Mystery of the Roman Ransom (Paperback)

~ (Author), Fritz Biermann (Illustrator), Edith McCormick (Translator) "Have you lost your minds completely?" Xantippus snapped at his pupils..." (more)
Key Phrases: mysterious fat man, fifty sesterces, famous senator, Master Xanthos, Praetorian Guard, Long Street (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"For those of you who enjoyed the delightful and witty Detectives in Togas: those seven irrepressible young detectives are back again. . . . Glorious fun abounds on each page, making this a most welcome sequel indeed."--Publishers Weekly

Product Description

[intro] In these two delightful history-mysteries, seven boys in Ancient Rome solve strange crimes . . . thanks to some help from their cranky teacher, a little bit of logic, and a lot of amusing misadventure.

It seems the boys can get nothing right: Their teacher's fiftieth birthday is long past (they should have done their math homework); the servant they bought as a present for his birthday isn't just your run-of-the-mill Gaul slave but a courier running for his life; and, to top it all off, the message he's carrying requests the assassination of a Roman senator--the father of one of the boys.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152162682
• ISBN-13: 978-0152162689
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #126,812 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Winterfled has done it again!, August 9, 2001

By	"teencynic" (Nicosia, Cyprus) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mystery of the Roman Ransom (Odyssey Classic) (Paperback)

The detectives in toga are back! Ever read the first one? You should; this is a rare things: a sequal as good as the original.

This time, it's Caius that's in trouble (read the book to find out just how and why). It all started when the boys decided to buy their teacher a birthday present, and got him (they think) a deaf and dumb slave named Udo. That's just the start of their troubles, because Udo is more than he seems, and they suddenly find themselves in a web of intrigue and murder, when they stumble on a plot to assassinate a famous senator. It could be one of their fathers!

In this novel, we learn more about the boys, as they display their loyalty and courage. Caius, for one, isn't the same brawny wannabe Hercules he was in the last one, but shows his brave side.

It all takes the same wit, hair breath'd escapes, razor-sharp logic and good sense and you have yourself another wonderful novel!

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book, September 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mystery of the Roman Ransom (Odyssey Classic) (Paperback)

The Mystery of the Roman Ransom was one of the best books I have ever read. One of the reasons it was so good was that it had a huge amount of mystery and suspense. It was also very good because it got you interested in the story right away. I also found the story engaging because the main characters were about my age. The main characters are seven rich Roman boys and their tutor Xanthos. In the beginning of the book, which is set in ancient Rome, the boys give Xanthos a slave for his 50th birthday, but he is very angry, so the boys must keep the slave. Through him they find out that one of their fathers is going to be murdered. Their fathers are very important senators who run the government. The plot of the book is trying to find and prevent the assassin(s) from killing Cacius's father. The boys' very realistic adventure in ships, houses and through alleys of Rome help them gain courage. The boys are very clever because they have to figure out who is going to murder Cacius's father. Their bravery helped them get through every dangerous task set before them. The only downside to this book is that there is hardly any historical information in it. It is a really great book.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A rare mix, educational and fun!, October 17, 2003

By A Customer

My 9 year-old son had to do a book report on a historical fiction book about Rome. We read this together, as it was a little above his reading level in places. My 7 year-old listened as well. We read it in 3 days, if they had had their way, we would have finished in one. They loved this story. I stopped in several places and we recounted the logic of characters, trying to figure out the mystery ourselves. I also had a map of ancient Rome handy, to follow the various wanderings of the characters. Knowing your Greek/Roman myths is a plus, this book is a great application for those just finishing studying the ancient myths. For those concerned about violence and character issues, there are many situations that present themselves in the story for discussion. We had a few times where we stopped and asked, "What do you think about that decision?" A great book, WE highly recommend it!