Loyalty
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- Create Date：2022-12-27 11:21:33
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Lisa Scottoline
- ISBN：1984883380
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Summary
Franco Fiorvante is a handsome lemon-grower who has toiled for years on the estate of boss Baron Zito。 Franco dreams of owning his own lemon grove， but the rigid class system of Sicily thwarts his ambitions。 Determined to secure a prosperous future， Franco will do anything to prove his loyalty to the Baron。 But when Baron Zito asks him to arrange the kidnapping of a little boy， Franco crosses the point of no return， setting in motion the making of the world’s first Mafia family。
Gaetano Catalano is an idealistic young lawyer， whose devotion for justice is a calling。 Gaetano is a member of the Beati Paoli， a real-life secret society of aristocrats who investigate crime， since corruption riddles Palermo。 Gaetano and the Beati Paoli set out to find the boy and bring him home， but for Gaetano， the mission turns to obsession。 He risks everything to right the wrong and bring justice to his beloved city。
The kidnapped boy， Dante， grows up in a madhouse without even knowing his last name。 He doubts his own sanity until he meets Lucia， a girl with a tragic past of her own。 They fall in love， then set out to find Dante’s kidnapper and learn his true identity。
Gaetano Catalano is an idealistic young lawyer， whose devotion for justice is a calling。 Gaetano is a member of the Beati Paoli， a real-life secret society of aristocrats who investigate crime， since corruption riddles Palermo。 Gaetano and the Beati Paoli set out to find the boy and bring him home， but for Gaetano， the mission turns to obsession。 He risks everything to right the wrong and bring justice to his beloved city。
The kidnapped boy， Dante， grows up in a madhouse without even knowing his last name。 He doubts his own sanity until he meets Lucia， a girl with a tragic past of her own。 They fall in love， then set out to find Dante’s kidnapper and learn his true identity。
Reviews
Cindi_loves_to_read
，
Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline。 Wow， welcome to an introduction to the Mafia， power hungry landlords and Italians who feel they need to rise up with a lot to lose。 The story takes place mostly in Palermo on the island of Sicily。 There are lots of characters to tell this incredible story。When a young boy named Dante is kidnapped， no one seems to care or is missing him。When a lawyer， Gaetano， realizes it might be up to him to find out what happened the adventure begins。 Here is where so many story lin Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline。 Wow， welcome to an introduction to the Mafia， power hungry landlords and Italians who feel they need to rise up with a lot to lose。 The story takes place mostly in Palermo on the island of Sicily。 There are lots of characters to tell this incredible story。When a young boy named Dante is kidnapped， no one seems to care or is missing him。When a lawyer， Gaetano， realizes it might be up to him to find out what happened the adventure begins。 Here is where so many story lines begin their journey towards what happens。 I believe each character， whether they are bad or good， is loyal is some way， to someone or their Country。 One of my favorite characters is Alfredo。 He is a Marrano Jew and keeps his religion a secret for fear of persecution in this feudal society。 He has beloved goats that he calls his ‘girls’ and sells goat cheese in the town square。 Some of the town folk believe his cheese is magical because it seems to sure some ailments。 He won’t have any of that！ He prefers to remain private so as not to attract attention to himself。 But Alfredo has a very important role in the story finding out what happens to young Dante。I appreciated the author’s historical timeline in this story。 I’m always anxious to read the Author’s Note at the end of the story。 I look forward to reading why they decided to write about a particular subject from history。 With accurate detail after being well researched， Loyalty doesn’t disappoint。I will highly recommend this book。Thank you to Penguin Group Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Vickie Raynor
，
The best murder mystery ever！ More plot twists and surprises than I’ve ever read。 This book started out building the plot by taking me to a dark place， but I couldn’t put it down。 It was kind of like JR Ewing。 I started out liking the bad guy。 The historical elements in the story had me googling to see if it was real， because it was so believable。 Let me save you some trouble， the author lets you know what was real at the end。 I can’t say enough， but read it！ Book provided by NetGalley。
Louise
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Won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway。
Kristi Betts
