Flavia and her friends are on a quest for the Emperor Titus - to steal a valuable gemstone known as 'Nero's Eye'. The Delphic Oracle prophesied that whoever owns the gem will rule Rome - so Titus is determined to claim it for himself. Their travels take them across the Roman province of Mauretania, from Sabratha (in modern Libya) to Volubilis (Morocco). As they travel on a caravan across the desert they encounter slave-traders, pantomime actors and a wild animal stampede. The detectives must consider another quest: what has happened to Uncle Gaius? Meanwhile, Flavia faces some tough decisions about her future.

Book 14 in the detectives' case file is set in Morocco - the most exotic location of all the Roman Mysteries.

About the Author
Caroline Lawrence is American. She lives with her husband by the river in London and is active as a speaker in schools and at book festivals. She took part in the British Museum's POMPEII LIVE event, giving talks that were streamed to schools all over the UK, and she is the winner of the 2009 CLASSICS ASSOCIATION PRIZE for 'a significant contribution to the public understanding of Classics'. In addition to the 17 novels in the ROMAN MYSTERIES sequence, Caroline Lawrence has written five spin-off titles, all of which have contributed to total UK sales in excess of 1 million copies. Visit Caroline's website at www.carolinelawrence.com and follow her on Twitter @CarolineLawrenc.

Reviews
'A great read for kids' DAILY EXPRESS



Book Information
ISBN 9781842556047
Author Caroline Lawrence
Format Paperback
Page Count 272
Imprint Orion Children's Books
Publisher Hachette Children's Group
Weight(grams) 241g
Dimensions(mm) 199mm * 128mm * 21mm