The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina is a children's historical novel by Caroline Lawrence, published on June 19, 2003. The sixth book of the Roman Mysteries series, it is set in Ostia in December AD 79, during the Saturnalia. Its central themes are love and marriage. The title is a reference to the Twelve Labours of Hercules. The action of the novel takes place in the Roman port of Ostia during a winter festival. Inspired by a dream about Hercules, Flavia persuades her friends to gather gossip from all over Ostia to solve the mystery of Cartilia Poplicola, and thus break up her romantic... relationship with Flavia's widowed father Marcus. The novel is set three months after The Dolphins of Laurentum and six months after the children solved their first mystery. The Geminus household is still suffering financially from the loss of the Myrtilla. It is winter AD 79 during the five-day festival of the Saturnalia, a time when the status quo is upset. Ostia is further excited by the escape of some exotic wild animals, possible man-eaters. The children narrowly escape an alarming-looking bird.
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| Author: | Caroline Lawrence |
| Genre: | Children's literature, Historical novel, Fiction, Mystery |
| Year published: | 2003 |
| Number of editions: | 3 |