A treat!

The Medici Murders (Venetian Mystery #1) by David Hewson 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A twisted tale of murder, at once engaging and satisfying. Arnold Clover, a retired archivist has retreated to Venice to live out his retirement surrounded by the places he and his wife loved. Except his wife died just as they were about to embark on a new order of life. Still Arnold came, and is now ensconced in Venice. 

Captaino Valentina Fabbri of the Venetian Carbonierri has a corpse on her hands, not just any corpse but an English lord, or rather knight, Sir Marmaduke.

Arnold had been offered a contract position, along with his friend Luca Volpetti, by the aging historian eager to startle the world with a theory about the assassination of Lorenzo de’Medici and the involvement of Michaelengelo for a populous history program. 

The historian is Marmaduke Godolphin, a man he’d known in his early days at Cambridge. A man surrounded by those referred to as the Guilded Circle, who joined Godolphin as more like a family, though in reality anachronistic and rebellious satellites. A man who has been most foully murdered.

As Arnold and Valentina retrace the footsteps and mindset of those in Venice with Godolphin the antics of the Guilded Circle come under scrutiny. Who has the most to gain? Tantalising clues of jealousy, greed and vengeance are looked at.

I drooled over the food, was envious of Arnold’s acquaintance on a daily basis with all Venice has to offer, and wanted to join him quietly living the dream!

An exciting new series by Hewson that I’m already hooked on.

A Severn House ARC via NetGalley.                                              

Many thanks to the author and publisher.