Time to depart

About “Time to depart”

Set in Rome during AD 72, the novel follows Marcus Didius Falco, an informer and imperial agent. The title refers to a Roman law that allows a condemned citizen time to leave the empire before execution, a fate considered worse than death. Falco's friend Petronius Longus has captured a major criminal, Balbinus Pius, but under Roman law, Balbinus is given time to flee. This creates a power vacuum in Rome's underworld, leading criminals to plan a major robbery. Falco is asked by Emperor Vespasian to investigate quietly and quickly. He and his girlfriend Helena Justina face murders, kidnappings, and numerous suspects as they uncover the truth.