#BookReview The Senator’s Darkest Days by Joan E. Histon @JHPFiction

About the Book

40AD and despite the threat of bloodshed, Senator Vivius Marcianus travels to Jerusalem to investigate the delay in erecting the Emperor’s statue in the temple. Failure is not an option.

When Vivius is wounded and imprisoned, it is left to Dorio to rescue his heavily pregnant sister and her children and set about proving Vivius’s innocence.

Format: ebook (277 pages)               Publisher: Top Hat Books (an imprint of John Hunt Publishing)
Publication date:  27th March 2020 Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery

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My Review

The Senator’s Darkest Days is the sequel to The Senator’s Assignment which I read in 2018. Once again the author gives us a blend of fact and fiction featuring Roman senator Vivius Marcianus. During the course of this latest novel he encounters enemies he made in the previous book, notably Pontius Pilate. Yes, that Pontius Pilate.

Vivius’s first problem is being given a seemingly impossible mission by the volatile Emperor Caligula, whose excesses are becoming more unpredictable by the day. Indeed, there are those in the Senate and beyond who look on in horror at the Emperor’s increasingly irrational behaviour and are starting to think he is not the sort of emperor that the citizens of Rome deserve.

Vivius’ second problem is the antics of his brother-in-law, Dorio. A former calvalry officer in the Roman army, Dorio was seriously wounded and has rather lost his way. As a result, he is continually getting into all kinds of scrapes – spending too many hours in inns, getting into fights and running up gambling debts.  Vivius constantly finds himself having to rescue Dorio from one embarrassing situation after another.

Finally, Vivius’s wife, Aurelia, is expecting their third child so the last thing Vivius needs is to be sent to Jerusalem, particularly as it involves a sea journey; Vivius is not a good sailor. The trip is not a success, partly on account of Dorio’s actions which result in Vivius having to escort a young Jewish woman to safety.

On his return to Rome, Vivius is a witness to dramatic events that will be familiar to those who know this period of history, have read Robert Graves’ I, Claudius or watched the TV adaptation. Unfortunately Vivius’s enemies are able to take advantage of the confused situation to seek their revenge. This time it’s Dorio who comes to the aid of his brother-in-law, displaying a surprising degree of initiative in the process.

I enjoyed the way the author once again inserted Vivius into actual historical events and populated the story with real historical figures. The setting of first century Rome, with its plots and political manoeuvrings, alongside events in the life of Vivius and his family makes for another great addition to the series.

My thanks to the author and Top Hat Books for my review copy.

In three words: Entertaining, intriguing, well-researched

Try something similar: Roman Blood (Roma Sub Rosa #1) by Steven Saylor

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About the Author

Joan Histon has a background as a professional counsellor. She began her writing career as a ghost writer when two clients expressed an interest in telling their own dramatic stories.

After the publication of Thy Will be Done… Eventually! and Tears in the Dark, she was commissioned to write the true story of ‘The Shop on Pilgrim Street’. Having also published short stories in several national magazines, Joan’s debut novel, The Senator’s Assignment, was published by Top Hat Books in 2018. The sequel, The Senator’s Darkest Days, was released in March 2020.

As well as writing, Joan is a Methodist local preacher, a gifted story-teller, spiritual director, mother and a reluctant gardener. She lives in Hexham, Northumberland with her husband, Colin.

Connect with Joan
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