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The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Flavia De Luce Mystery Ser. #Bk. 1)
by Alan BradleyWinner of the 2007 Crime Writers’ Association Debut DaggerA delightfully dark English mystery, featuring precocious young sleuth Flavia de Luce and her eccentric family.The summer of 1950 hasn’t offered up anything out of the ordinary for eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce: bicycle explorations around the village, keeping tabs on her neighbours, relentless battles with her older sisters, Ophelia and Daphne, and brewing up poisonous concoctions while plotting revenge in their home’s abandoned Victorian chemistry lab, which Flavia has claimed for her own.But then a series of mysterious events gets Flavia’s attention: A dead bird is found on the doormat, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. A mysterious late-night visitor argues with her aloof father, Colonel de Luce, behind closed doors. And in the early morning Flavia finds a red-headed stranger lying in the cucumber patch and watches him take his dying breath. For Flavia, the summer begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw: “I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life.”Did the stranger die of poisoning? There was a piece missing from Mrs. Mullet’s custard pie, and none of the de Luces would have dared to eat the awful thing. Or could he have been killed by the family’s loyal handyman, Dogger… or by the Colonel himself! At that moment, Flavia commits herself to solving the crime — even if it means keeping information from the village police, in order to protect her family. But then her father confesses to the crime, for the same reason, and it’s up to Flavia to free him of suspicion. Only she has the ingenuity to follow the clues that reveal the victim’s identity, and a conspiracy that reaches back into the de Luces’ murky past.A thoroughly entertaining romp of a novel, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is inventive and quick-witted, with tongue-in-cheek humour that transcends the macabre seriousness of its subject.
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Novel (A Flavia De Luce Novel #1)
by Alan Bradley<P>A delightfully dark English mystery, featuring precocious young sleuth Flavia de Luce and her eccentric family. The summer of 1950 hasn't offered up anything out of the ordinary for eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce: bicycle explorations around the village, keeping tabs on her neighbours, relentless battles with her older sisters, Ophelia and Daphne, and brewing up poisonous concoctions while plotting revenge in their home's abandoned Victorian chemistry lab, which Flavia has claimed for her own. <P>But then a series of mysterious events gets Flavia's attention: A dead bird is found on the doormat, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. A mysterious late-night visitor argues with her aloof father, Colonel de Luce, behind closed doors. And in the early morning Flavia finds a red-headed stranger lying in the cucumber patch and watches him take his dying breath. <P>For Flavia, the summer begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw: "I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn't. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life." Did the stranger die of poisoning? There was a piece missing from Mrs. Mullet's custard pie, and none of the de Luces would have dared to eat the awful thing. Or could he have been killed by the family's loyal handyman, Dogger... or by the Colonel himself? <P>At that moment, Flavia commits herself to solving the crime -- even if it means keeping information from the village police, in order to protect her family. But then her father confesses to the crime, for the same reason, and it's up to Flavia to free him of suspicion. Only she has the ingenuity to follow the clues that reveal the victim's identity, and a conspiracy that reaches back into the de Luces' murky past. <P>A thoroughly entertaining romp of a novel, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is inventive and quick-witted, with tongue-in-cheek humour that transcends the macabre seriousness of its subject. <P><b>Winner of the 2007 Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger. </b>
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: The gripping first novel in the cosy Flavia De Luce series (Flavia de Luce Mystery #1)
