The Falconer's Knot: A Story of Friars, Flirtation and Foul Play
Grade 7–10—Fans of the author's "Stravaganza" series (Bloomsbury) will welcome this novel set in Renaissance Italy. Wealthy young nobleman Silvano, 16, is infatuated with beautiful Angelica, who is married to a coarse sheep farmer named Piero. When Piero is murdered with Silvano's dagger, the teen is forced to flee, seeking sanctuary with a group of Franciscans. At the friary, two more murders cast further suspicion on him. A parallel story involves Aureliana, who has been forced by her family to marry a rich man she does not love. Her true love, Eduardo, has become a friar named Anselmo in the very friary where Silvano seeks refuge. As the stories coalesce, multiple murders, romance, betrayals, and star-crossed lovers all make for a page-turning mystery, and, in truly satisfying Shakespearean fashion, everyone ends up with the proper lover at the end. The book provides a well-realized setting rich with details of the time period, which are deftly woven into the plot. Especially interesting are the descriptions of the art of color-making for the pigments used for religious paintings. Engrossing historical fiction.—Quinby Frank, Green Acres School, Rockville, MDCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.