Product Description

February, AD 80. An imperial messenger summons Jonathan's father to Rome, where the fever which started in Ostia is now threatening to become a plague. Jonathan and his three friends go, too, and need to use all their skills to solve a dangerous mystery for the Emperor Titus.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #25708 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Review
"The Enemies of Jupiter by Caroline Lawrence is the seventh and best in the superb detective series set in ancient Rome, where four children from different backgrounds band together to solve mysteries and right wrongs. The best thing about these books is that they are steeped in fantastically interesting and authentic historical detail." Daily Mail, 5 December 2003

Review
"The Enemies of Jupiter by Caroline Lawrence is the seventh and best in the superb detective series set in ancient Rome, where four children from different backgrounds band together to solve mysteries and right wrongs. The best thing about these books is that they are steeped in fantastically interesting and authentic historical detail." (Daily Mail, 5 December 2003 )

Times Educational Supplement, January 9, 2004
[an]entertaining mix of... Roman expostulations..., nose-creasing facts..., information about the four humours... cleverly interwoven with an adventure story...

Customer Reviews

The Enemies of Jupiter , as reviewed by Emma Wong.
This, the seventh book in the series, is undoubtedly the best Roman Mystery yet. At a blistering pace, it tells of Jonathan's worry that his father might have a new love interest, and his plan to avert this by getting his father to Rome. There Jonathan's supposedly dead mother now lives in Nero's Golden House. Jonathan hopes that by some chance his parents will meet, so he writes to the young Emperor, Titus Flavius, and recieves an imperial summons to himself, Flavia, Nubia, Lupus and his father, requesting their presence in Rome.
However, upon their arrival, they find that not only is Mordecai (Jonathan's father) wanted to help cure the plague sweeping through Rome, but that the Emperor has had a dream foretelling that a Pandora's Box has been opened, and that all Rome will fall into ruin. The four friends must race against time to avert disaster in the capital of Italy, by finding the person who would open this "Pandora's Box." But can they do this before disaster strikes? And will Johnathan be able to help, or will he be too preoccupied with his mother, Susannah?
This is a story of hatred, love and betrayal, once again told with inspiration by author Caroline Lawrence. It is another of Caroline's books in the Roman Mysteries series, and is indeed better that all the others that have come before. Another superb, must- read tale from this astounding children's author.

Roman Mysteries Thickens....
These books created by Caroline Lawrence, are just a great blend or action, history and adventure. I read the first book to a class of mine (Year 5) a few years back and it started a great bandwagon of reading these books throughout the room. The chapters are short and always end with a cliffhanger, so there is the gripping thought and desire to read on.
The text is bigger than what is expected, so those who struggle to read will feel like they have accomplished something when they put the book down.
The thing that I like about this book and the series as a whole, is that from Book 1, the characters develop. There are four main protagonists (and a few dogs to boot) and as you can guess, the story it set in Italy when Rome was the height of cultural perfection. Each of the characters are extremely individual and well crafted, and as mentioned, grow up and change as the books continue.
The series is easy to get into and simple to read, there is even an A-Z of key words at the back that explain some of the Roman words in the book.
Very simply, the book is like a Roman Famous Five. This is unfair on Lawrence as she creates a world that is ancient and yet easy to see, as well as characters who you genuinely feel for and wish to succeed.
I heavily recommend the series and think that it is a good read for those children who are just starting to brave reading on their own. On saying that, I am enjoying them and I am slightly older than 7!

A real sizzler
Enemies develops the story 'arcs' especially Jonathan's. It is an exciting book with lots of twists and turns and a real sizzler at the end, followed by a cliff-hanger!

The Roman medicine is very well researched and has a high EEW! factor