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I am a big fan of Lisa Scottoline。 I have read almost all of her books。 This one is not my favorite。 One of my favorite genres is historical fiction， but LOYALTY was neither my location nor time period for which I usually read。 I enjoyed the intersecting storylines but did find myself a little confused at times because of all of the characters。 LOYALTY did not catch my attention like other books， therefore my confusion with the characters might be my own fault for taking more time than usual to I am a big fan of Lisa Scottoline。 I have read almost all of her books。 This one is not my favorite。 One of my favorite genres is historical fiction， but LOYALTY was neither my location nor time period for which I usually read。 I enjoyed the intersecting storylines but did find myself a little confused at times because of all of the characters。 LOYALTY did not catch my attention like other books， therefore my confusion with the characters might be my own fault for taking more time than usual to complete the book。 I did not want to give up on the book。 It was a good plot， it is just not a book for me。I know there will be a lot of people to which this book will appeal。 I do not intend to give a bad review。 I am only providing my opinion based on my experience reading the book， and books I generally enjoy reading。I will recommend this book to others， not stating my opinion， either way， especially those who enjoy historical fiction。 。。。more
Sheri Stern
，
First of all - WOW！！！！ Lisa absolutely does her research！ The story begins with Franco trying to achieve his life long dream of being the boss， no matter the cost。 He kidnaps a young child which sets off a dynamic domino affect and alters Sicily's history。 Franco sets off to grow his "family" the only way a Mafia boss would。 He seeks loyalty to all those around him and will eliminate anyone in his way。 He truly loses sight of what true family means。Each character in Loyalty is painted so vividly First of all - WOW！！！！ Lisa absolutely does her research！ The story begins with Franco trying to achieve his life long dream of being the boss， no matter the cost。 He kidnaps a young child which sets off a dynamic domino affect and alters Sicily's history。 Franco sets off to grow his "family" the only way a Mafia boss would。 He seeks loyalty to all those around him and will eliminate anyone in his way。 He truly loses sight of what true family means。Each character in Loyalty is painted so vividly that I can visualize what they may have looked like and their mannerisms。 Lisa makes you want to get to know those she writes about。 She can do this so creatively！ She manages to get me to sympathize and empathize with each person she writes about。BRAVO Bellissmia 。。。more
Angela Christine
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I enjoyed reading about Italy and how the mafia was started。 This book tells the tale of two twin brothers and their journey to form the mafia。 could close my eyes and picture what Franco and Roberto looked like。 I felt as though it took too long to weave all the characters together。 Unfortunately， I couldn’t get into this book。 I’m a big Lisa Scottoline fan。 This wasn’t one of my favorite books of hers
Lynne Hannmann
，
In full disclosure， I’m a Scottoline super fan and Loyalty was not at all what I had anticipated， leaving me off balance for significant portions of the book。 First and foremost， Loyalty is not Eternal， which was far beyond a 5 star read。 For me， the Eternal characters came off the page into real life as I read it， I felt their absence after I finished and I continue to feel the book’s impact。 I credit Lisa’s lifelong passion and dream to write that novel and my passion for the period， as conver In full disclosure， I’m a Scottoline super fan and Loyalty was not at all what I had anticipated， leaving me off balance for significant portions of the book。 First and foremost， Loyalty is not Eternal， which was far beyond a 5 star read。 For me， the Eternal characters came off the page into real life as I read it， I felt their absence after I finished and I continue to feel the book’s impact。 I credit Lisa’s lifelong passion and dream to write that novel and my passion for the period， as converging into a once in a lifetime reader experience。 The fact that Loyalty does not have the same level of impact， although not what I was hoping for， is not in any way a deficiency。 The other issue for me was that Lisa speaks with a much different voice in this work than her usual。 It should be obvious that the language and pacing of an early 19th century feudal society is quite different than today。 Language is simpler both spoken and in thoughts。 Pacing seems slow at times， but it always reflects the speed of life’s movement and the cultural norms。 Her themes regarding love， family and justice remain true and powerful。 The writing style needed to fit the characters and the era， which it did。In summary， I rated this book 5 stars although it took some reevaluating as my rationale for this score was quite different from prior 5 star reviews I have given this author。 Loyalty is a well researched， highly accurate look at every aspect of life in Sicily in the very early 19th century。 On one hand we have beautiful landscapes and nobility。 At the other end of the spectrum we have oppressive superstition and unfathomable child abuse。 The Mafia storyline in only one of several all of which focus on loyalty， sometimes as a most desirable quality， at other times run amuck crossing the line between good and evil。 All of the main characters find themselves in difficult life circumstances。 How they survive， to either win or loose， provides powerful outcomes with messages that stand the test of time。Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC and provide a review。 And to Lisa， as always， it’s an honor and a privilege to be a recipient of your work。 You never fail to provide food for our souls。 。。。more
