Flavia, Jonathan, Lupus, and Nubia are once again faced with a mystery. The year is 79 C.E. and Mount Vesuvius has just erupted, leaving chaos and destruction in its wake. The children are living in a refugee camp with Jonathan's father and Flavia's uncle. The sky is hazy and red, everything is covered in a thick layer of ash, and the wails of professional mourners and families who have lost loved ones pierce the air. One by one, children disappear from the area and Flavia and her friends decide to find out why. Woven into the mystery are problems and issues of Roman life such as the abusive treatment of slaves and the class structure of the patron/client system. The search for the missing children is fast paced and in several instances peril seems imminent. Newcomers to the series may be a little confused by this one but fans will enjoy it.