The first book in the Roman Mysteries - a historical middle grade mystery series set in Rome AD79 - The Thieves of Ostia introduces four children - Flavia, Nubia, Lupus and Jonathan - who team up and find adventure and intrigue wherever they go.

I didn't hate this, but I can't say I really loved it either. It's an easy enough read. Flavia was a bit annoying. She was very pushy. But she could be kind. I mean, she plans to buy a scroll for her birthday but when she sees a girl her own age (Nubia) being sold as a slave, she decides to buy her. The others were alright though. The mystery made sense for all it gave me the creeps Violence against animals sucks. . Will likely read more of the series. 2 stars. ( )

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Written for older children, "The Thieves of Ostia" was a great read for those who enjoy history and adventure. The author had clearly done her research as the novel was filled with interesting information about daily life in Ancient Rome. The four young protagonists - Flavian, Jonathan, Nubia and Lupus - were all relatable and I liked how diverse they were. Although the writing and mystery were simplistic, considering the target audience, I think "The Thieves of Ostia" would appeal to a range of readers. ( )

It’s ancient Rome and the dog belonging to one of Flavia’s neighbours has been killed and beheaded. Flavia and her friends plan to find out who did it.

This is a mix of children’s lit, historical fiction, and mystery. I listened to the audio, and overall it was ok. I did lose focus (as I seem to with audios more often lately) a few times, but the story was ok. There was a short author’s/historical note at the end, though being a kids’ book, it didn’t go into detail. Even with only an “ok” rating from me, it might still be a fun series to continue. ( )

I WAS THINKING about this series the other day and just found it and I'm so pleased!

... I can't remember how many books out of this series I read, but I read a lot of these books. (Some I read back to back.) Either way, I adored this series. I really liked the characters and looking it as an adult now my GOODNESS ME this is a fairly diverse cast! Flavia, the main character is a wealthy Roman girl, but there's also a Jewish boy, an African girl and a poor mute boy called Lupus.

I hadn't realised that - it's really cool to come back to a book series I read when I was younger and realise that it's so inclusive. Or, more inclusive than most?

I loved the plot of these books but more than that I liked all of the character development, the arcs of the characters and how they transformed over a series of books. Some of the books feature very well-known historical characters, Pliny the Elder, Pliny the Younger and so on - so it was cool to learn little tidbits of ancient history while following this motley crew of children on a crazy mystery. (Why were they allowed to get away with so much? They were like, ten!)

ANYWAY. Tiny wee me would've given this book 4.5 stars. So 4.5 it is! ( )