In Renaissance Italy, young lawyer Nico Argenti is a member of the Florentine Security Commission charged with defeating threats against the Florentine Republic. The first hint of trouble comes from Nico's sister, who tells him that boys are going missing from the orphanage. She persuades Nico to look into the matter, but before he can do so, he is sent on an official mission to investigate reports of a rogue band of mercenaries operating close to the Florentine border.
Nico's investigation reveals that the two incidents are related and the mercenaries are plotting against Florence. As a lawyer, Nico attempts to thwart the mercenaries and their sponsor through legal and diplomatic means. Will his approach work or must he resort to other means?
Conspiracy in Bologna is the fourth book in the bestselling Nico Argenti historical mystery series. It may be read standalone.
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: In this high stakes and energetically-paced fourth installment in the Nico Argenti historical mystery series, Nico must balance his skills as a lawyer and an amateur sleuth to investigate and argue a case connecting an orphanage threatened by abductions with a group of mercenaries aiming to capture Florence, the then capital city of Italy.
Prose: Tentarelli transports readers to Renaissance Italy and its legal system through rich historical detail grounded in research and a variety of settings and supporting characters. The blend of realism and suspense will satisfy fans of historical fiction and mystery alike.
Originality: Conspiracy in Bologna offers readers an intriguing and intimate window on Renaissance Florence and Bologna via an effective blend of courtroom drama, adventure, and unexpected plot twists.
Character Development/Execution: The omniscient narration presents a multifaceted view of protagonist Nico Argenti, whose navigation of the facts and the law drives the plot. A multitude of secondary characters keeps the story fresh, if, at times, they individually feel less well developed.
Blurb: A lawyer in Renaissance Italy must draw the right connections between a plot against the Florentine Republic and a group of missing orphaned boys.
Date Submitted: August 16, 2022
Tentarelli paints a vivid picture of 15th-century Florence, a world in which generational feuds are fought with private
armies contracted by wealthy families in search of power and vengeance.
The author’s writing is lucid, if unliterary—the
language is plain and generally unembellished by flourishes of notable style. But the historical authenticity of the cultural
depiction is impressive—Tentarelli’s command of the nuances of the time and place is simply remarkable. Furthermore,
the tale is dramatically captivating and moves with a gripping urgency.
Finally, Nico is a memorable protagonist, as decent
as he is astute, a rare blend of benevolence and cunning. And while the novel is part of a series, it is entirely independent
of its predecessors—readers will understand and enjoy this installment as a stand-alone.
A delightful period tale, historically sharp and dramatically engrossing.
