Onorio
Celavini is the commander of the Duke Francesco de’
Medici’s police force in 16th century Florence. He and
his team deal with the city’s many crimes, and one morning
he is dragged out of bed to investigate two murders. He soon
discovers that he has a connection with this incident, one
that reaches back into his past and threatens to ruin everything
he has worked for. He must investigate alone, and deal with
the outcome before he ends up dead himself.
This
is more adventure than whodunit and had me up late at night
turning the pages, eager to see what else fate had in store
for the protagonist and narrator. Expect surprises with this
book as what at first looks to be another historical mystery
soon turns into something more original. Something exciting
happens on almost every page but it is not easy to review
because saying too much would spoil it. The book deals with
the kind of events that might easily make rather grim or depressing
reading but the protagonist manages to keep the tone mostly
upbeat without making things too easy or far-fetched. I always
admire any author who can do this and Mr Kazan does it with
style. 16th century Italy is a dangerous place; one where
being somebody can get you killed almost as easily as being
nobody. Alliances shift and friends can turn to implacable
enemies in an instant. I hadn’t read anything by this
author before but will certainly be looking out for more titles
by him. Highly recommended.
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