The past never dies. It hunts.
A new historical thriller by David H. Falloure
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What if history never truly ended? Two thousand years ago, Hannibal Barca brought Rome closer to destruction than perhaps any enemy before him. Ultimately, though, the Punic Wars ended with Carthage’s fall and Hannibal thought dead. And yet, fear of Hannibal survived in bloodlines, secrets, and vengeance carried across centuries.
Now, in modern Houston, an ageless man haunted by memory lives in the shadows beneath the weight of civilizations long buried. As ancient rivalries reawaken and the descendants of Scipio close in around him, the past bleeds violently into the present.
Vindictus is a sweeping historical thriller that moves between the ancient world and modern America—through empires, wars, liaisons, betrayals, and forgotten histories—to explore what remains of a man after centuries of survival, loss, and war.
Because some conflicts never die. They simply wait.
“You trembled the first time you held me, pretending to be sure of yourself. That’s how I knew I was to be your first.”
“And only.”
She looked into his eyes and kissed him again, wanting to remember the feel of his heart pounding.
“I’ll keep your secret, my General.”
—Imilce, 218 BC
About the Novel
Vindictus grew from a fascination with the collision between antiquity and modernity: the idea that the ancient world is not truly gone, but still echoes beneath contemporary civilization in ways we rarely recognize. At its center stands Hannibal Barca—one of history’s greatest military minds and one of its most enduring ghosts.
Drawing on years of historical research and a lifelong passion for history, the novel blends real historical events, locations, and figures with speculative fiction and modern thriller elements. Ancient Carthage, Republican Rome, and the long shadow of the Punic Wars become inseparably tied to present-day Houston: a city shaped by trade, ambition, reinvention, and layered histories of its own.
As both a novelist and Houston historian, David H. Falloure brings a deep sense of place and historical texture to the story, grounding its larger mythic themes in recognizable streets, landscapes, and institutions. The result is a novel that asks a simple question with dangerous implications: What if Hannibal hadn’t died?
“What do you do, Steven?” asks Natalie.
“I’m a contract troubleshooter.”
Natalie waits for more.
“Politics mostly. I help overcome roadblocks.”
“Assassin, eh,” she says sarcastically.
Steve steps in close with a wicked grin.
“Exactly.”
—Natalie Post and Steve Oprea, present day
Go Beyond the Novel
Explore the Vindictus Experience: Discover the ancient houses, characters, historical figures, locations, maps, and real history behind Vindictus. Even listen to the music that inspired scenes, dialogue, and emotions.
About the Author
David H. Falloure is a Houston author and historian whose work explores the intersection of history, place, and the people who shape both. Vindictus, his second novel and eighth book, follows his historical thriller Counterclockwise and nonfiction works exploring Texas, maritime, business, and local history. Learn more about Falloure here.
Jeff Wu: “Too, we must understand if Hannibal is the prey or predator—that reveals much.”
Elder Wu scoffs. “The ancient one is always prey. The Eastern Houses aren’t his only enemies. There is a house in Conclave as ancient as any that hates Hannibal more than all of Asia.”
Director Pan: “Who?”
Elder and Jeff Wu: “House Scipio.”
—Elder Wu, Jeff Wu, and Director Pan, present day
The Past Never Dies. It Hunts.