Shades of Red: A Time-slip Novel

Shades of Red is a fast-paced gripping and entirely new Time-slip novel that will suit fans of Barbara Erskine's books. The Big Themes are all here as past and present seamlessly intertwine: an uncompromising Roman legionary commander humbled by a forbidden love; a present day journalist living in fear of her life and haunted by his powerful presence. Spectacular and spooky ruins presiding over a breath-taking wilderness. The power of right over wrong – of Life over Death and the enduring and healing nature of Love.
All are woven into a compelling and un-put-downable novel that will haunt the reader long after the last page is read.

Many years in the writing and now published for the first time, it is set amid the wild mountains and remote valleys of the Lake District and combines a compelling tale of intrigue, rebellion and devastating betrayal during the occupation of the spectacularly-sited Roman fort at Hardknott, Cumbria, with a spell-binding story of an obsessive and erotic love that survives the passage of centuries to haunt reporter Darcy West in the present day and threaten her troubled marriage. But it is not only love that survives the centuries; the greed and corruption are played out again to devastate ordinary lives.

Inspired by the author’s strange experiences and lasting obsession with the fort and it’s wild location, the known historical details of Roman life are both realistic and accurate. The possible solution to the mystery of the legendary Lost Ninth Legion is original and convincing.

Yet the years of research and compulsive visits to the lofty and awe-inspiring ruins of the fort never get in the way of the fast-paced and page-turning mystery - and an unforgettable story of love and redemption.