by Alan BradleyMeet Flavia: Mystery Solver. Master Poisoner. 11 Years Old.England 1950. At Buckshaw, the crumbling country seat of the de Luce family, very-nearly-eleven-year-old Flavia is plotting revenge on her older sisters.Then a dead bird is left on the doorstep, which has an extraordinary effect on Flavia's eccentric father, and a body is found in the garden. As the police descend on Buckshaw, Flavia decides to do some investigating of her own.Praise for the historical Flavia de Luce mysteries:'The Flavia de Luce novels are now a cult favourite' Mail on Sunday'A cross between Dodie Smith's I Capture The Castle and the Addams family...delightfully entertaining' GuardianFans of M. C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin, Frances Brody and Alexander McCall Smith will enjoy the Flavia de Luce mysteries:1. Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie2. The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag3. A Red Herring Without Mustard4. I Am Half Sick of Shadows5. Speaking From Among the Bones6. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches7. As Chimney Sweepers Come To Dust8. Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd9. The Grave's a Fine and Private PlaceIf you're looking for a cosy crime series to keep you hooked then look no further than the Flavia de Luce mysteries.* Each Flavia de Luce mystery can be read as a standalone or in series order *
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: The gripping first novel in the cosy Flavia De Luce series (Flavia de Luce Mystery)
by Alan BradleyFor very nearly eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce, the discovery of a dead snipe on the doorstep of Buckshaw, the crumbling de Luce country seat, was a marvellous mystery - especially since this particular snipe had a rather rare stamp neatly impaled on its beak. Even more astonishing was the effect of the dead bird on her stamp-collector father, who appeared to be genuinely frightened.Soon Flavia discovers something even more shocking in the cucumber patch, and it's clear that the snipe was a bird of very ill omen indeed. As the police descend on Buckshaw, Flavia decides it is up to her to piece together the clues and solve the puzzle. Who was the man she heard her father arguing with? What was the snipe doing in England at all? Who or what is the Ulster Avenger? And, most peculiar of all, who took a slice of Mrs Mullet's unspeakable custard pie that had been cooling by the window...?Read by Emilia Fox(p) 2010 Orion Publishing Group
The Sweetness of Life
by Jamie Bulloch Paulus HochgattererIt's the Christmas holiday, the presents have been opened, and a six-year-old girl is drinking cocoa and playing with her grandfather. The doorbell rings, and the old man gets up. The next time the girl sees her grandfather, he is lying by the barn, his skull broken; his face a red pulp against the white snow. From that time on, she does not speak a single word.Along with Detective Superintendent Ludwig Kovacs, Raffael Horn, the psychiatrist engaged to treat the silent child, reluctantly becomes involved in solving the murder. Their parallel researches sweep through the town: a young mother who believes her new-born child is the devil; a Benedictine monk who uses his iPod to drown the voices in his head; a high-spending teenager who tortures cats. With his background as a child psychiatrist, Hochgatterer draws back the veil of normality and presents a disconcerting portrait of a winter-held town filled with unsavory inhabitants.res cats. With his background as a child psychiatrist, Hochgatterer draws back the veil of normality and presents a disconcerting portrait of a winter-held town filled with unsavory inhabitants.
The Sweetness of Life
by Paulus HochgattererIt is Christmas in the alpine town of Furth am See and a six-year-old girl is playing ludo with her grandfather. The doorbell rings, and the old man goes to answer. The next time the girl sees him, he is lying with his skull broken, his face a red pulp against the white snow. From that time on, she does not speak a single word. Raffael Horn, the psychiatrist engaged to treat the silent child, reluctantly becomes involved in solving the murder along with Detective Superintendent Ludwig Kovacs. Their parallel researches sweep through the town: a young mother who believes her new-born child is the devil; a Benedictine monk who uses his iPod to drown the voices in his head; a high-spending teenager who tortures cats. The psychological profile of this claustrophobic, winter-held town is not reassuring - which, if any, of its inhabitants was the brutal night-time slayer of the suffering girl's grandfather?
The Sweetness of Life
by Paulus HochgattererIt is Christmas in the alpine town of Furth am See and a six-year-old girl is playing ludo with her grandfather. The doorbell rings, and the old man goes to answer. The next time the girl sees him, he is lying with his skull broken, his face a red pulp against the white snow. From that time on, she does not speak a single word. Raffael Horn, the psychiatrist engaged to treat the silent child, reluctantly becomes involved in solving the murder along with Detective Superintendent Ludwig Kovacs. Their parallel researches sweep through the town: a young mother who believes her new-born child is the devil; a Benedictine monk who uses his iPod to drown the voices in his head; a high-spending teenager who tortures cats. The psychological profile of this claustrophobic, winter-held town is not reassuring - which, if any, of its inhabitants was the brutal night-time slayer of the suffering girl's grandfather?
