Books for Children: The Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence

Think you might like reading a historical mystery book series set in ancient Rome?  (Written for young readers but nobody has to know you’re an adult. One of my guilty pleasures is reading children's books.)  Here is a recommendation. This series has won awards. It’s called The Roman Mysteries and was written by Caroline Lawrence. Her goal for undertaking this task was to entertain children while reading and educate them about this ancient civilization. She succeeded. In fact, her books received praise from teachers and parents, as well as awards and recognition. This is not the only mystery series she has written but since it deals with life in ancient Rome which is one of my favorite topics, it is being suggested for mystery lovers who also have an interest in the Roman Empire.

Set in 1^st century A.D., Book 1 of the series is titled “The Thieves of Ostia”. The last of the series, Book 17 is “Man from Pomegranate Street”. The reading material targets ages 10 through 14 and the novels are available in various formats: hard copy, audio, digital, etc.
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The books were adapted to film and you can watch the episode on YouTube.  Below is the complete Roman Mysteries book series:

The Thieves of Ostia (1)

The Secrets Of Vesuvius (2)

The Pirates Of Pompeii (3)

The Assassins Of Rome (4)

The Dolphins Of Laurentum (5)

The Twelve Tasks Of Flavia Gemina (6)

The Enemies Of Jupiter (7)

The Gladiators From Capua (8)

The Colossus Of Rhodes (9)

The Fugitive From Corinth (10)

The Sirens Of Surrentum (11)

The Charioteer Of Delphi (12)

The Slave-Girl From Jerusalem (13)

The Beggar Of Volubilis (14)

The Scribes From Alexandria (15)

The Prophet From Ephesus (16)

The Man From Pomegranate Street (17)

The Slave-Girl From Jerusalem

This exciting adventure recreates the siege at Masada.

Caroline Lawrence has also written other historical mysteries. View Her Author's Page.

Source:  Webnuggetz.com

TV Movie: BBC Masterpiece Contemporary: Page EIght (2011)

Do you fancy BBC Masterpiece Contemporary Mystery movies or television series?

The BBC political thriller titled “Page Eight” is about a British intelligence analyst who refuses to compromise his integrity.

What happens to him is what usually happens when civil servants will not budge on their principles and ideals of Right versus Wrong, and their principles and ideals do not line up with their boss, i.e., the chief executive leader who says: I know what is best for our country and I am the one in charge, with the authority!

In his case, Mr. Worricker (the character masterfully played by Bill Nighy) butts heads with the British Prime Minister. He found some real information on page 8 of an intelligence report that points a finger in the direction of the Prime Minister and … Oh dear!

He has to leave his job? No. Rather he chooses that it is time for him to resign from the MI-5 service and move on. To spice up this not “atypical” political thriller plot, he meets a young woman (played by Rachel Weisz) that he has the power to help because of his access to confidential official government secrets. Does he help her? But of course! She helps him as well. In his line of work, it’s really hard to find someone you can trust.

This BBC political thriller is “Page Eight” is actually part of a trilogy. If it hooks you, you’ll probably want to watch the entire triology: Masterpiece: Worricker Trilogy Collection (Salting the Battlefield; Turks & Caicos; Page Eight)

Page Eight

Worricker: Page Eight

Worricker: Turks & Caicos

Worricker: Salting the Battlefield

Original source