Historical Fiction

The Curse of Pietro Houdini

The Curse of Pietro Houdini

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  • Create Date：2024-01-17 07:21:46
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
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  • Author：Derek B. Miller
  • ISBN：1797170554
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Summary

From the Dagger Award-winning author of Norwegian by Night comes a vivid， thrilling， and moving World War II art-heist-adventure tale where enemies become heroes， allies become villains， and a child learns what it means to become an adult--for fans of All the Light We Cannot See 。 August， 1943。 Fourteen-year-old Massimo is all alone。 Newly orphaned and fleeing from Rome after surviving the American bombing raid that killed his parents， Massimo is attacked by thugs and finds himself bloodied at the base of the Montecassino。 It is there in the Benedictine abbey's shadow that a charismatic and cryptic man calling himself Pietro Houdini， the self-proclaimed "Master Artist and confidante of the Vatican，" rescues Massimo and brings him up the mountain to serve as his assistant in preserving the treasures that lay within the monastery walls。 But can Massimo believe what Pietro is saying， particularly when Massimo has secrets too？ Who is this extraordinary man？ When it becomes evident that Montecassino will soon become the front line in the war， Pietro Houdini and Massimo execute a plan to smuggle three priceless Titian paintings to safety down the mountain。 They are joined by a nurse concealing a nefarious past， a café owner turned murderer， a wounded but chipper German soldier， and a pair of lovers along with their injured mule， Ferrari。 Together they will lie， cheat， steal， fight， kill， and sin their way through battlefields to survive， all while smuggling the Renaissance masterpieces and the bag full of ancient Greek gold they have rescued from the "safe keeping" of the Germans。 Heartfelt， powerfully engaging， and in the tradition of City of Thieves by David Benioff， The Curse of Pietro Houdini is a work of storytelling a thrilling action-packed adventure heist， an imaginative chronicle of forgotten history， and a philosophical coming-of-age epic where a child navigates one of the most enigmatic and morally complex fronts of World War II and lives to tell the tale。

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Reviews

Tammy ，

Review TK

Joan ，

This story is about staying alive through a war。 Every choice is a risk。 The main character is a 14 year old orphan trying to survive after their city is bombed。 They cannot survive alone。 They will surely see much evil。 What will happen？This is a beautiful and sometimes brutal tale which unfolds at a good pace。 There is the dilemma of how to save centuries of Western art stored in the monastery from the Nazi regime - will the Nazis destroy， steal or otherwise destroy the art/culture of thousand This story is about staying alive through a war。 Every choice is a risk。 The main character is a 14 year old orphan trying to survive after their city is bombed。 They cannot survive alone。 They will surely see much evil。 What will happen？This is a beautiful and sometimes brutal tale which unfolds at a good pace。 There is the dilemma of how to save centuries of Western art stored in the monastery from the Nazi regime - will the Nazis destroy， steal or otherwise destroy the art/culture of thousands of years or bring it to the Vatican for safe -keeping？ Can a loquacious & charismatic Renaissance man using the moniker “Pietro Houdini” and a 14 YO orphan pull this off？ Houdini’s discussions were a joy to read。 I did not want to put it down。 I definitely stayed up past my bedtime with this one。 This novel takes place mostly in a monastery in Italy during WWII。 I grew up in a small town in which many Italian immigrants arrived throughout the 1940’s。 I often wondered what these families had experienced during the war。 My father was a voracious reader and an WWII historian。 These two factors may have given me some bias as I very much enjoyed this well-written & compelling novel。 Thank you to the publisher for this ARC & thank you to the author for these characters & their story。 。。。more

Novel Visits ，

4。5 stars - A book you need to be patient with at times， but one I was always eager to get back to， and the last third especially was outstanding。 Full review to follow。

