Roman Mysteries

Roman Mysteries is a series of children's books based around the civilisation, or lack of, in ancient Rome. The first book, The Thieves of Ostia, was published in 2001 and became an instant success with readers and reviewers. It has since spawned 16 more episodes, each based around the riddles puzzling a group of four children in the Roman Empire at the time of Emperor Titus. The four children are:

• Nubia, an African girl
• Flavia, a rich Roman girl
• Jonathan ben Mordecai, a kind but pessimistic Jewish boy
• Lupus, a mute beggar boy

The mysteries largely centre on Ostia, an ancient shipping port town just outside Rome. Stories are fast-paced and easy to read, and while there are historical references to a number of real-life characters (Pliny, Titus and Domitian to name just three), the history very much plays second fiddle to the frantic action. The series has been turned into a CBBC television series, and some books are full of quizzes.