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Vita Nuova
Vita Nuova
Oct 30, 2024 7:30 PM

Author:Magdalen Nabb,Bill Wallis

Vita Nuova

When Marshal Guarnaccia is called upon to investigate the murder of a young woman, he is convinced that there's more to her family than meets the eye, and wonders if the girl's father, Paoletti, might have had something to do with her death.

Enlisting the help of a local journalist, Marshal Guarnaccia's investigations draw him into the seedy underworld of Florence - lap dancing, prostitution and the illegal, human trafficking of Eastern European women who are sold into the sex trade. But can he save these women before it's too late? And what do they have to do with the killing of Daniela Paoletti? Distracted by the plight of these women and the murder investigation, Guarnaccia forgets about his own personal problems but it's not long before he has choices to make - should he seek help and risk exposing himself and possibly losing his job, or should he go it alone?

Reviews

Vita Nuova is a skilfully plotted mystery which shows Guarnaccia at his most vulnerable...a splendid addition to this enjoyable series.

—— Sunday Telegraph, Seven

[there is] much to enjoy, combining a tale of dark family secrets with an expose of sex trafficking to produce a classic crime puzzle with touching flashes of insight into human nature.

—— Telegraph

With plenty of entertaining, intelligent dialogue and two subplots... this novel convinces with every word

—— HNR Reviews

Costume drama at its best. The ethos of turn-of-the-century Vienna...is very seductive. Tallis has done his research to good effect, and it seems that the only really fictional element in the whole novel is the crime itself. The elegance of the highbrow conversations between the main characters is winning...All this makes for pleasant reading, while the descriptions of the elaborate good manners and old-fashioned moral code are soothing. And yet there is an edge to what might otherwise be cloying...luxuriously enjoyable

—— TLS

Tallis's mysteries seduce a legion of fans with well-crafted intrigues and sumptuous atmospheres. This latest adds to its rich mix a terrific cameo from the tyrant of the opera: Gustav Mahler

—— i, Independent

...it's dark and satisfying and beautifully read by David Jason

—— Kati Nicholl , Daily Express

'A highly entertaining whodunnit...Franklin is an adept storyteller who disseminates her research into the period with clarity and lightness of touch'

—— THE TIMES

Seamlessly weaving real and fictitious characters with vivid descriptions of medieval life from limb-amputation to ice-skating, The Death Maze is a rich banquet of a book.

—— GUARDIAN

Captivating...this excellent adventure delivers high drama.

—— NEW YORK TIMES

Mesmerizing...A colourful cast of characters, both good and evil, enhance a tale that will keep readers on edge until the final page.

—— PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

This is history as it ought to have been.

—— The Spectator

Against the well-researched background of intrigue and rebellion we are plunged into the uncertain 12th century, in this accomplished and engrossing historical mystery.

—— Good Book Guide

The deserved winner of this year's Ellis Peters Historical Dagger is a cunningly plotted tale set in medieval Cambridge. A serial killer is at large, and the Jews are blamed. Henry I offers protection because he needs the money. He sends a medical examiner - a master of the art of death - to find the killer. Great stuff

—— THE OBSERVER

Gruesome and compelling

—— Evening Standard

Norwegian star Jo Nesbo has obliterated most of his Scandinavian rivals in the bestseller stakes, with The Leopard published in paperback this week... The uncrowned king of Norwegian crime fiction is Jo Nesbo. Books such as The Redbreast (2000) and his imposing novel The Snowman have propelled Nesbo to the heights. Apart from its narrative finesse, his work also provides a coolly objective guide to fluctuations in Norwegian society. There is also a universal feeling that his work is more strikingly individual than that of most of his Scandinavian colleagues... Harry is a lone wolf, a chronic alcoholic separated from his wife and child but in touch with the zeitgeist of his country. And Nesbo gives us a sharp picture of Norwegian society in flux, crammed with relevant detail - as you might expect from an ex-freelance journalist, particularly where the role of the media is described

—— Barry Forshaw , Independent

Nesbo has a skill for dispatching his victims with increasing inventiveness, and he barely lets you draw breath before delivering a virtuoso torture and death scene in the opening chapter

—— Shortlist

The plot is intriguing, and Nesbo's writing is as taught as ever

—— Sunday Times

It's fascinating to discover, from the incident details, what it is like to live for much of the time in a world under snow... Nesbo writes beautifully

—— Jessica Mann , Literary Review

There are passages [which are] so anatomically gruesome...that they can only be properly read through the gaps between protecting fingers

—— Prospect

Norwegian star Jo Nesbo has obliterated most of his Scandinavian rivals in the bestseller stakes, with The Leopard published in paperback this week...The uncrowned king of Norwegian crime fiction is Jo Nesbo. Books such as The Redbreast (2000) and his imposing novel The Snowman have propelled Nesbo to the heights. Apart from its narrative finesse, his work also provides a coolly objective guide to fluctuations in Norwegian society. There is also a universal feeling that his work is more strikingly individual than that of most of his Scandinavian colleagues...Harry is a lone wolf, a chronic alcoholic separated from his wife and child but in touch with the zeitgeist of his country. And Nesbo gives us a sharp picture of Norwegian society in flux, crammed with relevant detail - as you might expect from an ex - freelance journalist, particularly where the role of the media is described

—— Independent
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