Albert A. Bell, Jr.

Pliny's Tiber-side warehouse is partially washed away during a storm and some bodies are found in the remains, including one whose mouth was sewn shut with thirty pieces of silver inside.

A good twisty whodunnit, but we've had paedophiles as the bad guys in the last three books, so perhaps that particular theme could be given a rest next time?

Although middle schoolers are the primary target audience, The Secret of The Lonely Grave is strong, thought-provoking read, that easily grabs the attention of book lovers of all ages. Set in Western Kentucky this is an entertaining story that tackles controversial, difficult and painful topics in meaningful, age-appropriate ways. While the characters are dealing with contemporary issues such as child abuse, single-parent homes, and school bullies, there’s a valuable history lesson at the show more heart of the book, that shines the light of truth on racism, slavery, bigotry and the indelible human spirit.

Walking to and from the bus stop, best friends, Steve Patterson and Kendra Jordan pass the old cemetery where Kendra’s sister Moniqa is buried. They have visited the cemetery many times and have always been curious about one particular grave, that of six years old, Amanda, buried in the mid-1800’s. The grave was set off by itself, some distance from all the others, for that reason they nicknamed it “the lonely grave.” When they notice flowers on the forgotten grave, they decide to stake out the cemetery. Thinking if they identify who is visiting the grave they can solve the mystery.

The friends soon discover the identity of the mysterious visitor– a recently widowed college professor, named Doc. Intelligent and kind, he too had been intrigued by the “lonely grave.” Doc guides the two friends as they spend the summer researching church and historical society records and talking with local residents. When they find evidence that suggests the infamous Underground Railroad may have passed through their small town, they realize this mystery goes far beyond the little girl’s grave.

Steve’s grandparents are anything but enthusiastic about his detective exploits and demonstrate a hush-hush attitude. It now seemed entirely possible that his family had taken part in the betrayal of a local family that had assisted many escaped slaves well over a hundred years ago.

Confronting difficult topics with a stylistic flair that educates and entertains, Bell utilizes modern themes and incorporates present-day challenges into the lives of the characters. The story provides a forum for open discussions about the impact of slavery, equality and the power of the human spirit.

An informative, entertaining and thought-provoking read, I recommend this book to all young readers. It would be beneficial for middle school history classes to add this book to their reading lists.

Happy Reading!
RJ show less

In the year 83 AD, Pliny the Younger and his friend Tacitus are on the way back to Rome from government service in Asia. Travelling with a motley group they arrive in Smyrna, where a member of the party is found dead in the morning with his heart having been cut out. After examining the body with a doctor, Luke, who is travelling with a companion called Timothy, and drawing on the principles he learnt from his uncle and adoptive father, Pliny the Elder, author of the famous "Natural show more History", Pliny concludes that Cornutus was actually poisoned and his heart cut out some time after his death. Cornutus had a very beautiful slave girl called Chryseis who is in danger of being tortured and killed together with all of Cornutus's other slaves if the murderer is not found. Pliny tries to find out who the real murderer is.

There were rather heavy information dumps in the first couple of chapters as the author introduced the world of the first century AD but once the story got going, the author piled on the suspense in a very satisfactory way, with the seamier and more violent sides of Roman life playing graphic roles. At times Pliny's sensibilities did seem a bit too modern to be true, but they are not incompatible with how he appears from his surviving letters. show less

The third in the delightful, highly recommended "Notebooks of Pliny the Younger" mystery series. In this one, the author stirred up a tasty stew involving an apparent murder [after which the man's body disappears the next morning from Pliny's stables: how?]; a really brutal murder; arson; and an unsolved murder from fifteen years previously about which the villagers of Laurentum are closemouthed and secretive. The village lies near Pliny's country villa, 17 miles from Rome, where he and his show more mother are staying. The story involves a money-making scam and an acrostic in Hebrew. Pliny's presented with this question: is the young woman, Daphne, who is looking for her father really an empusa, a blood-sucking shapeshifter figure in Roman folklore, as she claims to be? A bat and a dolphin are important figures in the story; can this be she in other guises? The father is purportedly a 700-year old man. Pliny and Tacitus piece this together from a reading of Herodotus.

The whole story was most original and smoothly written. I liked how the author dropped in bits of literature, folklore, mythology, and facts about Roman culture. Pliny and his friend Tacitus are growing on me as characters; they are very engaging and make good foils to each other. What one overlooks or misses as clues or explanations, the other picks up. Their personalities complement each other. Pliny's mother, Lady Plinia, is a dear soul but a bit meddlesome. I was impressed by the author's own translation of one of the real-life Pliny's Letters: 2.17, in which he describes in great detail his Laurentian villa, invites a friend to visit and gives directions. Certain elements of the layout of the villa were incorporated into the story and influenced certain actions. show less