Review: A trip to Florence this year? Bring your knives...
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 2, 2014
This was a rare find indeed. A mystery that draws you in just as the characters involved are drawn in. Set in Florence in the late 1400s, the time of the Borgias. And all are chess pieces in the great game between the powers of the Pope, his son, and the French, along with those in Florence who crave to continue their independence and those who would end the Republic.I don't want to give away too many spoilers. The cast of characters are so deep that you will see a large panoply of Florentine life and a touch of politics that Machiavelli not only wrote of in the Prince, but you will see him on stage in a few scenes as well.That the author is able to weave a tale that is believable to a great extent and leaves you guessing for most of the tale is a grey testament to her skill. Some may see the villains unmasked before Ms. Pasch does so but still the telling has very masterful elements with strong men and women in roles to watch.And that the big players, Cesare and Pope Alexander are in Rome, it is left to those uniquely concerned with matters in Florence to resolve matters there. That gives us even a more intimate feel for the era and the events.Would we like more? Yes. This is a book that is worthy of a future reread to delve deeper into its nuances.