DEATH OF A CLOWN by Catherine McCarthy @serialsemantic

 5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon - available for pre-order. Publishes 27 May.
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: Saw the author talking about it on X, requested an ARC.

In a Nutshell: 'a metaphorical tale of dark fantasy, a story of hope, courage and self acceptance.'

Chester was born into the circus, into the life of a clown, but his public persona of tragi-comedy is not one that sits well with him.  What he really wants to do is change his entire life.  See the world, concentrate on his main passion - his writing.  As we join him in this unusual tale, circumstances have given him the impetus to begin his adventure.

This is such a beautiful book, in so many ways.  I always read on Kindle, preferring it, but I wanted to hold this in my hands.  The writing itself is so emotive and atmospheric, bringing the cities and theatres to life; it's the best I've seen from this author.  Chester himself is a total darling, someone you badly want to find happiness.

Interspersed with the events of his own life are the stories he writes under his pen-name of Runo Quill.  These are often metaphors for his own life, though one, The City of Silence, was more like a warning from fiction about the threats to free speech we experience in our own world.  I love clever deviations from the main theme of a novel, especially when, like these, they give you the feeling of delving down intriguing side alleys before resuming your journey.

Death of a Clown will be released on May 27th - I highly recommend!

THE FORTUNE KEEPER by Deborah Swift @swiftstory

5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: A favourite author, I've read the other two in the series.

In a Nutshell: Murder and astrology in Renaissance Italy.

Delightful book!  The Fortune Keeper is the story of Mia Caiozzi, an aspiring astrologer in 17th century Venice (I was interested to read in the notes at the back that female Venetian astrologers were quite the thing at this time!).  Mia is the step-daughter of the much talked about Giulia Tofana from the first two books of the series.

It's also the story of accomplished fraudster Imbroglio (definitely the most interesting character), revenge, secrets, spies, masks and murder, fear of the Inquisition, love and loss ... for me, though, it was, possibly more than anything, the story of Renaissance Venice.  Not a place or a time I know much about at all, I just loved the intricate day to day detail that showed how people lived then.  I'd swear Deborah Swift has her very own Tardis; her books are always written as though she has actually experienced that time and place.

The novel is a 'stand-alone' so it's not absolutely necessary to read Book #2, The Silkworm Keeper, before this one, though I would recommend doing so, not least of all because it's outstanding!  I read it 18 months ago and was glad I did because it provides the backstory for this book.  Or you could just start at Book #1, The Poison Keeper.  That's the best idea!  An immaculate series.

THE SILKWORM KEEPER by Deborah Swift @swiftstory

5 GOLD stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: One of my favourite authors, and I loved its prequel, The Poison Keeper.

In a Nutshell: 'a novel of nuns and courtesans, artists and priests, in the shadow and splendour of the Eternal City.'

Isn't it great when you like a sequel more than the first book?  I thoroughly enjoyed The Poison Keeper, which led us through the life of Giulia Tofana, famous poisoner of Naples.  The Silkworm Keeper moves onto her life as a nun in a remote and meagre convent, then the constant side-stepping of danger in Rome.

This is a more involved story than the prequel, one heck of a page turner that gallops along, as Giulia and her companions find artful ways to live their own lives in a world ruled by men.  I enjoyed reading about the many ways women survived in those days, from scams to taking a holy vow to becoming a courtesan living in a luxurious semi-prison (even Giulia's attitude was 'not a bad life if you can get it').  Throughout, Giulia wrestles with what she knows to be wrong in the eyes of God, versus what she must do for the safety of herself and those she cares about.  

My favourite character was Fabio, a man from Giulia's past, now working in Rome and still hankering after the woman he knew; their fraught personal relationship threads in and out of the main story.  I'm usually deeply bored by the romance angle in books (yes yes yes, they're going to end up together, now can we get on with the story?) but not so, with this.  Maybe because I loved Fabio and wanted him to be happy!

Aside from being a wonderful story (suspenseful, dramatic, believable, perfectly paced), I was fascinated by the detail about sericulture (the cultivation of silkworms to produce silk), about leatherwork and sculpture and the way of life of the time; this detail elevated it from being jolly good and worthy of five stars, to something a bit special.

Highly recommend both books!

THE POISON KEEPER by Deborah Swift @swiftstory #TuesdayBookBlog

5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: Ms Swift is one of my favourite authors - an instant buy.

In a Nutshell: Dangerous dukes and deadly potions in Renaissance Italy 

A rich and colourful novel to immerse yourself in - I loved it.  It is the fictionalised story of the real life Giulia Tofana of Palermo whose mother had an apothecary business in which, unbeknownst to Giulia at the time, she made lethal potions for those with a good reason to want them.  Disaster falls upon the family when one of her 'remedies' is discovered, and Giulia is forced to flee to Naples.

In Naples great danger is not far away, as she becomes involved in the fight against the corrupt system of power, makes new friends, and hones her skills.