The Swell
by Allie Reynolds"Fast-paced, nail-bitingly tense and packed full of twists and turns. I found it unputdownable – loved it!"--Sarah Pearse, author of The SanatoriumPoint Break meets And Then There Were None in a pulse-pounding beach read that explores the dangerous ties between a group of elite surfers who are determined to find the perfect waves at any cost…even murder.The waves are to die for. Three years ago, passionate surfer Kenna Ward lost her two great loves—after her boyfriend drowned, she hung up her surfboard and swore off the water for good. But she is drawn back to the beach when her best friend, Mikki, announces her sudden engagement to a man Kenna has never met—a member of a tight-knit group of surfers. Kenna travels to a remote Australian beach, entering a dangerous world far from civilization where the waves, weather, and tides are all that matter. Kenna is tempted back into the surf, and drawn into the dazzling group and the beach they call their own. But this coastal paradise has a dark side, and members of the group begin to go missing. Kenna realizes that in order to protect Mikki and learn more about the surfers, she must become one of them…without becoming one of their victims. What follows is an adrenaline-fueled thriller packed with twists and turns, exploring the dangerous edge between passion and obsession.
The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels
by Beth Lincoln#1 New York Times bestseller!&“Knives Out feel by way of Lemony Snicket…This archly told, never muddled debut whodunit reveals a roster of distinct characters, a labyrinthine setting and plot, and a mystery that is as clever as its heroine.&” – Publishers Weekly, starred review&“The suspenseful denouement is positively writhing with twists.&” —Booklist, starred reviewOn the day they are born, every Swift child is brought before the sacred Family Dictionary. They are given a name, and a definition. A definition it is assumed they will grow up to match. Meet Shenanigan Swift: Little sister. Risk-taker. Mischief-maker. Shenanigan is getting ready for the big Swift Family Reunion and plotting her next great scheme: hunting for Grand-Uncle Vile&’s long-lost treasure. She&’s excited to finally meet her arriving relatives—until one of them gives Arch-Aunt Schadenfreude a deadly shove down the stairs.So what if everyone thinks she&’ll never be more than a troublemaker, just because of her name? Shenanigan knows she can become whatever she wants, even a detective. And she&’s determined to follow the twisty clues and catch the killer.Deliciously suspenseful and delightfully clever, The Swifts is a remarkable debut that is both brilliantly contemporary and instantly classic. A celebration of words and individuality, it's packed with games, wordplay, and lots and lots of mischief as Shenanigan sets out to save her family and define herself in a world where definitions are so important.Cover may vary.
The Swifts: A Gallery of Rogues
by Beth LincolnNow that the family reunion is over and the murderer has been caught, Shenanigan Swift can return to important projects, like searching for the long-lost family treasure. But trouble always finds Shenanigan, and when a valuable painting is stolen from Swift House by a group of eccentric art thieves known as Ouvolpo, she is determined to get it back—even if it means chasing them all the way to Paris. A new adventure is about to begin, and Shenanigan’s sleuthing skills will soon be tested like never before. <P><P> A Gallery of Rogues is the highly anticipated sequel to Beth Lincoln’s celebrated debut, A Dictionary of Scoundrels. Beloved characters are back, joined by a fresh flock of relatives from the French branch of the Swift family tree—the Martinets, including Cousins Soufflé, Mercredi, Contraire, and Pomme. Get ready to say bonjour to more secrets, more bodies, and even more fun, in this delicious mystery that once again celebrates words, family, and plenty of shenanigans. <p> <b>New York Times Bestseller</b>
The Swimmer: A Novel
by Joakim ZanderWith the “intensity of a Jason Bourne adventure,” this thriller about a spy racing to save the daughter he gave up is a “page-turner with unexpected heart” (Kirkus Reviews).Klara Walldéen was raised by her grandparents on a remote archipelago in the Baltic Sea, learning to fish and hunt and sail a boat through a storm. Now, as an EU Parliament aide in Brussels, she is learning how to navigate the treacherous currents of international politics: the lines between friend and enemy, truth and lies.But Klara has accidentally seen something she shouldn’t have: a laptop containing information so sensitive that someone will kill to keep hidden. Suddenly, she is thrown into a terrifying chase across Europe, with no idea who is hunting her or why.Meanwhile, in Virginia, an old spy hides from his past. Once, he was a man of action, an operative so dedicated that he abandoned his infant daughter to keep his cover. Now, he is the only man who can save Klara . . . and she is the only woman who can allow him to lay old ghosts to rest.