September， A.D. 79In Ostia， near Rome， Flavia Gemina， the sea captain s daughter， Nubia， the African girl， and Lupus， the mute boy， are celebrating their friend Jonathan s birthday. Then a visitor from the past arrives to see Jonathan s father. The next day， the visitor has disappeared--and so has Johnathan.When the three friends discover that Jonathan has gone on a secret mission to Rome， they are determined to follow him. Their mission takes them to the Golden House of the Emperor Nero， where a deadly assassin is at work， and brings them face-to-face withthe terrible destruction of Jerusalem and its impact on Jonathan s family.The Assassins of Rome is the fourth volume in the popular Roman Mysteries series， which has been widely praised for its fast-pased storytelling and its authentic depiction of Roman life.