Lucas's creation, the gentleman spymaster Loreticus, is everything you would expect from a devious provocateur in the ancient Empire - witty, charming, brilliant, sly ... and desperately immoral. In the first four short stories covering his early adventures, Loreticus battles jealous lovers, devious generals, sneaky emperors, and his own cock-ups.

Join the loyal and passionate fans of the character who blends the best of the Musketeers with the darkest of House of Cards, and binge for a weekend on some of the funniest murder-mysteries you'll find.

Readers say:

"I love this book! I'll read this several more times over the next year or more."

"The setting is wonderful and eclectic while the characters are strong. A great introduction to Lorecticus' world."

"The story is a fast-paced whodunit, featuring the keen deductive reasoning and dry gallows humor of Loreticus. Selban is Dr. Watson to Loreticus' Sherlock Holmes/Joe Friday hybrid, as they unravel the subtle clues to solve the murder(s). The process is fascinating, the ending is not one you can predict, and J.B. Lucas' terse descriptions and understated style maintain the drama, the noir atmosphere, and the reader's interest to the end. There's nary a clue or a word out of place in this fine mystery, and I definitely recommend it."

"This book is very different from others in the mystery genre. Everything, including the resolution, is subtle and low-key. A quick read, the reader is the shadow in the back of room, on the sidelines, always watching but not a part of the scene."

"I enjoyed the heck out of my introduction to Loreticus."

"Intriguing and entertaining. The characters' interactions are brilliant."

"While I often skip to the end to see if I want to bother finishing a story, this book kept me turning pages one after the other. I look forward to reading more of these."

"J. B. Lucas brings this Roman-era mystery to life. The dialogue is magnificent. The wit between the characters is brilliant as Spymaster Loreticus and his sidekick Selban work to solve the mystery. The characters are so vivid and lively."

"I found the intrigue and collusion along with the ironic humor to create a compelling page-turner that made the book quite difficult to put down."

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