A desolate wasteland. A mission gone wrong. An impossible goal. A gripping new series of Ancient RomeRoman scout Silus is deep behind enemy lines in Caledonia. As he spies on a raiding party, he is abruptly discovered by an enemy chief and his son. Mounting a one man ambush, everything quickly goes wrong. Silus must run for his life, the head of the enemy leader in his hands. Little does he know the price he will pay... As Silus is inducted into the Arcani, an elite faction of assassins and spies, he must return to Caledonia, back into the wilderness, and risk everything in the service of his Caesar. The odds don't look good. Failure is not an option. A blood-soaked and unputdownable Roman thriller, anchored in detailed historical research, perfect for fans of Ben Kane, Conn Iggulden and Robert Fabbri Praise for Alex Gough'Gritty and real, exciting and pacy, this is first rate historical fiction, and Gough is clearly ready to take his place among the leading writers of the genre' SJA Turney, author of the Praetorian series

The fate of Rome, and thousands of lives, rests on the shoulders of one man.After murdering his brother, and taking the position of Emperor for himself, Caracalla orders a brutal purge of the supporters of Geta. Meanwhile, Caracalla's ally Marcellus has his son suddenly kidnapped. But why? Silus is ordered to track down and rescue the boy, rumoured to be Caracalla's child. As Rome buckles beneath the weight of slaughter, Silus will travel to the city of Alexandria. There he will need to risk everything to save the boy, the Empire and his own life... An intense and blood-soaked thriller of Ancient Rome, perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow, Conn Iggulden and Ben Kane.

No Way to Treat a Friend is an informative and readable expose of Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine (CAVM). Written in an accessible style and illustrated with stories and cases from veterinary practice about real animals, this book is a counterweight to the mass of 'pro' literature in existence which uncritically promotes CAVM without consideration of whether or not it works or could even be harmful to our animal companions.The book takes a close look at how thinking can go wrong and how animals can appear to respond to treatment even when it is ineffective. Individual alternative practices are examined including homeopathy, acupuncture, raw diets and the anti-vaccination lobby and we find out if their claims stand up to scrutiny. With a thoroughly scientific line, it is not an attack on different belief systems, but a rigorous analysis of the facts, and a consideration of typical CAVM arguments, as well as a helpful explanation for people who may be unfamiliar with what the various therapies entail.Following on from the several successful books questioning the use of complementary therapies in human medicine such as Bad Science, No Way to Treat a Friend looks at their use in veterinary medicine. This is a valuable resource for veterinary practitioners as well as lay people who are interested in popular science, animal topics, animal welfare and medical matters.

A single death could plunge the Empire into chaos.Silus, member of Emperor Caracalla's elite assassins, the Arcani, is dispatched to Numidia. Rumours of assassination plots against Marcellus, the Emperor's closest aide, are rife. Silus must stop them. But the forces arrayed against the Arcani are now as powerful as they are clandestine. Inducted into the Emperor's bodyguard, his Lions, Silus soon discovers secrets that should have stayed hidden. And as the Emperor becomes ever more reckless in battle, Silus unearths a conspiracy that runs deeper than his worst nightmares. It's not clear who is a friend, and who an enemy. Yet come what may Silus must keep the Emperor alive or - yet again - watch the ones he loves die. An awe-inspiring historical thriller of Ancient Rome, perfect for fans of Ben Kane and Simon Scarrow.

Brothers. Emperors. Deadly enemies... An unputdownable novel of intrigue and combat in Rome.Emperor Severus is on his deathbed. His sons Geta and Caracalla, feuding in Britannia, are readying for a devastating power struggle. Silus, now a centurion in the Arcani, the secretive network of spies and killers, is thrown into the maelstrom. Back in Rome, plots breed in the stinking alleys. Everyone might be an enemy. Everyone a traitor. As an Imperial Assassin, Silus' loyalty will be tested to breaking point. And with the Empire starting to buckle under the strain, Silus must ask what matters: Rome or his own damned soul? From thundering races at the Circus Maximus to death in the Imperial palaces, this is a powerful and unputdownable novel that will transport to you Ancient Rome, perfect for fans of Ben Kane, Simon Scarrow and Conn Iggulden.

Carbo returns in an unputdownable novel of murder and mystery in ancient RomeAfter years of captivity and torture by German barbarians, former legionary Cicurinus' ordeal should be over. Hearing of the legendary Carbo, he returns to Rome to seek out this hero who might help to bring him balance. Instead he finds Carbo descending into alcoholism and gambling, a broken man who brutally rebuffs him. Devastated and disgusted by the immoral city around him, Cicurinus, embarks on a rampage of slaughter through Rome's poor and downtrodden. And to hide his tracks, he frames Carbo for the crimes. With everything at stake, can Carbo master his demons, clear his name, and stop the Killer of Rome? This latest from Alex Gough, a master of the genre, is a Roman thriller that you won't be able to put down. Perfect for readers of Simon Scarrow, Conn Iggulden and Ben Kane.

An intense novel of war at the Roman frontier.On the Empire's Northern border trouble is stirring. For decades the barbarians have been at the gates. Now, facing threats from within as well as outside, the Emperor is provoking war. When his friend Atius goes missing in Germania, Imperial Assassin Silus is sent into the heart of the battle-torn region. Plunged into a deadly intrigue and a brutal conflict, can Silus find out who is betraying Rome? Or will the legions start falling, one by bloody one? One of the standout new voices in historical fiction, bestseller Alex Gough is on riveting form in this brilliant novel, perfect for readers of Ben Kane and Conn Iggulden.

Massacres, invasions, plots. An Emperor on the edge. An Empire in peril.Caracalla is on the warpath. Time, he has decided, to put his enemies in their place. To invade the Parthians at the edge of the Empire. To destroy everything in his way. For Imperial Assassin Silus, this is a time of crisis. Forced to guard the Emperor as part of his elite bodyguard, Silus knows that the situation is untenable. As everything threatens to crumble, Silus must make the ultimate choice... and face the ultimate sacrifice. The question is simple: will he turn traitor, for the sake of the Empire and the sake of his conscience? Or is loyalty, and the life of his charge Tituria, more important? As innocents die, as blood flows, as the Roman legions march on an epic scale, one thing is clear. It's decision time. The thrilling climax to Alex Gough's bestselling series, perfect for fans of Anthony Riches, Ben Kane and Bernard Cornwell.