Marisa
，
This book… all 98 chapters…。all 480 pages… every storyline…。every character- was breathtaking。 From the setting to the story to the voices woven on the pages there’s only one word for this MASTERPIECE！
Michelle
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I usually don't read too many historical novels but this one was really good。。 There were a lot of twists and turns。 The ending was better than i thought it would be。 I am grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review。 I usually don't read too many historical novels but this one was really good。。 There were a lot of twists and turns。 The ending was better than i thought it would be。 I am grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Patricia Romero
，
A sweeping work of love， betrayal，loss， and of course， loyalty。 A look at history mixed with a bit of fiction and I am here for this one！ Scottoline is one of the best storytellers of our generation and she has not let us down on this one！The Story:We follow Franco， a goodlooking lemon-grower who wants more。 More than what men in his class should be happy with。 As he sets out to ingratiate himself to his boss， Baron Zito， he is asked to do some underhanded and downright nasty stuff。 Which he doe A sweeping work of love， betrayal，loss， and of course， loyalty。 A look at history mixed with a bit of fiction and I am here for this one！ Scottoline is one of the best storytellers of our generation and she has not let us down on this one！The Story:We follow Franco， a goodlooking lemon-grower who wants more。 More than what men in his class should be happy with。 As he sets out to ingratiate himself to his boss， Baron Zito， he is asked to do some underhanded and downright nasty stuff。 Which he does。 Climbing out of the class you were born in takes a certain hardness and I think Franco achieved that when he is asked to get rid of a boy。 Just a little boy whose existence is causing the Baron problems。 Although he doesn’t kill the boy， he has him deposited in an insane asylum。With this act he sets into motion what will become the first Mafia family。On the other side of the coin is Gaetano Catalano。 A young lawyer passionate about the law and justice。 Himself a member of a secret society， the Beati Paoli， and yes it is their job to investigate crime。 Crime and Corruption are rampant in Sicily。 Gaetano will risk everything for this cause and to find the boy and bring him home。The boy， Dante， is left to grow up in the insane asylum， not knowing who he is or why he is there。 Is he mad？ He thinks he may be。 But when he meets someone with another tragedy， they fall in love and team up to find out who did this to Dante and most importantly who he is！I loved this book and I hope you will too。NetGalley/March 28th， 2023 by G。P。 Putnam’s Sons 。。。more
Likestotravel
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As a huge Lisa Scottoline fan， I was eager to read this book。 It is historical fiction with elements of several mysteries， family dramas， betrayals， injustices and love stories running together that do not fully connect until the last chapters。 There were numerous characters - some to love and some to despise。。 Two beautiful characters starring in this novel included the lovely area of Sicily and the lemon industry。。。 I enjoyed it but did not love it primarily due to a very simple writing style As a huge Lisa Scottoline fan， I was eager to read this book。 It is historical fiction with elements of several mysteries， family dramas， betrayals， injustices and love stories running together that do not fully connect until the last chapters。 There were numerous characters - some to love and some to despise。。 Two beautiful characters starring in this novel included the lovely area of Sicily and the lemon industry。。。 I enjoyed it but did not love it primarily due to a very simple writing style that detracted from the flow of the story and from my engagement。 Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read this ARC。 。。。more
Jennifer Moore
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The Mafia， kidnappings， angelic appearances with demonic accusations， wealth， power， and Italy。 Loyalty gives a glimpse into the beginnings of the Mafia。 Centered predominantly in Palermo on the island of Sicily， a large host of characters tell their backstory in the first part of the book。 In fact， the groundwork for the culmination of the novel takes the first half of the book。 We meet Dante， a young boy who is kidnapped at a young age and placed in a madhouse for reasons unknown about the las The Mafia， kidnappings， angelic appearances with demonic accusations， wealth， power， and Italy。 Loyalty gives a glimpse into the beginnings of the Mafia。 Centered predominantly in Palermo on the island of Sicily， a large host of characters tell their backstory in the first part of the book。 In fact， the groundwork for the culmination of the novel takes the first half of the book。 We meet Dante， a young boy who is kidnapped at a young age and placed in a madhouse for reasons unknown about the last third of the book。 We meet Gaetano who becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to young Dante。 