In 2012, firerose wrote The Unlikely Spies, which is exactly the kind of John LeCarre spy novel vibe that fits into the world of Rosemary Sutcliff. Shenanigans! Subtlety! Nuance! Much ado about temples and bath-houses! In other words, The work that Paulinus had died for went on. But learning to do it without him took time.

Very plotty, with adventures and a very Sucliffian style - the descriptions are vivid, the nature is very present, and the atmosphere of the coast and towns is transfixing.