“Truly polished and compelling. . . . But it is the depth of Zander’s characters and the quality of the writing, which at times touches elegance, that make The Swimmer a winner.” —Booklist, starred review“Page turning . . . [This] hypnotic first book is already drawing comparisons to the work of famed spy novelist John le Carré.” —Entertainment Weekly“[Zander is] a smart, fluid observer.” —New York Times Book Review “Entertaining . . . [the] novel owes more to Forsythe and Ludlum than to Larsson and Mankell. . . . it’s easy to see why this thriller has been a bestseller in Europe.” —Publishers Weekly
The Swimming Pool
by Mary Roberts RinehartIn a crumbling mansion, two sisters hide from the world, afraid for their livesThe Birches was one of the grand mansions of the 1920s, with a ballroom, tennis courts, and, of course, a swimming pool. But after the crash of '29, when Lois and Judith's father killed himself to escape his debts, the family turned the summer home into a fulltime retreat from the world. Decades later, Judith is the queen of New York society, a fast-living beauty whose nerves are beginning to fray, while Lois still lives in the dilapidated old mansion, writing mystery novels to pay the bills. She is about to encounter a mystery of her own.To stave off a nervous breakdown, Judith moves in with her kid sister. Terrified of an unnamed threat, she nails her windows shut and locks the door. Soon, a woman is found dead in the pool--a stranger who bears a shocking resemblance to Judith. In a family with a history of tragedy, a chilling new chapter is about to be written.
The Swimming Pool Mystery #6
by Martin Widmark Helena WillisJerry and Maya, classmates and best friends, are on the case again and ready to solve the latest caper in this international bestselling series! It's Christmastime in Pleasant Valley and the town is getting ready to celebrate. But when all the lockers at the Pleasant Valley swimming pool are emptied during the Big Holiday Swim, it looks like Christmas won't be very merry. Once again, Jerry and Maya use their super sleuthing skills to help the police chief track down the mysterious thief before he ruins Christmas for the whole town!
The Swindlers
by D. W. BuffaA Fatal Triangle of Deception... They had everything anyone could want-- money, power, fame and influence--but none of it was enough. They had to have more. Nelson St. James, one of the world's richest men, is accused of a massive fraud, stealing billions from innocent investors. Before he can be brought to justice he is murdered on his yacht. His young wife, Danielle, whose face has been on the cover of every major fashion magazine, is charged with the crime. One of the best known lawyers in the country, Andrew Morrison, agrees to defend her, but only after she reminds him of certain things she knows about him, things that had happened between them a long time before. Morrison agrees to take the case, but when she tells him what happened the night her husband died he does not believe her. So she tells him something else instead. The story keeps changing, and the more it changes, the more entangled Morrison becomes. The trial comes to a stunning conclusion, and it is only then that the real story unravels and Andrew Morrison comes face to face not just with the truth--but with himself. Three people, brought together in a fatal triangle of murder and deception; three people who swindle each other, and then swindle themselves. The Swindlers will leave you guessing until the final page.
The Swindlers
by D. W. BuffaThey had to have more. Nelson St. James, one of the world’s richest men, is accused of a massive fraud, stealing billions from innocent investors. Before he can be brought to justice he is murdered on his yacht. His young wife, Danielle, whose face has been on the cover of every major fashion magazine, is charged with the crime. One of the best known lawyers in the country, Andrew Morrison, agrees to defend her, but only after she reminds him of certain things she knows about him, things that had happened between them a long time before. Morrison agrees to take the case, but when she tells him what happened the night her husband died he does not believe her. So she tells him something else instead. <p><p> The story keeps changing, and the more it changes, the more entangled Morrison becomes. The trial comes to a stunning conclusion, and it is only then that the real story unravels and Andrew Morrison comes face to face not just with the truth -- but with himself. Three people, brought together in a fatal triangle of murder and deception; three people who swindle each other, and then swindle themselves. The Swindlers will leave you guessing until the final page.
