While I'm a long-time fan of David Hewson, I didn't feel that The Medici Murders was as strong a story as many of his previous works. I did enjoy the setting (Venice!) and found his protagonist quite interesting. I'd be more than willing to read a sequel!

Readers who enjoy both history and mystery should have a great time with David Hewson’s MEDICI MURDERS, WHERE Renaissance murder spawns contemporary skulduggery. A pompous TV historian has been murdered in Venice and there is no shortage of suspects to be sifted through amongst his contentious circle of hangers-on and bickering scholars. The wonderfully realized Venetian setting, intriguing historical background , and an effectively twisty plot make this a title not to be missed.

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the eARC.
This is the first book in a new series featuring Venice and Arnold Glover, retired archivist, who moved from England to Venice after his wife passed.
Marmaduke Godolphin, TV historian; vain, cruel and opinionated, is murdered in the same spot Lorenzino de Medici was assassinated in 1548.
Arnold Glover is questioned by Capitano Fabbri, who wants an account of everything that happened up to the murder.
With outstanding descriptions of Venice, fascinating historic truths and non-truths and a great cast of characters this is an absorbing read.
Definitely recommended!

288 pages

5 stars

I’ve read several of David Hewson’s novels, and I think that this is my favorite so far.

Expat Englishman Arnold Clover recently lost his beloved wife to illness. They had been planning to retire to Venice for quite some time before her death. Arnold is a lifetime archivist and his wife worked at a renowned museum and archive.

Arnold decides to move to Venice anyway; the house is sold. He meets and makes a very good friend in fellow Venetian archivist Luca Volpetti.

When a person they both know is murdered, Arnold is taken to the police station by Capitano Valentina Fabbri. The Capitano wants to know everything Arnold knows about the last days and the subsequent murder of Marmaduke “Duke” Godolphin. Valentina is smart, clever and dead set on learning who murdered Duke Godolphin.

Arnold is “held” in the Capitano’s office for long periods over several days.as he tells his story about Duke Godolphin.

Duke was an arrogant, narcissistic man of about seventy-five years of age. He was a brilliant academic who held his “Gilded Circle” of students in thrall. In his later years, he was caught by the television bug. He signed on to the BBC and hosted archeological and historical-based “lectures” on historical figures. He began not to care about the accuracy of the information he put forth. He was looking for the startling, the bomb dropping to wow people.

His new theory is that Michelangelo was involved in two murders in/around 1548. He hires Arnold and Luca to search through a mountain of documents to find the proof. Duke is negotiating a new contract with a broadcaster in America. He wants the position very badly. Duke has recently received several boxes of documents from a mysterious person named Wolff. It looks like so much garbage until Arnold takes a closer look.

Between Arnold’s story, Valentina’s investigation and the sheer beauty and mystery of Venice has me captivated. The sounds and sights of Venice. The history of this very old city. The food and the atmosphere during Carnivale. It sounds like a dream come true.

There are many twists and periods of high tension in this story. Hold on to your hats for the huge surprise at the end!
This book is the perfect blend of history and a “what if” story. The characters are all interesting and colorful. Mr. Hewson is a fantastic writer who could make mud sound fascinating. I was so taken with this novel that it has taken me several days to decide what I wanted to say in my review. I surely hope that there is another book showcasing Arnold, Luca and Valentina.

I want to thank NetGalley and Severn House for forwarding to me a copy of this absolutely wonderful book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed here are solely my own.

This is not just an investigation, this is a collection of characters woven into the most detailed description of walking the streets of Venice and also enjoying some of the cities unique gastronomic delights! I will say this will not be appreciated by those looking for a quick fast paced adventure, but if you are patient enough a most intriguing result.

A very enjoyable murder mystery told through the eyes of our narrator. I loved this book, I've never been to Venice and as well as being entertained I felt I learned a lot (Google definitely came in handy to look up various works of art refenced!)

The story: a bombastic, aging TV historian named Marmaduke Godolfin gathers together members of his "gilded circle" from his university teaching days to launch a new history special with an explosive revelation about a historical figure. However, he doesn't quite have the proof of it yet and enlists two archivists to sift through a trove of documents looking for it. Godolfin has made many enemies over the years and trampled over the careers and personal lives of many for his personal gain. Before long, he is floating in a rio (river) with a stiletto blade in his chest. Archivist Arnold Clover and his friend Luca assist the carabinieri in solving the murder while pursuing Godolfin's historical mystery and enjoying La Bella Vita in the murky streets of Venice.

The setting: Venice in all its glory. Not the Venice of gawping tourists but the Venetian version of unknown campos and secret restaurants, the peaceful lagoon and streets sprinkled with snow.

The verdict: I LOVED IT! The characters are engaging and believable, the history, real and imagined, is fascinating and the story moves along at a good pace. The setting is an integral part of the plot and I really appreciate that it isn't just a sideshow, but rather the story couldn't have taken place anywhere else. I certainly hope there will be a sequel! So much thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for introducing me to this great novel.

David Hewson introduces a new series Venetian mystery series with The Medici Murders.

After the unexpected death of his wife, Eleanor, just three days before their joint retirement, archivist Arnold Clover retired to Venice, Italy, to the small apartment where the couple planned to enjoy their years together. Thanks to a friend in England, who gave Arnold free reader tickets to libraries and archives, he’s made a few friends, including Luca Volpetti, a senior archivist. Together, the two get caught up in a research project involving Venice’s violent past.

In 1548, Lorenzino de Medici was assassinated by two hired killers. Marmaduke Godolphin, a British TV historian, is eager to tell the story of Medici’s murder, so he’s gathered his acolytes from forty years ago so he can surprise them with his theory. But, Godolphin is stabbed by a stiletto on the exact spot where Medici was murdered, and his body is found in the canal.

Capitano Valentina Fabbri of the Caribinieri recruits Arnold Clover as her storyteller. She wants the matter of Godolphin’s death resolved that evening, and she has arrested all the members of his so-called Gilded Circle. Forty years earlier, Godolphin was a history professor. There were scandals about sex and favors associated with the four students who made up his Gilded Circle, scandals that Clover as an observing student was vaguely aware of. Godolphin married one; two became authors and professors, while the fourth became his editor. He became a major media star for the BBC, with abbreviated retellings of history. He brought all of them, along with his son and a young woman connected with TV in the United States, to Venice for his great revealing. But, Arnold and Luca have something to reveal from their research as well.

As narrator, and Fabbri’s storyteller, Arnold Clover has much to reveal to her, and to the reader. As interesting as some of the story is, people who appreciate Venetian history will be the greatest audience because so many others may bog down in the details. And, Capitano Valentina Fabbri sums up the entire book. “This is not an investigation, it appears. More a character study of a group of intriguing foreigners.” If readers are looking for a history lesson about Venice, and a character study, The Medici Murders might work.

Wonderfully Atmospheric…
The first in a new series - A Venetian Mystery- and the reader is transported to the canals of Venice through two timelines as a present day murder and a murder from 1548 draw disturbing parallels. A richly woven murder mystery combines with an equally rich history of Venice and a cast of impeccably drawn characters providing a wholly satisfying and immersive reading experience.

You just soak up the atmosphere of Venice like a sponge in this start of a new series. The history of the city brings a mystery in the murder of a member of the De Medici family. The solving of this mystery will draw in a new murder in present time of British TV Historian Marmaduke Godolphin. The local Carabinieri and you the reader will find all the answers you need in the recounting of that night by retired archivist Arnold Glover. For lovers of the history of Venice combined with a mystery with many complicated suspects will leave you very happily engrossed for a few hours. Characters you will wish to revisit in the next story.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.