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Sara Poole's Francesca Giordano

Poison by Sara Poole

Poole’s novel begins this historical-mystery series starring Francesca Giordano, a young woman who takes over her father’s job as head poisoner for the Borgia family.

Working for Cardinal Borgia as he attempts to become pope is a deadly and dangerous business—Francesca’s father is already dead in mysterious circumstances, and threats lurk everywhere. But Francesca has one key advantage; no one takes a woman seriously. That’s unfortunate because Francesca happens to be one of the greatest poisoners in late-fifteenth-century Rome.

These are the books in the Poisoner Mystery series so far:

• Poison - a Novel of the Renaissance
• The Borgia Betrayal
• The Borgia Mistress

Beverle Graves Myers and her Tito Amato

Interrupted Aria by Beverle Graves Myers

This is the first in a series of historical mysteries set in mid-late 1700s Venice featuring an opera singer as the amateur detective.  Tito Amato is no ordinary opera singer.  He is a castrato, a male soprano, created by a surgeon's knife.  His multi-octave voice has a power that female sopranos can only envy.  The price?  He can never marry in a Catholic ceremony, nor can he father children.

From a Reader Review:  "Filled with lush description of Venice during Carnivale, its political and social structure, the inner workings of the opera company and Tito's relationships with his family, friends, colleagues and himself, this is a rich, wonderful book.  I also found it a good mystery with a couple of twists and some good suspense. This is a series I shall definitely follow."

Here are links to the other entries in the "Tito Amato" series at Amazon.com:

Tito Amato Series Books in order of publication:

• Interrupted Aria
• Painted Veil
• Cruel Music
• The Iron Tongue of Midnight
• Her Deadly Mischief 

I have read all the books in this series and I recommend them highly. 

The author is a wonderful writer who manages to create vivid characters set in an era long ago that comes to life in the writer's capable and erudite hands.  Her wonderful imagination is a joy to behold.

While at times the mysteries are not so mysterious, I've read each book to the end, if only to enjoy the characters, setting, and delightful writing.  Some of the books end on very somber notes, which I didn't enjoy, but the journey getting there was always entertaining.

I especially respect the writer for writing the books in the 1st-person-narrative style, as if we were reading her character Tito Amato's memoirs about his amateur detective cases. 

So many writers these days use the 3rd-person-limited style (the "I"  turned to "he"), that it is refreshing to read a book in an undisguised 1st-person-narrative style.  It brings us closer to her unique protagonist.

My favorite book in the series is the last one, published in 2009, Her Deadly Mischief.  On the author's website, she says she is busy writing the next book in the series.  I certainly hope that is true.  I look forward to its release! 

Note:  The links I offer are to Amazon.com.  But I recommend you look for these books either at the Poisoned Pen Press website, or for great prices, secondhand, from Better World Books, who ship worldwide for free.

Also see my pages:

Italian Bestselling Writers

Historical Fiction set in Italy

Mysteries set in Ancient Rome

Non-fiction books about Italy

Romances set in Italy

Thrillers Set in Italy

Children's Books

The Brownings

Dual-Language Short Stories

Bestselling Italian

Italian Literature

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