Lucia is born with a brightness to her that causes the religious of her small town to led her mother to take her and live in the wilds of Sicily to protect her daughter。 Alfredo is a Jew who has been taught to stay hidden since his people were run out of Sicily， so he make cheese that villagers believe is magical in curing what ails you。 There is also Franco who starts as the foreman of a lemon grove for a Baron， but desires his own wealth and power。 Along with a supporting cast for each main character， well， it takes some time to keep who is with whom and start to link their stories。The character of Gaetano was my favorite due to being the definition of the book’s title: loyal。 He is loyal to his wife， his beliefs， and his determination to uncover what happened the day that Dante was taken from his family。 He is loyal to his cause and finding the root of the evil that is affecting so many families of lost children on the island。 He is a father figure to Dante who remembers very little of his childhood before his kidnapping。Scottoline’s novels are usually a quick hook and never let go for me。 This one was more like taking the first steps into a pool in the early part of summer when it still holds a chill。 It took me some time to get into it。 Did I enjoy it， yes。 Was it phenomenal？ No。 If you loved the Sopranos， this would be your speed。 I enjoyed the setting and learning some background of the start of the Mafia， but the amount of characters to keep straight held me back a bit from jumping in。 Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the advanced copy。 Opinions expressed are my own。 This book is set for publication on March 27， 2023。 ⭐️⭐️⭐️#netgalley #arc #lisascottoline #loyalty #penguingroupputnam 。。。more
Lori Case
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Thank you NetGalley for giving me an advance copy of this book。 Unfortunately， it was not for me！ I did manage to finish it， but this was just not one of hers I cared for。 Lisa Scottoline is an excellent author and I have always been a huge fan of her books！ This book was super hard for me to read。 The story is set in the 1800， and tells Dante， a young boy who is kidnapped and hidden in a madhouse。 I guess this happened all the time。 Then you have Gaetano， a lawyer who is trying to rescue the bo Thank you NetGalley for giving me an advance copy of this book。 Unfortunately， it was not for me！ I did manage to finish it， but this was just not one of hers I cared for。 Lisa Scottoline is an excellent author and I have always been a huge fan of her books！ This book was super hard for me to read。 The story is set in the 1800， and tells Dante， a young boy who is kidnapped and hidden in a madhouse。 I guess this happened all the time。 Then you have Gaetano， a lawyer who is trying to rescue the boys。 Then we are told of fisherman ， while is out to sea， everyone in his family is killed but him。 This happens on the night that his wife gives birth to a translucent baby girl。 Then we have twins that want to improve their lives。 The hard part for me was that the connections between the stories did not happen until much later in the book。#netgalley 。。。more
Shannon
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Wow！ A historical mafia story based in Sicily。 There are many characters and storylines in this book。 The book kept my interest and I wanted to find out more about what’s going on with the characters。 There is kidnapping， a madhouse， lemon groves， lawyers and a baby born that leaves people stunned。 Interesting book！
Denise
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I got this book from #NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。This is a historical fiction book and not Lisa Scottoline's typical book。This book will keep you wanting to read and not put it down。 I got this book from #NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。This is a historical fiction book and not Lisa Scottoline's typical book。This book will keep you wanting to read and not put it down。 。。。more
Mary
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LOYALTYThis is a powerful book， not easy， but （like life itself） worth the travail。 Description is beautiful， a way to travel to Palermo “the island of the world” with its rich and varied culture， splendid orchards， and incredible food。 LOYALTY is rich in lessons of law and justice， family， loyalty， and honor。 Lucia， counting her blessings， Dante， deciding what sort of man to be， and wonderfully dedicated Gaetano were my favorites among the kind people who softened the harshness of an unjust and LOYALTYThis is a powerful book， not easy， but （like life itself） worth the travail。 Description is beautiful， a way to travel to Palermo “the island of the world” with its rich and varied culture， splendid orchards， and incredible food。 LOYALTY is rich in lessons of law and justice， family， loyalty， and honor。 Lucia， counting her blessings， Dante， deciding what sort of man to be， and wonderfully dedicated Gaetano were my favorites among the kind people who softened the harshness of an unjust and hard world。 I’m inclined to agree with Lucia that “women had so much more sense，” but there are good and sensible men as well。This book will release in March， and while it’s a stand-alone， you might fill the time by reading ETERNAL and other Lisa Scottoline books while you wait for it。 。。。more
