The Ghosts of Rome

THE GHOSTS OF ROME

February 1944. Six months since Nazi forces occupied Rome. Inside the beleaguered city, the Contessa Giovana Landini is a member of the band of Escape Line activists known as ‘The Choir’. Their mission is to smuggle refugees to safety and help Allied soldiers, all under the nose of Gestapo boss Paul Hauptmann. During a ferocious morning air raid a mysterious parachutist lands in Rome and disappears into the backstreets. Is he an ally or an imposter? His fate will come to put the whole Escape Line at risk. Meanwhile, Hauptmann’s attention has landed on the Contessa. As his fascination grows, she is pulled into a dangerous game with him – one where the consequences could be lethal.

*****

“Dazzling.”
THE NEW YORK TIMES

“There is no finer writer of historical fiction than Joseph O’Connor. Beautifully written, warm and witty, The Ghosts of Rome is a must-read. Thrilling, terrifying and entertaining in equal measure. Bravo!”
LIZ NUGENT, author of Strange Sally Diamond

“Nail-bitingly tense…A vivid and moving story.”
THE GUARDIAN

“As thrilling, beautiful and sensational a novel as you’ll read this year, or any year.”
DONAL RYAN, THE SUNDAY TIMES

“Blazes with imaginative flair and narrative energy. A thrilling novel.”
PETER KEMP, THE SUNDAY TIMES

“A stellar piece of storytelling.”
DAILY MAIL

“One of my absolute favourite writers of all time.”
LIZ NOLAN, RTE LYRIC FM

“Tremendously dramatic.”
KIRSTY WARK, ‘FRONT ROW’, BBC Radio 4

“Gorgeous prose, unforgettable characters, flawless storytelling.”
TORONTO STAR

“Absolutely brilliant.”
RICHARD ALDOUS, ‘ARENA’, RTE RADIO

“O’Connor’s prose creates an extraordinary picture of Rome.”
IRISH TIMES

“The writing has the energy and tension of a thriller, yet the language is rich, visual and beautiful.”
HENRIETTA MCKERVEY, THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT

“A tremendous, exceptional, meticulous piece of work.”
PAT CARTY, THE SUNDAY BUSINESS POST

“A riveting thriller.”
TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT

“Loving Joseph O’Connor’s novel The Ghosts of Rome. The lyricism of his writing is sublime.”
RYAN TUBRIDY, VIRGIN RADIO UK

“Gripping historical fiction from one of our finest writers.”
THE GLOSS

“Absolutely superb. A masterful writer.”
Author and journalist PAUL HOWARD

“Wise, beautifully measured and as compelling as you want fiction to be.”
THE OLDIE

“The energy and polish of O’Connor’s prose is remarkable.”
THE IRISH EXAMINER

“A thrilling novel.”
HOT PRESS

“Pulse-pounding… O’Connor captivates with his vigorous portrayal of wartime Rome.”
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (starred review)

“A deeply affecting read with an ending that’s sad yet life affirming, this is an outstanding choice for fans of WWII fiction and of writers like Anthony Doerr.”
BOOKLIST (starred review)

“Richly atmospheric and pulsing with excitement.”
MINNESOTA STAR TRIBUNE

“The story is exciting and rich with prose that’s a joy to read.”
KIRKUS REVIEWS (starred review)

“In The Ghosts of Rome, O’Connor digs ever deeper into the lives of the everyday heroes of a war-ravaged city, unearthing stories of remarkable courage and ingenuity that glitter from the pages of this tense, polyphonic narrative.”
SARAH GILMARTIN

“Joseph O’Connor’s Rome Escape Line trilogy is a triumph.”
MADELEINE KEANE, SUNDAY INDEPENDENT

“Joseph O’Connor is a very great artist and storyteller.”
SEBASTIAN BARRY

“Breathtakingly good writing.”
PETER JAMES

“It was hard to turn pages fast enough to keep up with the rapid-fire pace of The Ghosts of Rome. O’Connor lures readers into a little known, but important, facet of World War II history and keeps them hooked until the very last page.”
MARIE BENEDICT, New York Times bestselling author of The Personal Librarian

“Eternal Rome is always in the background as bombings scatter ancient artifacts and the city’s great age brings old shadows to the streets…Superb storytelling.”
CANDACE SIEGLE, GREEDY READER

“O’Connor continues to stun with this follow-up to My Father’s House…Chilling, engrossing, inspiring!”
KELLY JUSTICE, FOUNTAIN BOOKS

“NOT just another WWII story, this one is filled with such memorable characters and the suspense is truly thrilling and I am exceedingly anxious for the third and final book in this wonderful series. I need to know what happens…the suspense is killing me!”
MOLLIE MITCHELL, HEATHFIRE BOOKS

“Intense and riveting…I’ve become attached to the characters, and it is easy to get lost in the time and place of events. O’Connor is a master storyteller and not to be missed! A must read!!”
STEPHANIE CROWE, PAGE & PALETTE