The Assassins of Rome: The Roman Mysteries, Book V Hardcover – September 5, 2003

This is book four of the Roman Mysteries. I downloaded this for my thirteen-year-old daughter to read. She really enjoyed it and felt that the content was age appropriate. She finds that she really identifies with the principal characters in the book. She recommends this story to any young teen interested in this period and this type of writing.

My 11 year old boy is really enjoying reading these books. As soon as he finishes one, he asks for the next. I got the first one from the library because of the title (I am originally from Ostia - Rome). After the third book he asked me: "Do you know who Plinio was?". But of course! I used to jog in the pinewood next to the villa of Plinio il Vecchio...

It is a great book really giving a wonderful background to Rome itself and Roman and early Christian history. It is excellent for preparing a travel with children to Rome but also relates back to Jerusalem's history at that time. It can be read in the context of history lessons, but also for purposes of religious history.It can be read independently of the two previous books (The Secrets of Vesuvius and the Pirates of Pompeii), but I would advise to read the Thieves of Ostia first as it introduces the characters of the children.

I read this series with my son & we both absolutely love them! And this was our favourite book so far.

Great kids book

It is Jonathan de Mordecai's eleventh birthday, and despite the presence of his friends Flavia, Nubian and Lupus, he's feeling a little apprehensive. Something bad always happens on his birthday, and sure enough, a visit from the local magistrate informs the family that a dangerous assassin known as Simeon is on the loose, and could be targeting Jonathan's father.Yet things may not be as bad as they appear: only a few chapters in, we learn that the assassin is actually Jonathan's uncle - the brother of his missing mother. He is on an important secret mission to Rome, and under the cover of darkness, he shares some astonishing news with his nephew. Refusing to be left behind, Jonathan accompanies Simeon to Rome, ignorant to the fact that his father has just been arrested. Hot on his tail are Flavia, Nubian and Lupus, hoping to stop their friend before he does something that gets him killed."The Assassins of Rome" marks the first installment in this series that is specifically character-centric. Up until now the children have shared the spot-light, but "Assassins" definitely belongs to Jonathan. Likewise, it is less of a mystery as it is a mission, for Jonathan accompanies his uncle to Rome in the hopes of finding what happened to his long-lost mother.Previous books have mentioned the siege of Jerusalem by Roman legions in 70AD, and Lawrence draws upon the bloody aftermath of that event in order to shape the context of this plot. No one, either adult or child, will walk away from this book without a rudimentary understanding of what happened and why, as well as the major figures that were involved. As Jonathan uncovers the sad story about his mother's past and her current whereabouts, Lawrence draws upon themes of child abandonment and religious persecution - and the potentially frightening idea that a child may not be the most important factor in a parent's life.With his low self-esteem and rather self-deprecating nature, Jonathan suffers under the implication that he's responsible for his mother's disappearance, particularly after overhearing a conversation between his father and uncle that confirms his guilt. Lawrence takes him on a journey of discovery through the streets of Rome and into the old Emperor's palace, guided by a little girl who lives in secret behind the walls. Meanwhile, his friends uncover what the assassins are *really* doing in the city, and find their own way into the palace...Historical figures such as Emperor Titus, his brother Domitian, and his ex-paramour Berenice have important roles to play, in keeping with their real-life personalities, and other original characters are introduced or explored further. Particularly delightful is the young Jewish girl Rizpah, who lives in the darkness of the palace's secret passages and tunnels, and who is implied to be an albino who hides herself away from the sun (though in an odd oversight, Lawrence describes her as having pink eyes; despite this widespread belief, albino eyes are usually grey or blue - it just bugs me). Other than that, Lawrence once again finds the perfect balance of interesting and relevant historical tidbits to weave into her story, without getting too bogged down with displaying her extensive research to the detriment of the plot.At times the two plot strands that are at work throughout most of the book change too often between paragraphs, flitting back and forth in a choppy manner to the point where you begin to lose track of what's happening, but "The Assassins of Rome" is more character-driven than previous installments, and has the usual plot twist that manages to be neither convoluted nor obvious.

