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Lustrum

From the bestselling author of Conclave

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Lustrum

By: Robert Harris
Narrated by: Bill Wallis
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Rome, 63 BC. In a city on the brink of acquiring a vast empire, seven men are struggling for power. Cicero is consul, Caesar his ruthless young rival, Pompey the republic's greatest general, Crassus its richest man, Cato a political fanatic, Catilina a psychopath, Clodius an ambitious playboy.

The stories of these real historical figures - their alliances and betrayals, their cruelties and seductions, their brilliance and their crimes - are all interleaved to form this epic novel. Its narrator is Tiro, a slave who serves as confidential secretary to the wily, humane, complex Cicero. He knows all his master's secrets - a dangerous position to be in.

From the discovery of a child's mutilated body, through judicial execution and a scandalous trial, to the brutal unleashing of the Roman mob, Lustrum is a study in the timeless enticements and horrors of power.

 Biographical Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Political Thriller & Suspense Fiction Biography Exciting Suspense Rome Mystery
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Continue the series
Dictator cover art
Dictator By: Robert Harris

Critic reviews

Harris is the master. With Lustrum, [he] has surpassed himself. It is one of the most exciting thrillers I have ever read
Harris communicates such a strong sense of imperial Rome - the book is awesomely well-informed about the minutiae of everyday life
Thoroughly engaging ... The allure of power and the perils that attend it have seldom been so brilliantly anatomised in a thriller
Harris never makes his comparisons between Rome and modern Britain explicit, but they are certainly there. And that's the principal charm of his ancient thrillers - their up-to-dateness
Magnificent ... Better than Robert Graves's Claudius novels
A read to be savoured
Wry, clever, thoughtful, with a terrific sense of timing and eye for character.

Thrillingly paced and narrated ... What grips most about Lustrum is the seriousness with which the political issues at stake are taken, and the vividness of the characterisation

Offers great insight into the psychology of political calculation
Deeply satisfying, impeccably researched and spectacularly topical ... This is a thriller to die for ... The pace never falters, and the politics are sharply relevant
All stars
Most relevant
Harris is almost always very good and this, the 2nd part of the Cicero trilogy, is terrific.

Brilliant readable history

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Every bit as good as the first book. I can't wait for the next one.

Brilliant

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brilliant story which I have read but loved listening over 😀 👏 👌 👍

perfect

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Well written. Well narrated. Enjoyed every moment. Harris brings history to life like no other

Brilliant

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Interesting and captivating. Beautifully read by Bill Wallis. Roman history brought to life by Robert Harris.

Interesting and captivating. Lovers of Roman history will find this both informative and full of intrigue.

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