Published: April 13, 2012
Words: 74,298 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9780985088408

Short description

The saga of the Borgias and the lives of Leonardo da Vinci and the young Machiavelli form the accurate historical background of this murder mystery, set in the opulence of Renaissance Rome and Milan. Machiavelli's illegitimate daughter and his bewitching ex-mistress will solve three murders with help from da Vinci and Lucrezia Borgia--including the murder of Lucrezia's real-life half sister.

Extended description

Check out the great reviews at http://www.amazon.com/A-Borgia-Daughter-Dies-ebook/product-reviews/B007WONQV2/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1.

Setting: Italy during the high Renaissance, an age of new ideas, sexual license, corruption, sublime art, and genius. The history is real and chronologically accurate. Famous individuals meet when and where they did in real life. None has been moved farther than across Rome to participate in the story.

Nicola Machiavelli, fictional illegitimate daughter of the famous statesman Niccolò Machiavelli,is a bright and occasionally comic child being raised at her Machiavellian father’s expense in an exclusive Roman convent. Lucrezia Borgia, who is staying in the convent, becomes her friend. (Read more) Check out the great reviews at http://www.amazon.com/A-Borgia-Daughter-Dies-ebook/product-reviews/B007WONQV2/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1.

Setting: Italy during the high Renaissance, an age of new ideas, sexual license, corruption, sublime art, and genius. The history is real and chronologically accurate. Famous individuals meet when and where they did in real life. None has been moved farther than across Rome to participate in the story.

Nicola Machiavelli, fictional illegitimate daughter of the famous statesman Niccolò Machiavelli,is a bright and occasionally comic child being raised at her Machiavellian father’s expense in an exclusive Roman convent. Lucrezia Borgia, who is staying in the convent, becomes her friend.

Nicola’s happiness is colored by the death of Sister Annaluisa, her first friend at the convent, whose strangled corpse has been found in the Tiber River. She vows to find Sister Annaluisa’s killer. At Lucrezia Borgia’s wedding to her second husband, Nicola tries unsuccessfully to question Sister Gerolama, who knows something about the death.

Sister Gerolama was born Gerolama Borgia, the second of Pope Alexander VI’s nine acknowledged children, who has been hiding from her father in this convent since she was thirteen. On Easter Sunday, 1500, Sister Gerolama is poisoned in St. Peter’s Square, while receiving the pope’s blessing in a crowd that includes thousands of pilgrims as well as nuns, students, servants and guests from the convent.

Nicola attempts to find the murderer(s) but is thwarted at every turn. Her bewitching mother Caterina, ex-mistress of the famous Machiavelli, converges on the convent with Leonardo da Vinci and Cesare Borgia, at the point in history when da Vinci worked for the Borgias in real life. Cesare assigns Leonardo to find his sister's killer after poison apparently intended for Cesare kills Caterina's husband. Suspected in her husband's murder--even by Nicola, her own daughter--Caterina works with Nicola and Leonardo to find the killer(s). Nicola's photographic memory, Caterina's aggressive determination and Leonardo's genius combine to solve the crimes.
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Tags

murder, italy, renaissance, rome, da vinci, castle, poison, machiavelli, borgia, leonardo da vinci, mona lisa, milan, pope alexander vi, lucrezia borgia, cesare borgia, juan borgia, il moro, sforza, caterina sforza, giovanni sforza, palazzo

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Reviews

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Review by: Trish Bare on Nov. 01, 2012 :
I loved this book! It's a fascinating history lesson in a very enjoyable, readable form. The research of this complex and intriguing period was obviously meticulous but is conveyed seamlessly within an absorbing and entertaining story. The main character Nicola was a wonderful character and I hope to follow more of her story in a sequel!
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: MaryAnnsFan on June 27, 2012 :
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learned a bit to boot. I had no idea the church was so corrupt. So sad but allowed me to understand church history within an environmental context. Thanks.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: tom bernard on May 19, 2012 : (no rating)
I really enjoyed being transported to Rome and Milan during one of the most fascinating periods of Western history. Ms. Philip sets the scene with the vivid brush of an artist and the authenticity of a history scholar. Her textured and empathetic characters guide you through a suspenseful plot. She credibly portrays the era's notables, including da Vinci, Machiavelli, Lucrezi and Cesare Borgia, and Caterina Sforza; and weaves them into the story in a perfectly plausible way. I love being entertained and educated simultaneously. Bernard Cornwall with less blood and guts, but more heart.
(reviewed the day of purchase)

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