Ben Pastor
3 SeriesBen Pastor is an Italian author known for her historical fiction and mystery novels, including the Martin Bora series. She was born and raised in Rome and spent thirty years in the United States as a university professor. Pastor writes in English, and her works have been translated into Italian, German, Spanish, Polish, and Czech.
In "The Water Thief" by Ben Pastor, Aelius Spartianus, a historian at Diocletian's court in 304 CE, investigates the mysterious drowning of Hadrian's favorite, Antinous, nearly 175 years prior. His quest leads him to search for Antinous's grave, believed to hold evidence of a conspiracy against Rome, while also probing the murder of a wealthy army supplier and his servant. As Aelius navigates a web of deceit and danger amidst the Great Persecution of Christians, he is joined by a blind, experienced counterespionage soldier. Their investigation takes them from Egypt to Rome and finally to Hadrian's ruined estate, where Aelius uncovers an astronomical chart revealing an imminent threat to Rome. To save the state and himself, Aelius must unravel the intertwined mysteries of Antinous's death and the subsequent murders.
