The Purple Shroud
Constantinople, 532 A.D. The rain washes away the blood, but it cannot wash away the sins.
In the gutters of the greatest city on earth, life is cheap. But when a wealthy Senator is found floating in the harbor, a Blue aristocrat murdered with a professional's knot and dressed to look like a victim of the Green faction, Leon Argyros knows this is no ordinary crime. It is a spark designed to burn the Empire to the ground.
Leon was once a legend of the Hippodrome, a charioteer who danced with death on the sand. Now, crippled and cynical, he is the Empress Theodora's "bloodhound," tasked with hunting the truths that the powerful want buried. Accompanied by Aspar, a giant Gothic mercenary with a philosopher's soul and an executioner's axe, Leon must descend into the city's underbelly.
From the opium-filled haze of the House of Lethe to the fanatical shadows of the Monastery of the Sleepless, the trail leads them into the heart of a conspiracy that threatens to topple the throne of Justinian.
Outside, the mob is screaming "Nika " (Conquer ). The streets are burning. General Belisarius is sharpening his sword at the Bronze Gate. And in the shadows, a silent killer armed with monk's poison and political gold is pulling the strings.
Leon must find the puppeteer before the Hippodrome becomes a mass grave. But in a city where history is written by the victors, the truth is the most dangerous weapon of all.
"The Purple Shroud" is a gripping Historical Noir thriller set during the violent days of the Nika Riots. Perfect for fans of C.J. Sansom, Steven Pressfield, and dark historical mysteries.
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