Short Synopsis
In the latest novel in Ruth Downie's Roman Empire series, Ruso uncovers a new danger even closer to home than the neighboring barbarians.

Full Synopsis
Back at his post as a doctor in the twentieth legion in Roman-occupied Britain, Ruso uncovers a new danger even closer to home than the neighboring barbarians.

As mysterious injuries, and even deaths, begin to appear in the medical ledgers, it's clear that all is not well amongst the native recruits to Britannia's imperial army. Is the much-decorated centurion Geminus preying on his weaker soldiers? And could this be related to the appearance of Emperor Hadrian?

Bound by his sense of duty and ill-advised curiosity, Ruso begins to ask questions nobody wants to hear. Meanwhile his barbarian wife Tilla is finding out some of the answers—and marked as a security risk by the very officers Ruso is interrogating.

With Hadrian's visit looming large, the fates of the legion, Tilla, and Ruso himself hang in the balance.

"Both the series and the narration are highly recommended." ---SoundCommentary

"Simon Vance's performance improves an already terrific work, his Latin and Celtic pronunciations adding to the rich historical detail of a book that features the lives of ordinary soldiers and culture conflict." ---Library Journal Audio Review

"Ruth Downie's Semper Fidelis is a blend of historical novel and intrigue-laden mystery." ---The Midwest Book Review

"Downie injects a modern who-done-it twist into the imperial action." ---Kirkus