Customer Reviews:
 Strangers in a Strange Land December 3, 2008
D. A Wend (Buffalo Grove, IL USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Sailing home from Africa, the ship on which our four detectives are aboard runs into a powerful storm and breaks up near Alexandria. The four friends are separated for a time but are reunited, except for Nubia, who believes that everyone on the ship has perished.
Nubia, in the company of a scribe from the Library of Alexandria named Chryses, begins a journey to her homeland. In the meantime, Flavia, Jonathan and Lupus discover Nubia's intentions and, enlisting the help of another scribe named Seth, follow Nubia sailing up the Nile.
Chryses, who is a eunuch, has a kind of adversarial relationship with Seth, who believes Chryses may be responsible for the death of another scribe. Chryses also has a treasure map and leaves clues for Seth in the form of a riddle so he can follow along with Flavia, Lupus and Jonathan. Will Flavia and company be able to catch up with Nubia to let her know they are alive? There is also danger just a step behind the four children in the form of Roman soldiers acting on orders from the governor to capture them.
The Scribes of Alexandria has some wonderful descriptions of ancient Alexandria as Seth shows Flavia, Lupus and Jonathan around his city and there are also beautiful descriptions of the journey up the Nile that the three detectives take with Seth and his cousin Nathan up the Nile. We learn quite a lot about Egypt in the time of the Flavians and the distrust and hatred between cities that worship different gods. This is among the most memorable books in the Roman Mysteries series.
Engaging plot and characters November 18, 2008
Richard Campbell (Alexandria, Virginia United States)
A big fan of the Roman Mysteries series, this one emphasizes a fast paced plot and for me, a real puzzle at the end. One of the wonderful aspects of the RM books is the unflinching look at the world of 2000 years ago, and the matter of fact view of the world as it existed. The characters continue to grow and improve.
I have to say there is some willing disbelief as even today a group of 12 year olds setting off across Egypt would be difficult, but Caroline carries this off.
Kudos to the author for not holding back. By contrast, I was dismayed to read the reviews of Wind in the Willows on Amazon, where the original Graham Greene text has been edited for political correctness and has had references to Badger's guns etc edited out! May this never happen to Ms. Lawrence and the four friends.
A Treasure for Logophiliacs! July 14, 2008
Nephele
Puzzling riddles, clever anagrams, and hidden meanings in names make this one of Caroline Lawrence's most fun-filled additions to her popular Roman Mysteries series!
As with all her books in the series, The Scribes from Alexandria offers us a glimpse into the ancient world -- this time finding our dauntless detectrix, Flavia Gemina, traveling through Egypt, hot on the trail of a runaway scribe from the famous Library of Alexandria.
Caroline Lawrence even provides an accompanying, illustrated "Latin Alphabet in Hieroglyphs" so that you can try your hand at being a scribe by writing your own name in ancient Egyptian style.
This book is another triumph for Caroline Lawrence -- and another joy for her readers!
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