It is Jonathan de Mordecai's eleventh birthday, and despite the presence of his friends Flavia, Nubian and Lupus, he's feeling a little apprehensive. Something bad always happens on his birthday, and sure enough, a visit from the local magistrate informs the family that a dangerous assassin known as Simeon is on the loose, and could be targeting Jonathan's father.Yet things may not be as bad as they appear: only a few chapters in, we learn that the assassin is actually Jonathan's uncle - the brother of his missing mother. He is on an important secret mission to Rome, and under the cover of darkness, he shares some astonishing news with his nephew. Refusing to be left behind, Jonathan accompanies Simeon to Rome, ignorant to the fact that his father has just been arrested. Hot on his tail are Flavia, Nubian and Lupus, hoping to stop their friend before he does something that gets him killed."The Assassins of Rome" marks the first installment in this series that is specifically character-centric. Up until now the children have shared the spot-light, but "Assassins" definitely belongs to Jonathan. Likewise, it is less of a mystery as it is a mission, for Jonathan accompanies his uncle to Rome in the hopes of finding what happened to his long-lost mother.Previous books have mentioned the siege of Jerusalem by Roman legions in 70AD, and Lawrence draws upon the bloody aftermath of that event in order to shape the context of this plot. No one, either adult or child, will walk away from this book without a rudimentary understanding of what happened and why, as well as the major figures that were involved. As Jonathan uncovers the sad story about his mother's past and her current whereabouts, Lawrence draws upon themes of child abandonment and religious persecution - and the potentially frightening idea that a child may not be the most important factor in a parent's life.With his low self-esteem and rather self-deprecating nature, Jonathan suffers under the implication that he's responsible for his mother's disappearance, particularly after overhearing a conversation between his father and uncle that confirms his guilt. Lawrence takes him on a journey of discovery through the streets of Rome and into the old Emperor's palace, guided by a little girl who lives in secret behind the walls. Meanwhile, his friends uncover what the assassins are *really* doing in the city, and find their own way into the palace...Historical figures such as Emperor Titus, his brother Domitian, and his ex-paramour Berenice have important roles to play, in keeping with their real-life personalities, and other original characters are introduced or explored further. Particularly delightful is the young Jewish girl Rizpah, who lives in the darkness of the palace's secret passages and tunnels, and who is implied to be an albino who hides herself away from the sun (though in an odd oversight, Lawrence describes her as having pink eyes; despite this widespread belief, albino eyes are usually grey or blue - it just bugs me). Other than that, Lawrence once again finds the perfect balance of interesting and relevant historical tidbits to weave into her story, without getting too bogged down with displaying her extensive research to the detriment of the plot.At times the two plot strands that are at work throughout most of the book change too often between paragraphs, flitting back and forth in a choppy manner to the point where you begin to lose track of what's happening, but "The Assassins of Rome" is more character-driven than previous installments, and has the usual plot twist that manages to be neither convoluted nor obvious.

Not finished reading this yet but enjoyed reading the first four chapters to my family so much yesterday, that I thought I would post an early review!Caroline seems to go from strength to strength with these books; there is a discernible improvement with each novel in the series; an increase in the depth of character, humour, pace and plot.Great if you are looking for something exciting, yet clean and wholesome. We are, as parents, extremely wary of very much that it on the market these days. Much of what is offered to children through school catalogues etc seem to be full of vampires, black magic or sex, swearing and rebellion.This book and other in the series so far (the previous installments; we haven't read the later ones) come highly recommended as very healthy, well written and enjoyable alternatives. Caroline Lawrence is very under rated as a children's author.Thank you very much Caroline Lawrence!

My children love this serie. Fantastic to learn lots of things about the roman period. And mysteries solved by a group of children are really good

Great series of books for grandchildren

My 8 yr old daughter loves this series and, as a bonus, it's historical roots tie in well with her Roman studies at school.

One of the best series ever, love reading it