ALA Booklist (Tue Jan 03 00:00:00 CST 2023)

It's A.D. 79, and the four motherless friends from previous books in the Roman Mysteries series are back again: Flavia, the sea captain's daughter; Nubia, once Flavia's slave but now freed; Lupus, the fierce mute boy; and Jonathan, the son of a Jewish doctor and secret Christian. On the eve of Jonathan's birthday, Jonathan's uncle Simeon arrives, bringing tales of an assassin stalking the emperor Titus, of Titus' cruelty during the siege of Jerusalem, and of Titus' enslavement of Jewish women. Jonathan's curiosity about the fate of his mother, who stayed in Jerusalem after the rest of the family left, leads the friends on a vivid adventure in Rome. Lawrence seamlessly slips a good deal of Roman history and lore into the narrative, along with a variety of words and concepts through explanations to Nubia, who is learning Latin; a glossary is appended. Consider this a strong addition to the series.

Horn Book (Tue Jan 03 00:00:00 CST 2023)

In Assassins, Jonathan goes on a secret mission to find his long-missing mother; in Dolphins, Jonathan, Flavia, and friends search for sunken treasure, in the process stumbling over the source of Lupus's muteness. As in the other Roman Mysteries series titles, these books are fast paced and compulsively readable, with heaps of atmosphere and information about life in ancient Rome. [Review covers these Roman Mysteries titles: The Assassins of Rome and The Dolphins of Laurentum.]

School Library Journal (Tue Jan 03 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Gr 4-7-Flavia, Jonathan, Lupus, and Nubia return for the fourth entry in this entertaining series. Jonathan and his father have always believed that Jonathan's mother had been killed during the siege of Jerusalem when he was a toddler. When his Uncle Simeon passes through town on his way to Rome and tells the boy he believes she is alive and is enslaved there, Jonathan goes with him. Accused of being an assassin and wanted by the authorities, Simeon is really on a mission to warn the Emperor of a plot to kill him. Jonathan's three friends soon follow him, and their adventure leads them to the Golden House, home of the Emperor, where the assassins are at work. The modern language, peppered with Roman and Greek terminology (a useful glossary is included), will keep readers' attention, and the authentic setting will give them an accurate flavor of the times. This fast-paced adventure is a welcome addition to the series.-Karen T. Bilton, Somerset County Library, Bridgewater, NJ Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.