Aside from being a cracking read as is the norm from Ms Swift, this book is a fascinating glimpse into the time and place, the customs, lifestyle and, of course, the apothecary business, both official and under-the-counter, as it were.  The intricate research is evident without ever being obvious (no information dumps!), the pace is perfect (no boring or slow bits!) and the characters shone out with great realism (Bruno, a mercenary contracted to the cunning Duke de Verdi, was my favourite).

Highly recommended, and I'm very much looking forward to Book #2 of the trilogy.

CUCINA TIPICA by Andrew Cotto @andrewcotto #RBRT

4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

On BookBub

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In A Nutshell:  An American soul-searching in Tuscany

New Yorker Jacoby Pines takes a trip to Tuscany with his girlfriend, Claire, a travel/food writer.  He's not having the best of times: a drunken text sent to the wrong person lost him not only his job but any prospect of getting another in that field*.  Being unemployed is not doing much for his relationship with ambitious, status-orientated Claire.  A frustrated former musician, Jacoby has no family, feels insecure, useless and worried that he and Claire are nearing the parting of ways - particularly concerning their very different reasons for wanting to go to this part of Italy.

The adventure side of the story is fairly low-key, with some interesting relationships and amusing situations.  The descriptions of the area and the food probably make up half the book, and I enjoyed these to a certain extent, but I don't eat meat and dairy and am not a 'foodie' (I think knocking up a vegetable chilli with a ready-made sauce is cooking), so it was a bit wasted on me.  If of the gourmet persuasion, though, you will adore this. 

I liked: 1. Jacoby's realisations about himself, that he was at home in rural Italy and was not a New Yorker at all, and his observations about his previous wealth-orientated, competitive lifestyle - according to Claire, the 'real' world - and the ex-pats of 'Chiantishire'.  2.  The depiction of the place itself, the people and the way of life.  3.  The characterisation and dialogue.  4.  The writing style.  5.  The outcome.

I was less keen on: 1.  the food detail.  2. Some of the dialogue being written in Italian.  Obviously it was necessary for authenticity, but as I can't speak it, I didn't actually know what they were saying.  Sometimes I could guess, but more often not.  My only other comment is directed at the publisher - does this book not deserve to be wrapped in colour?  I can imagine a cover splashed with luscious olives, lemons, bottles of red wine, pizza dripping with tomatoes and olive oil, sunshine and blue skies, that would leap out at those who long for a Tuscan idyll.

To sum up: a rather lovely book in many ways; not quite my thing but if you do fancy it, there's a sequel, too!

(I started idly DuckDuckGo-ing paintings of Tuscan food....)

Laura Napoli

Silvia Vassileva

On the blog of Sue Jane - not clear if her work or not.

*having once had a serious verbal warning for a near-the-knuckle email joke sent to the wrong person, who then reported me, I loved this bit!

WALLS OF SILENCE by Helen Pryke

3.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: It was a submission to Rosie Amber's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

I was not sure how to review this book at first, because it's a strange one; my opinion of it varied so much, all the way through.  It's a long novella (or a very short novel - I am sure it is no longer than 50K words, maximum). 

Warning: this review includes plot spoilers.  

Set in northern Italy, the story opens with Pietro, heartbroken over the loss of his wife, Maria, who has just died from cancer.  It then goes back to Maria's childhood in Sicily, in the late 1950s and early 1960s.  Maria lived in a small village, where life rolled by at the slow pace of fifty years before, and the Roman Catholic church and the family were the main focus.  I adored every word of this part; it's beautifully written, and I felt so sad when Maria's mother died, even though I'd met her only briefly.  Yes, the characterisation is that good.  The atmosphere of the time is simply yet vividly portrayed, and I was completely engrossed in the story. 

Maria's childhood takes a darker turn when her father remarries, and her 'uncle' Salvo comes to live with them.  Her account of the abuse she suffered is raw, poignant and utterly believable, and I loved that this part of the book showed not only the reasons for her silence, but also the way in which the simple, ill-educated population were manipulated by the rigours of formal Catholicism.  Stunningly good.  At this point I was going to give the book 5*, which is not a rating I give often. 

Skipping forward, a marriage is arranged between Maria and Vincenzo, when she is sixteen and he is in his late twenties.  They go to live in Milan, and the marriage is difficult, interspersed with brief moments of happiness.  They live in a squalid apartment, Vinny struggles with the prejudices of the northern Italians, he gambles, drinks, and eventually abuses her physically.  I felt this part was a little rushed, and I was sometimes a bit 'hmm' about Maria's reactions, but I was still enjoying it.  Eventually, Vinny's gambling spirals out of control, and he offers Maria up as a final wager in desperation to recoup his losses.  He loses, and Maria has to leave the house with her new protector, Matteo. 

