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Series

Quintus Roman Thrillers

The Quintus Roman Thrillers follow Julius Quintus Quirinius through the early Augustan principate as he rises from ordinary legionary to decanus, optio, centurion, speculator and evocatus. His service begins with decimation in Hispania and an oath to support the family of Ursus, the comrade killed by his own group. That obligation gives the sequence a continuing purpose beyond rank, victory or survival.

Across seven novels, Quintus and his cohort travel through Britannia, Gaul, the Alps and the Rhine–Germania frontier, serving during the campaigns associated with Tiberius and Nero Claudius Drusus. Repeated reassignment as irregulars prevents the men from returning to Rome even when they fulfil their orders. The series combines ground-level Roman military life with exploration, tribal diplomacy, weather, punishment and the strain placed on loyalty by commanders who continually demand another sacrifice.

Reading order

Books in this series (7 books)

Legionary cover

#1 – Legionary

Neil Denby

In 17 BC, Julius Quintus Quirinius enters the Ninth Legion because service offers an alternative to enslavement in the unsettled years after Rome’s civil wars. Six months later, defeat and unauthorised retreat bring the punishment of decimation. The soldiers must draw lots and kill the selected…

Decanus cover

#2 – Decanus

Neil Denby

Promoted to decanus, Julius Quintus Quirinius sails with his cohort on a reconnaissance mission to Britannia. Augustus wants intelligence about the island and its tribes, but a violent storm scatters the Roman vessels before they can establish a secure landing. Quintus is separated from part of…

Optio cover

#3 – Optio

Neil Denby

After the failed attempt to secure a British bridgehead, Quintus and the survivors carry valuable intelligence back towards the continent. They must escape the island, find the scattered remnants of their cohort and convince Roman commanders that their mission produced something worth preserving. The long journey…

Centurion cover

#4 – Centurion

Neil Denby

After wintering in Germania, Julius Quintus Quirinius is ordered to gather the surviving members of his cohort and join General Nero Claudius Drusus as Roman forces move along the Rhine. Severe weather, desertion and attacks by a newly organised tribal resistance slow the march and expose…

Scutarius cover

#5 – Scutarius

Neil Denby

In the high Alps, Tiberius is conducting a campaign against tribes resisting Roman expansion. Julius Quintus Quirinius, now first-spear centurion of a depleted and irregular cohort, is sent behind enemy lines. His men are to act as scutarii—shield-bearers who clear routes, disrupt opposition and protect the…

Speculator cover

#6 – Speculator

Neil Denby

First-spear centurion Julius Quintus Quirinius and his irregulars enter the service of Nero Claudius Drusus, who has been charged with stabilising Gaul and expanding Roman power into Germania. Quintus is sent to secure an alliance with the Frisians, whose control of the coastal lands near the…

Evocatus cover

#7 – Evocatus

Neil Denby

Centurion Quintus Quirinius cannot prevent loyal members of his irregular cohort from being punished for alleged dereliction, and the decision destroys much of the trust he has spent years building. A daring rescue improves his standing, but clandestine meetings and unexplained orders persuade the exhausted soldiers…