Lustrum

By Robert Harris

This is the sequel to 'Imperium', and is the story of Cicero's time as Consul, his battles in the senate against the rise of Julius Caesar and the after effects of his many decisions. It is also yet another triumph of story telling by Robert Harris.

I thought I might have to wait a couple of years before I got to read this book, but I was wrong, and though the book was published in 2009, I never heard of it until recently so I've had to wait four years, though happily the wait was worth it. As always with Harris I was unable to put the book down once I'd reached two thirds of the way through, and now the story is finished I am anxious that I might have to wait four or more years to read the last book of the promised trilogy... and who knows what might happen in four years!? Come on Robert!

The first book in the series seemed to be filled with reflections regarding contemporary politics, not least the legacy of Tony Blair, and there was still a shadow of this in 'Lustrum', but I suppose Harris's intervening novel 'The Ghost' exorsized twenty first century politics to some degree because this story seemed to reflect Rome, and only Rome.