Rosemary Rowe novels

 Rosemary Rowe was born as Rosemary Aitken in 1942.  She was born in Cornwall but spent much of her early life in New Zealand.  She taught English language and wrote some text books on the subject.  Later, she turned to writing fiction.  She has written historical novels set in Cornwall under her own name, and then began a series of historical mysteries, as Rosemary Rowe.

the novels are set in Romano Celtic Britain, in the early years of the Roman conquest.  The amateur detective is a mosaic maker, Libertus who lives in Glevum (Now Gloucestershire).  Libertus is a freedman, formerly a Celtic nobleman, he was taken as a slave and then given his freedom many years later.  He takes up a trade as a mosaic maker and becomes involved in solving mysteries for his Roman patron, (who is an arrogant and not very generous man) and he also tries to find his wife Gwellia, who was also enslaved.  He does find Gwellia and they set up a small business together, with Libertus also solving mysteries on the side.  He and his wife also adopt one of their slaves as a son, who marries and gives them grandchildren.  The series gives a picture of life in Britain, and the Roman empire at the time.. covering the differences between Roman and Celtic life... The severities and arrogance of the Roman Empire and its laws contrasts with the more rural and looser style of life of the Celts...

Rosemary has written over 20 Libertus novels and they are mostly light and enjoyable reads....