The Trireme's Trial
A Legal Thriller of Ancient Rome

About this book:

On a warship bound for Sicily, a merchant lies dead in the hold—stabbed through the heart, his gold untouched, his servant trembling in chains. The trireme *Invicta* must sail with the morning tide to reach Syracuse in time for a treason trial that will decide a senator's fate. But with a killer somewhere among the 150 oarsmen, 30 sailors, and 20 marines, the ship's centurion has no patience for justice—only speed.

Enter Lucius Valerius Severus, a Forum advocate whose toga is as out of place on a warship as a scroll in a sword fight. Armed with nothing but wax tablets, a bronze stylus, and the praetor's warrant, Lucius claims jurisdiction over the crime. He has twelve hours of open water to interrogate a hostile crew, dissect a crime scene that shifts with every wave, and outmaneuver a centurion who would rather throw the suspect to the sharks than see due process served.

From the salt-crusted quays of Ostia to the razor straits of Messana, *The Trireme's Trial* fuses the intricate puzzle of a classic whodunit with the visceral thrill of a naval adventure. Here, Roman law meets the law of the sea—and the verdict will be delivered before the anchor drops.