The first in a brand-new mystery series from the acclaimed author of The Killing and Devil’s Fjord.
‘Serious history buffs are in for a treat’ –Kirkus Reviews
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.
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‘Remember, always, that in Italian story means both ‘history’ and ‘story’. The gap between truth and fable is slender, sometimes barely visible at all.’
I enjoy David Hewson’s writing, the clarity and precision of his prose, well-constructed plots, and the meticulous research such that his are steeped in local colour, you can hear and smell Hewson’s Italy. In THE MEDICI MURDERS Hewson returns to Venice, the setting of LIZARD’S BITE, one of his Nic Costa mysteries, and his standalone, THE SHOOTER IN THE SHADOWS. His new novel is unlike either of those books, but just as readable.
THE MEDICI MURDERS is narrated by Arnold Clover, a retired archivist who had planned to retire to Venice with his late wife but now lives there alone. Clover is unexpectedly recruited by Carabinieri Inspector, Valentina Fabbri who claims that Arnold can help her solve the murder of famed British TV Historian, Marmaduke Godolphin, ‘The Duke’ having employed Clover as a researcher for a proposed documentary series planned to reveal the ‘shocking’ truth about the 16th Century murders of two members of the Medici family. As Arnold recounts the events leading up to the discovery of Godolphin’s body in a Venice canal, we are introduced to the members of The Gilded Circle, former students of The Duke, a university group the younger Clover envied, wishing he was a member. We also meet Godolphin’s wife and son, and various characters, whose livelihoods, in publishing and television, are intertwined with Godolphin’s.
Hewson has great fun with the history, both real and speculative, and mocking Godolphin, in whom we can see many TV historians who rarely let facts overpower salacious conjecture. The mystery is intriguing, full of red herrings and with a full cast of suspects and a satisfying conclusion. It is perhaps a little less realistic, not as gritty as the Costa novels, but no less entertaining for that. But the novel’s greatest strength is its evocation of Venice, the sights and sounds and smells. It really made me want to return to this unique city.
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David Hewson explains the concept behind the Arnold Clover novels in the following link to his Blog. It is a fascinating glimpse into the research and planning that goes into his stories.