Denise Brownfield
，
The book was interesting enough for me to keep reading and finish it but it was a bit confusing at times。 The chapters jumped around too much。 There was also parts that were unnecessary and made the book too wordy。 I would not really recommend this book to most people。
Jen Armeli
，
I love historical fiction and I also love books set in Italy。 Sicily in particular！ It has a special place in my heart。 It is where my father was born。 Loyalty by @lisascottoline takes place in Sicily during the 1800’s。 It’s about a fictional family that takes its issues into its own hands。 I found it very entertaining and I loved all the beautiful names and cities that I am so familiar with。 I love me a good mafia story！ Thank you to @netgalley and @penguinbooks and @lisascottoline for the oppo I love historical fiction and I also love books set in Italy。 Sicily in particular！ It has a special place in my heart。 It is where my father was born。 Loyalty by @lisascottoline takes place in Sicily during the 1800’s。 It’s about a fictional family that takes its issues into its own hands。 I found it very entertaining and I loved all the beautiful names and cities that I am so familiar with。 I love me a good mafia story！ Thank you to @netgalley and @penguinbooks and @lisascottoline for the opportunity to read this gem before it’s publication day 。。。more
Lois
，
Thank you NetGalley for giving me an advance copy of this book。 Unfortunately， it was not for me！ I got to the halfway point put it aside because it was so poorly written and was going nowhere， The setting is Sicily in the early 1800's。 Dante， a little boy from an upper crust family， is kidnapped and is placed in a "madhouse"。 Then 6 or 7 very unlikeable characters are introduced and we hear their very strange stories。 I am sure the various threads will come together at some point， but I like ne Thank you NetGalley for giving me an advance copy of this book。 Unfortunately， it was not for me！ I got to the halfway point put it aside because it was so poorly written and was going nowhere， The setting is Sicily in the early 1800's。 Dante， a little boy from an upper crust family， is kidnapped and is placed in a "madhouse"。 Then 6 or 7 very unlikeable characters are introduced and we hear their very strange stories。 I am sure the various threads will come together at some point， but I like neither the characters nor their stories so am putting this aside。 The thing that annoys me the very most is Scottoline's constant use of Italian words with no English translation！ She did the same in the only other book I have read of hers （Loyalty）。 I am done with Scottoline！ 。。。more
Shelley
，
Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline Rating （5/5） ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Genre - Historic Fiction Release date - March 23rd 2023 Thank you Netgalley， Penguin Random House LLC， and G。P。 Putnam’s Sons for the ARC。 I’m a big fan of Lisa Scottoline’s Rosato series and stand alones。 This is not your typical Lisa Scottoline legal thriller。 I love how she can transition from legal thrillers to historical fiction。 This book is filled with the history of Sicily！ It is clear similar to her 1st historical fiction novel ， Eternal Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline Rating （5/5） ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Genre - Historic Fiction Release date - March 23rd 2023 Thank you Netgalley， Penguin Random House LLC， and G。P。 Putnam’s Sons for the ARC。 I’m a big fan of Lisa Scottoline’s Rosato series and stand alones。 This is not your typical Lisa Scottoline legal thriller。 I love how she can transition from legal thrillers to historical fiction。 This book is filled with the history of Sicily！ It is clear similar to her 1st historical fiction novel ， Eternal ， Lisa has done a lot of research！！ I found the story engrossing from beginning to the end。 Highly recommend this one！ 。。。more
Mary Mellgren
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A novel set during the rise of the Mafia in Sicily。 Not my usual type of book to read so was hard to get started。 There were so many characters and it switched back and forth。 It took awhile to start to see that they all had some connection to the each other。 Never did get into it but did finish it！Thanks to Lisa Scottoline and Penguin Group Putnam for the book
Maria Lew
，
I sit here writing my review while the music from the Godfather plays in the background。 It's 1810 in Palermo， Sicily Italy in the lemon giardino， and this may have been the origin of the mafia。I love this cast of characters that are so well written， and beautifully weaved together that places Loyalty above everything:Renzo a vile inhuman piece of garbage。 Dante a six year old boy that is a survivor， I feel so very sorry for （Prince Pinocchio）。Gaetano the lawyer and his wife Maria are delt a bad I sit here writing my review while the music from the Godfather plays in the background。 It's 1810 in Palermo， Sicily Italy in the lemon giardino， and this may have been the origin of the mafia。I love this cast of characters that are so well written， and beautifully weaved together that places Loyalty above everything:Renzo a vile inhuman piece of garbage。 Dante a six year old boy that is a survivor， I feel so very sorry for （Prince Pinocchio）。