This is the second part of an epic trilogy about Marcus Tullius Cicero, the famous Roman politician, lawyer and orator, as depicted by his secretary and servant Tiro. The first part, Imperium, dealt with Cicero's rise to power. This second part deals with his year as Rome Consul (basically Prime Minister of all Rome). The third part....well who knows? But I am guessing part three will all be about revenge.

As previously said, this book is a fictional account of what Tiro might have said about his master Cicero. Tiro knows all his master's secrets which puts him in a very dangerous situation sometimes. In his year as consul, Cicero also has to deal with a lot of very nasty and scheming people such as Pompey the army general, the up and coming Caesar, Crassus (Rome's richest man), Cato a political idealist, Clodius who is initially dismissed as a joke but soon becomes a very irritating thorn in Cicero's side, and Catalina, a psychopath, who raises armies to plot a coup d'tat against Rome.

Each nemesis has their own agendas, their own aims, and they inevitably come into harsh conflict with Cicero.

Lustrum is a political thriller, one in which Cicero must fight every single day to survive and to save his beloved Roman republic from being destroyed. This is a very gripping book and I can't wait for part three. Just like Lord of the Rings, as each part ends, you groan in despair because you can't wait for the next gripping installment. I wish I could write like this. ( )