Books in The Roman Mysteries series

It is A.D. 79, and Flavia Gemina, daughter of a successful Roman sea captain, is about to celebrate her birthday. Then the dogs in her neighborhood start dying mysteriously, and there are rumors of burglary in the houses on Flavia's street. Set in the graveyards, houses, and alleyways of an ancient Roman city, here's the first in a series of fast-paced, informative, and satisfying mysteries.

The fever that started in Ostia is sweeping through Rome, and Jonathan, Flavia, Nubia, and Lupus are called by the Emperor to investigate. The friends' investigations take them from the Imperial Palace to Tiber Island, but Jonathan is distracted by a secret mission of his own. Suddenly, he finds that everything is terrifyingly out of control. This is the seventh volume in the popular series of mysteries set in ancient Rome, which have been widely praised for their fast-paced plots, well-drawn characters, and authentic Roman setting.

Lupus longs to travel to the Greek islands, to find his mother and fulfill his uncle's dying wish. When he and Flavia, Nubia, and Jonathan hear that freeborn children are being kidnapped, they set sail. Their mission takes them from Corinth to Rhodes, site of one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, where they encounter a slave-dealer known as "the Colossus"--and a deadly trap. Caroline Lawrence paints a vivid picture of the times, with a surprise around every corner.

This exciting adventure recreates the siege of Masada and reveals important developments in Jonathan's struggle with his guilt over past events. Also, there's terrific insight into the workings of the Roman legal system in a page-turning court room drama. As ever, Caroline Lawrence spings new surprises for all the characters and provides motives, means and opportunities for one determined felon. And, as ever, it's up to the four young detectives to crack the case.

In The Thieves of Ostia, the theft of her father's signet ring leads Flavia Gemina to three extraordinary people—Jonathan the Jewish boy, Nubia the African slave-girl, and Lupus, the mute beggar boy—who become her friends and partners in solving the first of many mysteries. Will they discover who is killing the dogs of Ostia, and why? In The Secrets of Vesuvius, Flavia is spending the summer with her uncle who lives near Pompeii. She and her friends are absorbed in trying to solve a riddle that may lead to a great treasure. Then Mount Vesuvius erupts and the four children find themselves in desperate danger. In The Pirates of Pompeii, following the volcano's eruption, hundreds of refugees from the cities of Vesuvius try to come to terms with disaster. When children begin to go missing from the camp, Flavia Gemina and her friends investigate a powerful and charismatic man known as the Patron and come face to face with pirates, slave-dealers, and death.

It is August, A.D. 81. Presumed dead by their families, Flavia and her friends feel very far from home. News of more kidnappings in Italia reaches them, and when they discover one of Miriam's twins is among the missing, the four detectives set out for Halicarnassus in the Roman province of Asia. There they find a countryside full of prophets who claim to heal the sick and cure the lame, but who may simply be tricksters and villains in disguise. Once again, the detectives' loyalties are tested as they are confronted with hopes for the future and grim legacies of the past.

Set in the terrifying aftermath of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the third book in this highly praised mystery series takes young sleuth Flavia Gemina and her friends in search of pirates and slave dealers. A fast-paced whodunnit that combines action, well-placed clues, and strong female lead, and a well-realized ancient Roman setting, this is a treat for mystery lovers and history fans alike.

September, A.D. 79In Ostia, near Rome, Flavia Gemina, the sea captain's daughter, Nubia, the African girl, and Lupus, the mute boy, are celebrating their friend Jonathan's birthday. Then a visitor from the past arrives to see Jonathan's father. The next day, the visitor has disappeared--and so has Johnathan.When the three friends discover that Jonathan has gone on a secret mission to Rome, they are determined to follow him. Their mission takes them to the Golden House of the Emperor Nero, where a deadly assassin is at work, and brings them face-to-face withthe terrible destruction of Jerusalem and its impact on Jonathan's family.The Assassins of Rome is the fourth volume in the popular Roman Mysteries series, which has been widely praised for its fast-pased storytelling and its authentic depiction of Roman life.