Gaetano the lawyer and his wife Maria are delt a bad hand， but their love & loyalty help them through it。 Franco the power hungry older twin brother （by 5 mintues） of Roberto。 He'll stop at nothing to get what he wants。Alfredo the wizard， and his daughters the magical goats & their cheese 🧀。 He has a secret that no magic will fix。Mafalda & her daughter Lucia， two very strong women that have only each other and the land they learn to live off of。The story has you transported 15 years after the kidnapping and each of these people play a special role in each others lives as you will see that Loyalty does come with a price。 The ending is perfect。 The authors note is wonderful， where things are explained between facts and fiction， and you learn so much。Lisa Scottoline has created a masterpiece in literature。 This novel has all the elements a reader seeks to find in a story that will remain with you after your last page。 I have read many of the authors past writings， and I love them all。 I praise Scottoline first historical fiction "Eternal"， and "Loyalty" is also a must have book to have in your library。 I was born in Italy， and own Scopa cards， and every morning I play the game with my 88 old dad。 I highly recommend reading "Loyalty"， and learning the game of Scopa， you'll love them both。 Enjoy ❤️Thank you so much G。P。 Putnam/Penguin Group， NetGalley， and Lisa Scottoline for allowing me to have an advanced readers copy of this awesome book in exchange for an honest review。#Loyalty#LisaScottoline#NetGalley#Putnam/PenguinGroup#HistoricalFiction 。。。more
Jeneane Bower
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Thanks to Lisa Scottoline for the best book I have read of 2002 and will be my recommend to readers for my column for December 2022， which will be out in several print publications all over the north eastern part of Ohio， including Cleveland and will be viewed online， as well。 **This will not be my review， only some of what may be used in the future。 And， though I could have put the review out this month， wanted to save this one for the holidays and， to wrap up the year with a bang， just like th Thanks to Lisa Scottoline for the best book I have read of 2002 and will be my recommend to readers for my column for December 2022， which will be out in several print publications all over the north eastern part of Ohio， including Cleveland and will be viewed online， as well。 **This will not be my review， only some of what may be used in the future。 And， though I could have put the review out this month， wanted to save this one for the holidays and， to wrap up the year with a bang， just like this book。 My Tea Time With A Good Book， Pick of the Year。 Though its quite a new column， only several months since its creation， its to be on-going and hopefully popular， helping with authors sales and giving readers the ability to pick the best books out there to read。 Being middle aged， there was a time when I went through my "mafioso" phase， in which all the material about gangs and gangsters was quite popular with me。 But， that time ended a decade ago and， while I like gangster movies still， the interest is not as prevalent in me as it once was。 And， while this tale was no Godfather type， the gangsters weren't well defined in structure， more of a creation story， it was still a tale in which mafia lore is prevalent， if only at its very beginning。 Two twin brothers bind themselves with other men， for money， protection， to be "better then"， be like the men who have money and control。 We are shown what and how they do this， how this affected life for the others， even the relationship for the two twin brothers。 Intertwined with the mafioso actions of the brothers （one， more prevalent than the other）in this book， as in all of Italy （this tale is set in and around Palermo）are the problems that some face。 Many come out of the life and times of the people then， many problems arising from the brothers actions。 There are several characters with their own story line that， in the end， merge to make a perfect ending for a perfect book。 While many bad experiences have been had， people have died along the way， life works out as you would hope it does， and those who are able to move on， find the best way to do so。 I fear that the new expense of buying this authors hardbacks the day they are released will now forever burden me （with the expense） but， I know the greatest tales will be inside that cover， by Scottoline， and that makes the cost every penny well worth it！ This is the only purchase of a hardback I know I will never have to regret！ LOL！ 。。。more
Jennifer Vance
，
