A mysterious widow pursues Flavia's father and a lion terrorizes the streets of Ostia in the sixth "Roman Mysteries" adventure. December, A.D. 79. It is the month of the Saturnalia, a festival when people do as they please, and anything can happen. When a Roman widow, Cartilia Poplica, shows unusual interest in Flavia's father, Captain Geminus, Flavia decides she must find out what Cartila's motives really are. To do so, she finds she must perform twelve tasks, just like the Greek hero Hercules. And what is more, there's a lion loose in the streets of Ostia. Grade 5-8 - In this sixth book in the series, Flavia Gemina has marriage on her mind. Her friend Jonathan's sister celebrates her betrothal to Flavia's uncle, her father announces his intention to find a suitable husband for her, and, worst of all, he becomes enthralled by a new woman in town. Flavia convinces her friends that Cartilia must be a witch causing changes in her father's behavior, and when Hercules comes to her in a dream, she knows she must solve the mystery of who Cartilia is and how she has bewitched her father. This is a mixed bag of a book. While Lawrence does an excellent job of re-creating the customs and daily life of ancient Rome, the mystery is a bit thin. Cartilia's intrusion and integration into Flavia's family is abrupt, and the girl's dislike of her is extremely modern. A bigger issue comes with the fact that Lawrence writes with the assumption of familiarity with her characters. However, if readers are willing to suspend a bit of disbelief and figure out the relationships among the people, they will be in for a treat. The glimpses of life from another time are fascinating, and the story moves quickly enough to keep interest going. - Lisa Prolman, Greenfield Public Library, MA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Kirkus "The fast-paced story has several gory incidents, aong with pulse-pounding chase scenes, risky behavior, vivid descriptions . . . hidden treasure, and, best of all, plausible clues that ultimately lead Flavia to the real culprit."-"A fast paced, crackling good mystery."-- School Library Journal Grade 5-8 - In this sixth book in the series, Flavia Gemina has marriage on her mind. Her friend Jonathan's sister celebrates her betrothal to Flavia's uncle, her father announces his intention to find a suitable husband for her, and, worst of all, he becomes enthralled by a new woman in town. Flavia convinces her friends that Cartilia must be a witch causing changes in her father's behavior, and when Hercules comes to her in a dream, she knows she must solve the mystery of who Cartilia is and how she has bewitched her father. This is a mixed bag of a book. While Lawrence does an excellent job of re-creating the customs and daily life of ancient Rome, the mystery is a bit thin. Cartilia's intrusion and integration into Flavia's family is abrupt, and the girl's dislike of her is extremely modern. A bigger issue comes with the fact that Lawrence writes with the assumption of familiarity with her characters. However, if readers are willing to suspend a bit of disbelief and figure out the relationships among the people, they will be in for a treat. The glimpses of life from another time are fascinating, and the story moves quickly enough to keep interest going. Caroline Lawrence is the author of five previous books in the popular "Roman Mysteries" series. She lives in London, England. Used Book in Good Condition