It's now that the book trails off.  Maria is forced into prositution.  At one point, her flat mate, Lisa, gives her a tablet 'to take the edge off', which turns out to be LSD.  Girls in that situation are usually given (or choose to take) heroin or cocaine (or possibly dexedrine, in the 1960s), which give the illusion of wellbeing, not LSD, which is a powerful hallucinogenic and produces a 'trip', not the sort of drug that would be offered to 'take the edge' off anything; I suspected Ms Pryke had not done her research.  After a terrible few months, Maria meets Pietro, a young, professional man who falls instantly in love with her during their brief afternoon/early evening meetings.  Despite the danger involved with going up against Italian gangsters and the fact that he hardly knows her, Pietro hatches a plan to aid her escape, which involves them faking their own deaths and changing their identities.  For some reason I couldn't fathom, his parents (who, in the staid Italian 1960s, are perfectly okay about him potentially ruining his life for the sake of a prostitute he hardly knows) agree to orchestrate this preposterous plan.  I am afraid I could no longer suspend my disbelief at this point; I thought of at least three more convincing ways to end the Matteo section even as I was reading it. 

The book is wrapped up quickly, with details about Pietro and Maria's happy new life, her return to Sicily and reunion with her family.  Again, it was over too soon.  The reunion with Guisy should have been hugely emotional, but it felt raced through, with all information given about the people of Maria's childhood like a quick report. 

I am giving this book 3.5* but rounding it up to 4* on Amazon because the beginning was so very, very good, and because Ms Pryke can certainly write; I read it in one day and looked forward to getting back to it each time.  The main problem is that for the depth of plot it needs to be a novel the reader can become immersed in emotionally, not a short catalogue of disastrous events.  Had the second part, with Vinny, been extended, and the prostitution plot been less outlandish, it could have been a terrific book.  Sometimes, less is more; this author is talented enough not to need car chases and faked deaths.  The atmosphere of Sicily, the stark contrast between the 1960s and the 21st century, the characterisation and her simple knack of writing good sentences that keep the reader wanting to turn the pages, are enough.  And I'd definitely read something else by her.

 

THE 45TH NAIL by Michael and Ian Lahey

4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE
On Goodreads HERE

Reviewed by me as a member of Rosie Amber's Book Review Team

The basics: Bob, a middle-aged French teacher from middle America, receives a strange communication from his long-lost Uncle Jim who he believed to have gone MIA during World War II.  The contents of this communication are sufficient to send Bob off to Italy to find him.

From the blurb I was expecting an adventure type thriller, but the beginning is more like dark comedy, as Bob tells wife Beth untruths about where he is going (the portrayal of Beth was hilarious, I'd like to have read more about her), has his luggage and wallet stolen by a con artist/pickpocket gang as soon as he arrives in Italy, then takes a series of part-time jobs in order to clothe, feed and house himself before he can even think of travelling to Anzio to seek out the mysterious Uncle Jim.  His experience 'winging it' as a sommelier is very funny indeed, and some of the characterisation of the people he meets is first class (I particularly liked Edigio, the hotelier who helps him along the way).

As for the plot itself, I wasn't really convinced by it at first; it seemed to be more of a story about this funny guy who has all sorts of accidental adventures in Italy.  Then, at about twenty per cent, a well plotted twist made it all clear, and the tone changed.

The book shows the legacy left by the war, a love of Italy, the language, archaeology and social culture; I didn't know what some of the dialogue meant and had to do a certain amount of 'winging it' myself, but this wasn't a problem.  The last fifteen per cent of the book provides the terrible truth about Uncle Jim and the 45th nail - I was engrossed, and found it sad and moving.  The end is excellent.

I thought the story rambled a fair bit and gave more detail in many places where a more succinct account/stream of conversation would have had better effect, but the writing itself is great.  If it was trimmed down a bit it would be worthy of at least another half star, as far as I'm concerned.

An unusual book, and a good one.

A WHISPER ON THE MEDITERRANEAN by Tonia Parronchi

4 out of 5 stars

Travel memoir/sailing

On Amazon UK HERE 
On Amazon.com HERE 
On Goodreads HERE 

Tonia, her Italian husband, Guido and baby James spent a summer sailing around the Med on their boat ~ what bliss, eh?  As soon as I read about this book I had to get it!

I loved reading about how they coped with the storms (I'm a bit of an extreme weather enthusiast), about the islands they visited (and their history), and the mechanics of sailing itself - all the better for being described in laymen's rather than technical terms, fear not!  Capri and Lipari made me drool, in particular, but I think I would have agreed with Guido, when Tonia said his favourite part of sailing was when they were out at sea, with no land in sight.  

Tonia's love of Italian food is most evident throughout ~ I could be heard whimpering with longing at the descriptions of the bread, the oil, the fresh tuna, etc (especially as I was existing on a diet of hospital food at the time of reading!).  Between each chapter is a relevant recipe, which I thought was an excellent touch, much better than putting them all at the end.  

This fulfilled all my escapism fantasies, but is also very down to earth - it wasn't all easy for Tonia being a mother of such a young child on an adventure such as this.  Yeah, yeah, okay, I wouldn't have minded having her problems!  Very readable, interesting and often amusing, too.  Recommended, whether you're a sailing/Italian food enthusiast or not :) ~ includes pictures!