Friends go after criminals
The Sirens of Surrentum
The Fugitive from Corinth By Caroline Lawrence
Published by Orion
ISBN 1 84255 255 4
ISBN 1 84255 515 4
Since it was first published five years ago, Caroline Lawrence's historical detective series The Roman Mysteries has built up a loyal fan base.
Set somewhere around AD 80, the series chronicles the adventures of four young teenage Romans who set out to solve murder, wrong-doings and mayhem.
In The Sirens of Surrentum, the four friends pursue a would-be murderer who is trying to poison the mother of a friend with whom they are spending their holidays. All the usual suspects are laid out and the clues neatly placed.
The Fugitive from Corinth sees the four sleuths tracking down one of their trusted tutors who gets involved in a murder plot.
The series is written to a formula, and the stories don't demand a great deal of time or effort to get through. If you like unchallenging mysteries with a historical setting, then this is the series for you.