Synopsis: Flavia and her friends are recruited by Emperor Titus to find and bring back to Rome the jewel called Nero’s Eye which is supposed to enable its wearer to rule the world. Their search takes them to Africa, where Flavia takes the opportunity to search for her lost uncle and where they meet a mysterious beggar who knows a great deal about the Emperor Nero.

Review: This is the fourteenth in Caroline Lawrence’s Roman Mysteries series. They feature Flavia, the daughter of a Roman sea captain and her three friends, Jonathan the Jewish Christian, Nubia, the African ex-slave and Lupus, the mysterious one who cannot speak.

Their journey to Africa begins with misadventure as Flavia has her belongings stolen and the children miss their boat to Volubilis, where there are rumours of the jewel’s presence. They join a pantomime dancer’s company and travel to the city across the desert in a camel train. Once in Volubilis they find the jewel, Flavia’s uncle Gaius and a mysterious beggar who claims to have been with Nero when he died. Once the jewel has been found, they form a plan to steal it using the legend of Antony and Cleopatra and with the assistance of the pantomime dancer, his singer, Uncle Gaius and Nissa the leopard. However, things begin to go wrong and the friends must use all their ingenuity to win through.

However, there is not only a mystery to solve. Flavia receives an offer of marriage at the beginning of the book. Throughout the rest of the story Lawrence, who never forgets that Flavia is still a child as are the readers of the book, deals sympathetically with her fears of marriage, the loss of her freedom and of childbirth.

This is an engaging adventure in the manner, although not the style, of Enid Blyton. The historical content is interesting and evocative and should encourage the reader to find out more about the time. The children are balanced and reflect the diversity of our society, although Flavia is extremely irritating and bossy, but then who could forget Julian of the Famous Five? An enjoyable read that should, like its predecessors prove popular with children. Caroline Lawrence’s greatest strength is her depiction of Ostia and of Roman life.

2008-04-10