The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina

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. Though their loan was paid off, 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.

Flavia is disturbed when her father Marcus starts talking about her betrothal and insisting that she should stop running around Ostia playing detective with her unconventional friends. She blames her father's change of attitude on his new ladylove, a widowed woman named Cartilia Poplicola, and is determined to prove that she is a fortune-hunter, a witch, or even a murderess.

Several signs, including a dream, make Flavia believe that following a trail guided by the twelve labours of Hercules will lead her to the truth. These are generally places in Ostia, such as the Hydra fountain and the Atlas tavern, but also events like the capture of the escaped lion or people such as the gladiator nicknamed the Cretan Bull. Flavia and the others pick up scraps of news and gossip about Cartilia and her family which they try to piece together.

The detectives meet Cartilia's sister, Diana, and eventually discover her secret love for Aristo, which explains some strange events and clears Cartilia of wrongdoing. However they soon uncover another secret- Cartilia was not widowed, but rather divorced by her former husband because she was infertile and "too independent". The revelation destroys Marcus's trust in Cartilia, and Flavia is unexpectedly unhappy about it.

As the Saturnalia comes to a close, Flavia is livid to find that Pollius Publius Felix- the object of her affections- had briefly visited Ostia to see Flavia's next door neighbor, Doctor Mordecai, with little mention of her. Impulsively, she runs from Ostia, hoping to catch up to him, but falls ill shortly after she departs.

A fever sweeps through Ostia and many fall sick, including Flavia, Marcus, their slaves, and even their neighbors. Flavia learns that it was Diana who had found her, and that Cartilia had helped care for her and her father in her illness, despite her previous hostility.

Having made amends with Cartilia, Marcus and Flavia both welcome her back to the household- though Flavia still laments her missed meeting with Felix. She confides in Cartilia about her love of Felix, and the impossibility of embracing it, as Felix is already married. Cartilia invites Flavia to dance with her the next night, as a means of venting her romantic frustration. Nubia, finding herself pining after Arsito, also joins, as well as Diana and other young women from around Ostia. Flavia begins to grow closer to Cartilia and accepting of her as a future stepmother.

The fever returns in the form of an even deadlier plague. Flavia and her father, having already been sick, are immune- but are heartbroken to learn that Cartilia has succumbed to the sickness.

Flavia's uncle, Gaius, celebrates his marriage to Miriam soon after. Though Flavia still mourns for Cartilia, she celebrates along with her friends and family and learns to love her life.

In this novel, Flavia Gemina is even more headstrong and imperious than usual, but shows signs of learning from her errors in judgement; Lupus shows his cunning in dice games, his love of trailing people and his skill at art; Nubia shows her courage in helping to capture the lion and a quiet patience which encourages people to talk more than Flavia's questions; Jonathan shows his loyalty in supporting Flavia even when he thinks she is wrong, and surprises himself at his boldness in going to some of the odd places she sends him.

The main themes are love and marriage. The book opens on the lefa day of Miriam's betrothal feast and ends on her wedding day. The main story concerns the romance between Marcus and Cartilia, who have both been married before, and Flavia's belief that Cartilia's love is not real. The subject of Flavia's betrothal is raised; although she is only ten and will perhaps not marry for five or six years, Marcus is considering a possible match with a Roman senator's son. Divorce is also mentioned, with a man divorcing two women for not being able to give him children.

Unrequited love is shown in Diana and Nubia's infatuation with Aristo, Aristo's with Miriam and Flavia's with Felix. Even Lupus is a little smitten, with Diana. The gladiator Taurus makes a good profit selling his sweat to make love potions, and many maidens come to dance away the effects of Cupid's arrow, or "the spider's bite" of love by dancing the Tarantella.

The traditions of the Saturnalia recur throughout the novel, with the festivities in the streets, the choosing of the king, the disruptions to the usual routines, special foods and gift giving.

• The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina at the Roman Mysteries website