Another whodunnit. Someone has been tampering with chariot races in the Circus Maximus. But what is the motive? And because the children have just arrived in rome to visit a friend (the eponymous charioteer) who works for one of the racing stables, they too are under suspicion. Can they catch the culprit?

Nubia (who is my favourite character anyway) gets quite a big part in this story. Her apparently magical empathy for horses helps find out what's going on, but also arouses suspicion. The plot is simpler than that of (say) The Fugitive, and sometimes in danger of getting swamped by details of Roman chariot racing, but the book holds together well, and I enjoyed reading it.

Another detail: more characters with Jewish backgrounds are turning up. I wonder how often this would have occurred in real life.

For release.

Previous book: The Sirens of Surrentum
Next book: The Slavegirl from Jerusalem

On the rope walk on one of the climbing frames