Summer ，

I really enjoyed Miller’s 2021 release How to Find Your Way in the Dark so I've been looking forward to this one。 The Curse of Pietro Houdini Is set in 1943 during World War II and centers around 14-year-old Massimo。 Massimo is fleeing Rome after his parents were just killed by an American bombing raid where he meets Pietro Houdini。 Pietro who claims to be a master artist and a confidant of the Vatican brings Massimo up to the Montecassino to be his assistant in preserving treasures that lay wit I really enjoyed Miller’s 2021 release How to Find Your Way in the Dark so I've been looking forward to this one。 The Curse of Pietro Houdini Is set in 1943 during World War II and centers around 14-year-old Massimo。 Massimo is fleeing Rome after his parents were just killed by an American bombing raid where he meets Pietro Houdini。 Pietro who claims to be a master artist and a confidant of the Vatican brings Massimo up to the Montecassino to be his assistant in preserving treasures that lay within the monastery’s walls。As the frontline of the war comes closer the duo along with an eclectic group including a nurse， a cafeowner， a German soldier， a pair of lovers， and an injured mule set out。 Together the group does what they can to survive the battlefields all while smuggling Renaissance masterpieces and a bag of ancient Greek gold to safety。 The Curse of Pietro Houdini is such a dynamic， imaginative， and complex historical fiction story。 It's a fast-paced， coming-of-age， and found family tale that's both laugh-out-loud funny and deeply poignant。 I like the fact that it was inspired by actual events and I could tell that the author did his research。 From the first page to the last I hung on every word and I highly recommend this compelling tale to all historical fiction fans。 The Curse of Pietro Houdini by Derek B。 Miller Will be available on January 16。 A massive thanks to Avid Reader Press for the gifted copy！ 。。。more

Kathleen Gray ，

Massimo and Pietro both have secrets-secrets big and small- and they band with a rag tag group to take Titians from an abbey south to Naples in the tail end of WWII just as everything is falling apart。 This is complex and at times a bit head scratching （what exactly is Pietro doing to the paintings？ why will one German gun make a difference？）。 and at others slow。 Massimo's secret comes out so subtly you might miss it and it's not as developed as it could be。 Pietro's secret might mean more to th Massimo and Pietro both have secrets-secrets big and small- and they band with a rag tag group to take Titians from an abbey south to Naples in the tail end of WWII just as everything is falling apart。 This is complex and at times a bit head scratching （what exactly is Pietro doing to the paintings？ why will one German gun make a difference？）。 and at others slow。 Massimo's secret comes out so subtly you might miss it and it's not as developed as it could be。 Pietro's secret might mean more to those who know Italian history than it did to me。 His lectures on philosophy and art might find you skimming the page but there are some gems in there。 This gets more interesting when Massimo， Pietro， and the others （especially that donkey） leave the Abbey- interesting and a bit horrifying。 This hits a variety of themes using good characters。 Thanks to the publisher for the ARC。 This is based in part on a true story （don't miss the afterword）。 Very different from Miller's earlier novels。 。。。more

Emma Dale ，

3。5 Really great story but I need to make my peace with the fact that I can’t do audio books haha。 Wish I had physically read it， but regardless， great characters and themes of identity， culture， regret

Maine Colonial ，

I read a free digital advance review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley。Derek B。 Miller is on my auto-read list。 Few authors are so skilled at telling a story that is gripping， funny， tragic， and meaningful。 His choices of time and place for his books vary widely。 This time around， we are in wartime Italy， where the 14-year-old self-styled Massimo is orphaned during the Allied bombings of Rome。 Determined to get to family in Naples， along the way he is persuaded by Pietro Houdini to ac I read a free digital advance review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley。Derek B。 Miller is on my auto-read list。 Few authors are so skilled at telling a story that is gripping， funny， tragic， and meaningful。 His choices of time and place for his books vary widely。 This time around， we are in wartime Italy， where the 14-year-old self-styled Massimo is orphaned during the Allied bombings of Rome。 Determined to get to family in Naples， along the way he is persuaded by Pietro Houdini to accompany him to Montecassino until it’s safer to head south。At the abbey of Montecassino， Pietro’s reports to the monks that he is the maestro they’ve been expecting from Bologna to complete the cataloging and restore some of the vast art collection held there for safekeeping。 But the abbey is occupied by Nazis， and Pietro feels sure that their claim they will transport the most valuable art to the Vatican is a smokescreen for a plan to loot the art for the Reich。 Pietro tells Massimo he will disguise some unknown Titians by painting over them， and then he Massimo will head south and eventually get to Naples where Pietro also has family， an estranged but beloved wife。When the time comes to leave Montecassino， Massimo insists on bringing along several refugees they’ve come to know—and a mule named Ferrari。 The group witnesses and experiences extreme violence and danger， including some of the historically accurate mass rapes and murders committed by the Moroccan soldiers （“Goumiers”） who were part of the French Expeditionary Corps。As I expected， there is much beauty in Miller’s writing， and complex emotions in the last part of the book。 But the earlier parts of the book didn’t feel as immediate to me， and the frequent scenes of brutality felt oddly detached。 It’s a book worth reading， but it just wasn’t as evocative to me as some of Miller’s others。 。。。more

