The Medici Murders by David Hewson

 The Medici Murders by David Hewson


Master storyteller David Hewson launches a major new historical mystery series, set in Venice and featuring retired archivist Arnold Clover

The Medici Murders by David Hewson was published on 4th May 2023 by Canongate. My thanks to the author and publisher for sending me a copy to review and to Random Book Tours for inviting me to take part on the Book Tour.




Synopsis

Venice is a city full of secrets. For hundreds of years it has been the scene of scandal, intrigue and murderous rivalries. And it remains so today.


1548, Lorenzino de Medici, himself a murderer and a man few will miss, is assassinated by two hired killers.


Today, Marmaduke Godolphin, British TV historian and a man even fewer will miss, is stabbed by a stiletto blade on the exact same spot, his body dropping into the canal.


Can the story of the first murder explain the attack on Godolphin? The Carabinieri certainly think so. They recruit retired archivist Arnold Clover to unpick the mystery and to help solve the case. But the conspiracy against Godolphin runs deeper than anyone imagined.




My Review

This is a clever mystery that had me hooked from the outset. A tale of intrigue and a past murder that will have you turning the pages in eager anticipation as to what is going to happen next. The characters are brilliantly described throughout along with the various settings in and around Venice and The Lido to have you feeling as though you are observing the mystery unfurl before your very eyes. This, along with the link to the Medici murder in 1548 and Michelangelo, will keep you gripped until the very last page.

As well as the plot of discovering what happened to Marmaduke Godolphin, part of the story is cleverly written , seemingly at times tongue in cheek, to have you thinking was this so-called elite Cambridge graduate from many years ago really taken in by this. However, be careful that you don't see what you should see within the story !!!!!

The clever way that The Capitano unravels what happened, with the help of Arnold Clover is brilliant, and the twist within a twist at the end really took me by surprise. An extra bonus for me is that Venice is a city I adore and I found myself immersed in the streets and canals, along with the food and drink in such a way that if I closed my eyes I was there, following the individuals as they traversed the streets and The Lido. I was there sitting with them in the cafe drinking coffee, with them during the masquerade and listening to the thought processes as the mystery unfurls.

I absolutely loved this 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 read and I am really looking forward to more adventures with Arnold Colver in Venice very soon.




About the Author

David Hewson is a former journalist with The Times, Sunday Times and Independent. He is the author of more than twenty-five novels, including his Rome-based Nic Costa series which has been published in fifteen languages, and his Amsterdam-based series featuring detective Pieter Vos. He has also written three acclaimed adaptations of the Danish TV series, The Killing. He lives near Canterbury in Kent. @david_hewson | davidhewson.com



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