11.05.2013
The Slave-girl from Jerusalem
by Caroline Lawrence, 209 pgs, paperbackSeries: The Roman Mysteries XIII
Overall Grade: B+
Although I've always thought the series was darker and more realistic than many YA series, this book seems even more so. (By the end, all 4 main characters have written their own wills.)
The story begins with Jonathan's sister, Miriam, who enlists the help of the 4 young sleuths in proving that her childhood friend was freed before her master died. The case rather quickly becomes bloody, and the slave-girl is shortly accused of triple-homicide.
Despite the presence of Flavius, or "Floppy", and Flavia's fawning over him, I enjoyed this story. There was a lot to learn about how Romans freed their slaves, wrote and enacted wills, and conducted criminal trials.
Labels: genre: crime-fighting, genre: fiction, genre: historical, genre: mystery, genre: YA, media: book, series: Roman Mysteries
