THE EMPEROR’S ASSASSIN

Unfettered by responsibility, Locusta, the daughter of a vintner in the Roman province of Gaul, enjoys the indulged childhood of the elite. Concerned with only the day’s amusements, she rides gentle ponies, reads Ovid, and learns the herbal arts from her handmaid. A family problem compels Locusta to go to Rome, a decadent and treacherous city where she has little desire to remain.

Despite attempts to keep her herbal skills a secret, the Roman elite soon discover Locusta’s talents. And use them for their own nefarious purposes.

Thrust into a world of depravity, scandal, and murder, Locusta’s life changes forever when a young Emperor Nero requires her expertise. Caught in an imperial web, it’s a profession she must embrace or die.

But sometimes love has a different agenda.