This third book in the Roman Mysteries series continues the first-century B.C.E. adventures of teen sleuth Flavia and her sidekicks. This title begins in a refugee camp in the aftermath of Vesuvius' eruption. While assisting the camps' doctors, Flavia and her friends discover that many children have disappeared in the chaos. Suspecting a kidnapping plot, the friends investigate, and their inquiries lead them to the opulent villa of a wealthy, charming nobleman. Is he behind the kidnappings? The friends discover the answer in a series of terrifying near-death adventures. As in the series' previous titles, Lawrence combines vivid period details and graceful imagery with a thrilling pace and some gory action scenes, always portraying Flavia and her friends as well-drawn young people whose playfulness, jealousies, outrage, and courage will resonate with contemporary readers. Additional themes of slavery and class issues add depth to the plot, while a glossary defines the many Roman terms used throughout.

Flavia and her friends solve a third mystery, this time involving kidnapped children, pirates, and escaped slaves. The setting--a villa outside Pompeii, just after the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius--is palpably evoked; the action is nonstop (with not so many gratuitous cliffhanger chapter endings as before); and the characters are well delineated. A light mystery that contains/disguises a wealth of detail about life in ancient Rome.

It's the summer of a.d. 79. Flavia, her friend Jonathan, the young mute Lupus, and the slave Nubia have lived through the eruption of Vesuvius. A camp has been set up for those who fled Pompeii. Children are disappearing, however, and rumors of slavers terrify an already scarred people. The four young heroes are sent to a lovely villa, home of the charismatic Publius Pollius Felix, ostensibly out of harm's way. Felix is called The Patron and at first they think he may be responsible for the missing children. His own daughter is spoiled and selfish, and a catfight between her and Flavia is the proximate cause of pirates' grabbing all of them, except Lupus. With Lupus's wily assistance, they instigate most of their own rescue, and Flavia formally frees Nubia. What made the two earlier titles so good was their fast pace and Roman setting: this one is marred by events and mindsets that sound a bit too contemporary; still, readers will want to continue the story. (glossary, author's note) (Historical fiction. 10-14)

Gr 5-7 Flavia, Jonathan, Lupus, and Nubia are once again faced with a mystery. The year is 79 C.E. and Mount Vesuvius has just erupted, leaving chaos and destruction in its wake. The children are living in a refugee camp with Jonathan's father and Flavia's uncle. The sky is hazy and red, everything is covered in a thick layer of ash, and the wails of professional mourners and families who have lost loved ones pierce the air. One by one, children disappear from the area and Flavia and her friends decide to find out why. Woven into the mystery are problems and issues of Roman life such as the abusive treatment of slaves and the class structure of the patron/client system. The search for the missing children is fast paced and in several instances peril seems imminent. Newcomers to the series may be a little confused by this one but fans will enjoy it. Genevieve Gallagher, Orange County Public Library, VA