Libertus is a Celtic freedman who makes his living as a mosaic maker in the Roman town of Glevum, known today as Gloucester. Once enslaved, he earned his freedom and now works as a craftsman, laying intricate tile patterns for wealthy Roman citizens. His trained eye for detail, developed through years of arranging tiny mosaic pieces into larger designs, gives him an unusual talent for spotting things that others overlook. This skill repeatedly draws him into murder investigations, usually at the request of his patron Marcus Aurelius Septimus.
Despite his freedom, Libertus occupies an uneasy position in Roman-occupied Britain. He is Celtic by birth but dependent on Roman patronage for his livelihood and social standing. This tension between the two cultures runs through the entire series, shaping both the mysteries and Libertus’s own sense of identity. Across 20 novels, he navigates the dangerous politics of provincial Roman life, where a wrong word to the wrong official can be as deadly as any murderer.
Reading Order
See the complete Libertus Mystery of Roman Britain reading order for all books in the series.