A fast moving Roman thriller which could have been Jason Bourne meets The Emperor. More escape routines than Houdini and all of them nail-biting and plausible. An enjoyable romp through the dark and dirty streets and rivers of Rome that suspends disbelief in a thoroughly professional way. The movie will be Gladiator on speed, pity Russell Crowe is getting a little old for the part.

A third-century tale of murder and mystery. Set in the Roman Empire with all of its splendour and history. Essentially a tale of greed and murder, The Last Hour tells of a 24-hour race against time to stop the assassination of the Emperor. Fast-paced and intriguing. Well-researched.

In one typical fare from this master of the Roman politico-military thriller, but this one has a few twists, both in terms of plot arc and format that raises it slightly above his oeuvre.

This is a brilliant return to the Warrior of Rome series. After a few years away from Ballista and his familia, its great to finally be back.

In 'The Last Hour', Sidebottom takes a different and unique approach to not just this series, but Roman fiction as a whole. The previous books in the series focus strongly on military action around the Empire. With his 'Throne of the Caesars' series, we get a heavy political themed series. However this new novel can be best described as a thriller. At has the feel of a highly intense action novel, set in the mould of a TV series such as '24'. Its so fast paced, the action is non-stop, and the story is very direct.

Sidebottom presents such a vividly real Rome, his research and knowledge, as always, is articulate and extensive. Its such a great book, heartily recommended!