I was so excited to read this book！ Lisa Scottoline is an excellent author and I have always been a huge fan of her books！ This book was not my favorite of hers。 This book was super hard for me。 The book starts out telling the story of five different people who may or may not be connected。 One is the story of Dante， a young boy who is kidnapped and hidden in a madhouse。 The second story is of Gaetano， a lawyer who is trying to rescue the boys。 The third story is about Alfredo who has goats and I was so excited to read this book！ Lisa Scottoline is an excellent author and I have always been a huge fan of her books！ This book was not my favorite of hers。 This book was super hard for me。 The book starts out telling the story of five different people who may or may not be connected。 One is the story of Dante， a young boy who is kidnapped and hidden in a madhouse。 The second story is of Gaetano， a lawyer who is trying to rescue the boys。 The third story is about Alfredo who has goats and makes cheese。 The fourth story is about a fisherman's family， while the fisherman is out to sea， everyone is killed but him on the same night that his wife gives birth to a translucent baby girl。 The last story is about two twins who want to improve their lives。 As the book progresses， the stories develops further and further。 The book was enjoyable。 The hard part for me was that the connections between the stories did not happen until much later in the book。 The characters are well developed， but I didn't particularly love any of them。 I particularly enjoyed the last portion of the book where the author shared that this is a story of the mafia in Sicily and the research that led her to writing this book。 Overall this was a good read！ I am very grateful to G。P。 Putnam/Penguin Group and NetGalley for providing an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Cindy
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This book！ Just the accuracy of the history of Sicily and the making of the Mafia was enough to keep me interested。 Little Dante， 6 years old， is kidnapped and sent to live in a madhouse back in the 1800’s。 This was happening to young boys back then。 As they got older they were sent to a sulfur mine as slave labor。。 A group of men began meeting in a secret location and formed a pact。 They began to take matters into their own hands and right the wrongs that were happening。 （The birth of the Mafia This book！ Just the accuracy of the history of Sicily and the making of the Mafia was enough to keep me interested。 Little Dante， 6 years old， is kidnapped and sent to live in a madhouse back in the 1800’s。 This was happening to young boys back then。 As they got older they were sent to a sulfur mine as slave labor。。 A group of men began meeting in a secret location and formed a pact。 They began to take matters into their own hands and right the wrongs that were happening。 （The birth of the Mafia） Many families are connected in this story but we don’t know exactly how until the story progresses。 Every once in a while I got a little lost with each family’s story but it all comes together nicely later in the book and it all makes sense。 Gaetano is an amazing character。 The strength and determination of this lawyer and his will to save Dante is heartwarming。 The book gives us closure in the end as Dante wants nothing more than to find his family， specifically his father， because he is sure his father was the one who wanted him to be kidnapped in the first place。 Great historical novel by Scottoline。 The food， people， stories， locations， and even goats described in this book are so engrossing！ Thank you to NetGalley， Penguin Random House LLC and G。P。 Putnam’s Sons for the ARC。 。。。more
Gary
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I love Lisa Scottoline’s books。 I have enjoyed quite a few。 LOYALTY was not my favorite。 The first half of the book plodded through a fistful of story threads that seem to have nothing to do with each other。 The story involves the kidnapping of a child named Dante which took place in Sicily in the early 1800’s。 The child is thrown into a “madhouse” where he was forced to compete with a wild group if inmates。 This is a time when sanitariums were a truly frightening place。 The sad plight of childr I love Lisa Scottoline’s books。 I have enjoyed quite a few。 LOYALTY was not my favorite。 The first half of the book plodded through a fistful of story threads that seem to have nothing to do with each other。 The story involves the kidnapping of a child named Dante which took place in Sicily in the early 1800’s。 The child is thrown into a “madhouse” where he was forced to compete with a wild group if inmates。 This is a time when sanitariums were a truly frightening place。 The sad plight of children in this darkest of Scottoline’s novels continues when the fisher community suffers a horrible tragedy at sea。 The community response was to on an infant born the very night of the tragedy because the infant’s father was the sole survivor。 Mother and baby are forced to flee for their lives。Other threads include a lawyer who is investigating Dante’s disappearance without a clue as to who in Palermo lost a son。 There are also tales of a group of lemon growers and a cheese maker。The reader is left pushing through chapters that do not seem to connect with the preceding one。 There is a brief hope for a connection at the beginning of Part 2 of the book when the lawyer， Gaetano， discovers Dante’s family。 Unfortunately， though we readers make the connection to the kidnapped child and Dante’s parents， Gaetano does not。 It is not until the second half of the book （after even more loose threads are revealed） that things begin to be resolved themselves。For me， it was difficult to really care about any of the characters when they appeared so sporadically on scene。 It is not until you are well into the book that the connections between story threads begin to reveal themselves。 By that time my lack of connection with the characters took its toll。 Were it not for the author’s skill as a word-crafter， I would likely not have stuck around long enough for the threads to come together。 Nevertheless， I am grateful that I was given a chance to receive an advance copy of this novel to read and review。 。。。more
