder of the official sent to spy on the city occurs in Libertus townhouse and he discovers it. A sort of odd ingestion of a poison renders him almost unable to defend himself, but finally recovers and the ending is quite satisfactory.

A fun series in my favorite Roman Britain, preorder yours now and start reading earlier volumes.

We return to the life of Libertus now a local councillor the duumvir in the time of Ancient Rome CE 194. His patron Marcus Septimus has a distant cousin journeying from Rome to check on recent reports of treason to Emperor Severus and requires Libertus to give up his home for him. Libertus is pulled into the centre of this investigation by the death of his friend the local money lender. There are many twists and turns in this complex plot and Libertus finds his usual wits are missing when he is arrested for the murder of the Emperor’s spy Laurentius. There is plenty of background in this story delving into the workings of trades in these times and you will be drawn into this ancient world with pleasure.
I was given an ARC by Netgalley and the publisher of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by the Author and after reading this one will not be my last .
The Author brings to light the sights , sounds and politics of the era to the fore ……… the worldbuilding and characters are first class.

Libertus , previously a pavement maker, now a reluctant Councillor is drawn once again into the world of his 'patron' Marcus Septimus . Marcus is concerned that Rome has sent a spy to Glevum………… a distant cousin , in the employ of Emperor Serverus and tasks Libertus with finding out the truth .
Libertus has his own problems however , a local money lender is found dead just before they are due to meet .
He soon finds himself embroiled in fighting for the truth as he is soon accused of murder and treason …. will his new rank hinder his fight and will Marcus Septimus give him time to find out the truth regarding the spy ?
The twists and turns of the various plots mean the Libertus' life is at stake unless he can he can find out who is behind everthing…………. will Marcus Septimus stand for him , will he be able to with his own problems ?.

I found the complex but fast paced story drew me into Libertus' world - the perils and the benefits of a high ranking patron can be a drawback to a peaceful life .
I will be reading more books set in this world by the Author as soon as possible .

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own