RUBIES OF THE VIPER is a fast-paced mystery & romantic-suspense novel set in the time of Roman Emperors Claudius and Nero. It’s rated an average of 4.5 stars by 59 reviewers on Amazon.
This 336-page book—my debut novel —was published in 2009 and by early 2011 had risen to #2 in Amazon’s “Bestselling Historical Mysteries for the Kindle.” It’s available in paperback ($14.95) and e-book formats for Kindle, Nook, Reader, and Apple devices ($2.99).
SYNOPSIS: When her brother is murdered in first-century Rome, Theodosia Varro inherits the family estate, going from poverty and isolation to great wealth and a prestigious position in society. Unfortunately, she lives in a time and a place that deny women of her class the very things she most desires: personal freedom and self-determination. Only by identifying her brother’s killer can she feel safe, yet her efforts take her in quite the opposite direction. After her own actions and the scheming of others lead to catastrophe, Theodosia struggles to survive and recover what matters most in her life.
FREE DOWNLOADS: a 42-page sample (480 KB PDF) and a map of places in the book (97 KB PDF).