I travel with Ruso,the Medicus and his wife Tilla and now their extended family, which grows with each outing. Valens who is a colleague and very close personal friend of Ruso, sends a messenger ( also a colleague of Ruso) to let him know that he is accused of murdering his wife.
Albanus, the former assistant to Ruso when he was still in the Army, was distraught when he arrived due to the death of Serena. Additionally Albanus is tutor to Valens twin sons, now in the custody of Pertinex, former Centurian over all three of these men.
Catus, brother of Pertinex,Virana now-wife to Albanus but biological mother to Mara, adopted daughter of Tila and Ruso as well as Gleva, who is both Priestess and mistress to Pertinex round out the immediate characters involved. Characters many of them are, for sure! They leap off the page, each unique in a different fashion.
The plot involves Aqua Solis, more than a Roman Bath but a religious site with the goddess Minerva Sulis of extreme importance to what is now modern-day Bath. The Governor arrives post haste to "try" the case, as Valens' father in law is convinced his daughter and her recent love interest, was murdered by her husband. Tides, the mysteries of this sacred spring as well as other obstacles stand in the way of untangling what happened. There is no resolution until the very end.
Always the juxtaposition between Tilla, a British native and her husband a Roman physician from Gaul gives wonderful depth and that depth is replicated for many such couples and associates of our main characters. That is Roman Britain.
All of this is why I love this series so..
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