The Swing Voter of Staten Island
by Arthur Nersesian"Nersesian's extravagantly imagined dystopia relies--as did those in Philip Roth's Plot Against America and Michael Chabon's Yiddish Policemen's Union--on an alternate, counterfactual history."--The New York Times Book Review"Combining sci-fi space/time-warping, Unabomber-style political ranting and an overall air of goose-bump paranoia, this is one turbo-charged trip. . . . A sharp, strange read: Imagine William Burroughs and Philip K. Dick sharing a needle."--Kirkus Reviews"Brilliant."--Time Out New YorkArthur Nersesian's six previous novels (including The Fuck-Up, MTV/Pocket Books, which has sold over 100,000 copies) have focused on the tragicomedy of fin de siècle New York City. Here, in his boldest novel to date, Nersesian has broken through into a new landscape that at once fuses the real with the surreal, the psychological with the psychedelic. He lives in New York City.
The Swiss Family Robinson
by Johann David Wyss Chris TaitThis Classic Starts book is an abridged version of the story that relates the fortunes of a shipwrecked family as they imaginatively adapt to life on an island with abundant animal and plant life.
The Switch
by Elmore LeonardOrdell Robbie and Louis Gara hit it off in prison, where they were both doing time for grand theft auto. Now that they're out, they're joining forces for one big score. The plan is to kidnap the wife of a wealthy Detroit developer and hold her for ransom. But they didn't figure the lowlife husband wouldn't want his lady back. So it's time for Plan B and the opportunity to make a real killing -- with the unlikely help of a beautiful, ticked-off housewife who's hungry for a large helping of sweet revenge.
The Switch
by Elmore LeonardOrdell Robbie and Louis Gara have lots in common - time in the same gaol, convictions for auto theft, and a grand plan. They're going to snatch the wife of a Detroit developer and collect some easy ransom money. At least that's what they think...What they haven't figured on is the fact that the husband has a secret mistress and has absolutely no desire to get his wife back. So now it's time for Plan B. With the help of one seriously ticked-off housewife they are going to take the scumbag for everything he's got...THE SWITCH has been adapted for the big screen as LIFE OF CRIME, starring Jennifer Aniston, Tim Robbins and Isla Fisher.
The Switch
by Sandra BrownIt isn't the first time that identical twins Gillian and Melina Lloyd have switched identities. Yet it's the first time as adults that they've even considered the childhood prank. Melina, the more impetuous twin, proposes that her circumspect sister take her place as a media escort to NASA astronaut and national hero Colonel Christopher "Chief" Hart. Although it's an enticing offer, Gillian declines for a very personal reason she's preoccupied with whether or not the artificial insemination she underwent that day will be successful. Besides, she warns Melina, such a switch could have unexpected consequences. Media-savvy Chief turns out to be an easy assignment for Melina in fact the evening with him is as much pleasure as business. But the following morning police arrive at Melina's door with the worst possible news: her beloved twin has been brutally murdered in her own bed. And on the walls, scrawled in blood, are obscenities directed at Gillian, along with insults toward Native Americans that indisputably link Chief to the crime. Dissatisfied with the official police investigation, Chief and Melina form a grudging alliance, strike out on their own ... and find themselves uncovering more questions than answers. Mistrusting even the authorities claiming to protect them, on the run with their lives in danger, the two are soon following a crooked and bloody trail that inexplicably leads to Gillian's attempt to conceive a child... and to the threshold of an inner sanctum, where a megalomaniac hatches horrific schemes and lies in wait for Gillian's replacement, her identical twin Melina. A book that reveals the powerful, almost mystical bond between twins, a bond that extends beyond the grave and compels a woman to go to almost impossible lengths to avenge her sister. THE SWITCH defies every prediction.
The Switch: A Novel
by Joseph FinderA simple mix up throws one innocent man into the crosshairs of sinister government secrets and ruthless political ambitions in New York Times bestselling author Joseph Finder’s timely, electrifying new thriller.Michael Tanner is on his way home from a business trip when he accidentally picks up the wrong MacBook in an airport security line. He doesn’t notice the mix-up until he arrives home in Boston, but by then it’s too late. Tanner’s curiosity gets the better of him when he discovers that the owner is a US senator and that the laptop contains top secret files. When Senator Susan Robbins realizes she’s come back with the wrong laptop, she calls her young chief of staff, Will Abbott, in a panic. Both know that the senator broke the law by uploading classified documents onto her personal computer. If those documents wind up in the wrong hands, it could be Snowden 2.0—and her career in politics will be over. She needs to recover the MacBook before it’s too late. When Will fails to gain Tanner’s cooperation, he is forced to take measures to retrieve the laptop before a bigger security breach is revealed. He turns to an unscrupulous “fixer” for help. In the meantime, the security agency whose files the senator has appropriated has its own methods, darker still—and suddenly Tanner finds himself a hunted man, on the run, terrified for the safety of his family, in desperate need of a plan, and able to trust no one.