Janet Fiorentino
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Getting a chance to review a Lisa Scottoline novel was like winning the lottery。 Instead of another one of her thrillers， “Loyalty” gives us a peek into Italian history with a dramatization of the early days of the Sicilian mafia。 When the novel opens， we discover that a child， Dante， has been kidnapped and left at a madhouse。 The kidnapper may or may not have been Franco who manages a lemon grove but hoping to own his own grove， might be willing to do anything to make that happen。 Further， Gaet Getting a chance to review a Lisa Scottoline novel was like winning the lottery。 Instead of another one of her thrillers， “Loyalty” gives us a peek into Italian history with a dramatization of the early days of the Sicilian mafia。 When the novel opens， we discover that a child， Dante， has been kidnapped and left at a madhouse。 The kidnapper may or may not have been Franco who manages a lemon grove but hoping to own his own grove， might be willing to do anything to make that happen。 Further， Gaetano is attorney and a member of Beati Paoli， a secret society， who seeks to find the boy。 Meanwhile， Lucina born to Mafalda， is deemed evil， even though her mother believes she is God’s greatest gift。Yes， there is a lot going on， and I have only touched the surface。 Readers of her legal thrillers might be a little frustrated with the pace of this book as well as the number of characters and plots。 While this is a slow read， especially in the beginning， and you wonder where the novel is headed， there is a payoff。 Ultimately， you will enjoy the journey Scottloine takes you on。 I especially appreciated the picturesque details she gives of Silicy。 I could easily imagine myself there。 My thanks to the publisher， Lisa Scottoline and NetGalley for this intriguing book。 。。。more
Shirley Kataisto
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#GoodreadsGiveaway
Iz
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Scottoline’s latest had me hooked from the first scene。 Set in Palermo， Sicily in 1810， the book opens with a shocking kidnapping that sets in motion a chain of events involving several seemingly unrelated groups of people。 The kidnapping has a devastating ripple effect on all of them and ultimately alters the history of the region。 Scottoline’s deep research is evident as she describes the intricacies of Sicily at the time。 The fishing village， the customs， the sea patterns， etc。 I was complete Scottoline’s latest had me hooked from the first scene。 Set in Palermo， Sicily in 1810， the book opens with a shocking kidnapping that sets in motion a chain of events involving several seemingly unrelated groups of people。 The kidnapping has a devastating ripple effect on all of them and ultimately alters the history of the region。 Scottoline’s deep research is evident as she describes the intricacies of Sicily at the time。 The fishing village， the customs， the sea patterns， etc。 I was completely transported to the Sicily of the early 1800’s and I loved it！ We follow the events leading to the rise of the Sicilian mafia and it’s a riveting read。 Like good historical fiction does， this one had me looking up information to try to decipher what is based in fact。 The Royal madhouse of Palermo？！ Was that a real place？ Did the Sicilian mafia really start in farming regions of Palermo？ Be sure to read the Authors Note at the end。 Very interesting and it will save you some time flipping back and forth looking stuff up while reading。 Some scenes were a bit melodramatic and I found the writing a bit choppy in places， but I still gobbled it up。 I was sad when it was over。 If you like historical fiction， be sure to preorder this one。 👍🏻Thank you to NetGalley and GP Putnam Sons for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Tiffany
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Loyalty is historical fiction imagining the early days of the Sicilian Mafia。 Several character threads are used to weave an intricate story， and although a lot to manage at the beginning， the story becomes more clear and engaging as it moves along。 I struggled a bit at first keeping track of the characters， but once it all clicked I was engrossed in this novel。 I associated Lisa Scottoline with mystery and thrillers， but it seems as though she has ventured into historical fiction and I think th Loyalty is historical fiction imagining the early days of the Sicilian Mafia。 Several character threads are used to weave an intricate story， and although a lot to manage at the beginning， the story becomes more clear and engaging as it moves along。 I struggled a bit at first keeping track of the characters， but once it all clicked I was engrossed in this novel。 I associated Lisa Scottoline with mystery and thrillers， but it seems as though she has ventured into historical fiction and I think this is a solid shift。 Thanks to Net Galley and GP Putnam Sons for an advanced copy to review！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Loyalty
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Loyalty&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Loyalty&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0