The Switch: A Novel
by Lily Samson&“Friendship takes a dark turn in this sexy, seductive thriller.&” —People Two couples. One dark, twisted game of love and obsession. Suspend your disbelief on this roller-coaster ride of a domestic thriller about the dangerous secrets that come to light when a wild fantasy turns sinister. . .Young couple Elena and Adam are housesitting in a posh corner of London and are instantly seduced by their new upscale surroundings. Here, Elena meets her neighbor, the enigmatic artist Sophia, and soon becomes obsessed with her beauty, her easy poise, and her husband, Finn. Sophia is everything Elena isn&’t—glamorous, alluring, successful—and Finn exerts a mysterious pull on Elena that she can&’t seem to shake. Elena&’s infatuation with Finn grows stronger by the day, and when Sophia proposes a thrilling game to her new friend—to swap partners in secret—Elena quickly agrees. It&’s not long before Elena experiences a sexual awakening that blossoms into an illicit love affair, but Sophia&’s plans are far more dangerous than Elena could ever have imagined… Will the two couples survive the consequences of their disturbing manipulations and salacious deceptions?
The Sword Dancer (Rebels And Lovers Ser. #1)
by Jeannie LinSet during the Tang Empire, this Chinese historical romance “is politically and culturally rich . . . atypical, sensual and filled with honor and wit” (Publishers Weekly).The thief who stole his heartSword dancer Li Feng is used to living life on the edge of the law—a woman alone in the dangerous world of the Tang Dynasty has only her whirlwind reflexes to trust. She will discover the truth about her past, even if that means outwitting the most feared thief-catcher of them all. . . . Relentless, handsome and determined, Han sees life—and love—as black and white. Until he finally captures the spirited, courageous Li Feng, who makes him question everything he thought he knew about right and wrong. Soon he’s faced with an impossible choice: betray the elusive sword dancer he is learning to love, or trust his long-disregarded heart and follow her to dangerous, tempting rebellion. . . . “The graceful, almost poetic quality of Lin’s writing perfectly complements the Tang Dynasty setting of her latest expertly crafted historical romance, and the book’s potent combination of compelling characters and exotic historical setting make The Sword Dancer an auto-buy for libraries in search of something different for their romance collections.” —Booklist
The Sword Maker's Seal
by Trevor SchmidtEmerson Highsmith is not your average 14-year-old. Sure, he goes to school and hangs out with his friends like everyone else, but Emerson is different. Through his eyes, the entire world is a mystery waiting to be solved. Naturally, when he hears that a 14th century Japanese sword is stolen from a Portland, Oregon museum, he is intrigued. Actually, Emerson can't contain himself. As he doggedly pursues the burglar, the suspects multiply and time is running out before the exhibit moves on. Will Emerson discover the thief's identity? Or will one of Japan's national treasures be lost forever?
The Sword and the Throne (The Aulus Severus Adventures)
by Henry Venmore-RowlandAs Rome enters the Year of the Four Emperors, a soldier marches into the crucible of battle to meet his uncertain fate in the sequel to The Last Caesar.Rome, 69 AD: In the bloody contest for control of Rome, Aulus Caecina Severus has thrown in his lot with the hedonistic military commander Vitellius. Now he must prepare his legions for a grueling march over the Alps. Severus leads his army against barbarian rebellions and the tough mountain passes in his race to reach Italy before his rival Valens. With the Po valley almost in sight, news comes that Emperor Galba has been killed in a coup, and that Otho has been declared Emperor by the Praetorians. But there is no turning back for Severus: the Rhine legions want their man on the throne, leading Severus down a dark path. Politics is the new battleground, and Severus needs the help of his wife Salonina and his freedman Totavalas if he wants to survive. And as a new power emerges in the east, Severus must decide where his true loyalty lies . . .