Marilla Brooke ，

tldr: very good; interesting premise; doesn't mince words; would recommend to an 18+ audience—In this soon-to-be-released historical novel set in Nazi-occupied Italy， we follow newly-orphaned Massimo as he flees the bombings in Rome and collides worlds with the elusive Pietro Houdini， maestro di restauro e conservazione， who is tasked with restoring and preserving the art and artifacts housed in the ancient abbey of Montecassino。 Massimo and Pietro have their own reasons to press on to Naples， b tldr: very good; interesting premise; doesn't mince words; would recommend to an 18+ audience—In this soon-to-be-released historical novel set in Nazi-occupied Italy， we follow newly-orphaned Massimo as he flees the bombings in Rome and collides worlds with the elusive Pietro Houdini， maestro di restauro e conservazione， who is tasked with restoring and preserving the art and artifacts housed in the ancient abbey of Montecassino。 Massimo and Pietro have their own reasons to press on to Naples， but when they find the frontline on the abbey's doorstep， they must create an elaborate and perilous plan to escape—with three undiscovered Renaissance masterpieces。 While at Montecassino， Pietro Houdini's artistic endeavors are accompanied by soliloquies on history， mythology， and the universal truths of humanity and life at large。 As such， many of his monologues brush on the truths of war。 Upon reading the final chapter， I think The Curse of Pietro Houdini focuses primarily on three main truths （though never directly stated—readers must come to their own conclusions about the events in the book）。1。 As Neville Chamberlain once said， "In war， whichever side may call itself the victor， there are no winners， but all are losers。"2。 There is no such thing as a "good" or "bad" person， and it is a disservice （and often dangerous） to categorize people so binarily。3。 People will do whatever is necessary in an act of desperation and self-preservation。However， another truth is that war is ugly。 Really， really ugly。 The last 100-or-so pages are not for the faint of heart。 I don't consider it gratuitous violence， by any means， but it carries a certain shock factor。 Then again， the reality of war should shock you。 Derek B。 Miller doesn't mince words。 Therefore， unlike other WWII novels I've read recently （The Book Thief， All The Light We Cannot See， etc。）， I would not recommend this book for younger teenagers。 We are blessed enough not to have experienced war firsthand in a very long time， so I think it's best to afford younger people the opportunity of naivety for as long as possible。All in all， I'm glad I started off my reading year with The Curse of Pietro Houdini because I enjoyed it a whole lot。 The characters are all flawed and multifaceted and interesting to read about。 I was invested in every character who crossed the page。 I especially liked Ferrari the mule。There is a tendency in book marketing to compare new WWII novels to other successful WWII stories， so at risk of diminishing the specialness of Pietro Houdini， I will do the same: If you like the unique narrative devices used in The Book Thief， then you'll like the adjacently-unique， arguably-more-important-to-the-narrative devices used in Pietro Houdini。 If you like the coming-of-age elements in stories like The Diary of Anne Frank and All the Light We Cannot See， then you'll probably like Pietro Houdini。Thank you to Avid Reader Press for the ARC I received through a Goodreads giveaway。 。。。more

Carla ，

4。5 starsBased off the cover of the book alone， I didn't think this would be a book for me。 And before I sunk into the story， I did almost dnf it。 But the voice and the humor captured me， and I kept giving it a little more time - and before you know it， I was hooked！Here's the set up: Pietro comes across a battered boy in a ditch on his way to the Montecassino， an abbey in the Italian hills。 WWII is increasingly encroaching on the monks， and Pietro is tasked with preserving the art from the Nazi 4。5 starsBased off the cover of the book alone， I didn't think this would be a book for me。 And before I sunk into the story， I did almost dnf it。 But the voice and the humor captured me， and I kept giving it a little more time - and before you know it， I was hooked！Here's the set up: Pietro comes across a battered boy in a ditch on his way to the Montecassino， an abbey in the Italian hills。 WWII is increasingly encroaching on the monks， and Pietro is tasked with preserving the art from the Nazis and any bombardment from the war。 Pietro "adopts" this young boy， Massimo， and they set about saving the art。 As the front gets closer and closer， it becomes obvious that they are no longer safe in the abbey， so Pietro assembles aa posse of people and they leave the aabbey， heading south away from the war。There are some asides that aare quite philosphical - which I wouldn't normally care for - but something about the way they were presented and how they gave a new perspective to what happened during WWII， helped me appreciate them。 These side aspects become less frequent as the story goes on， but it's an interesting aspect of the preservation of art during war times。 There are also themes about the complexities of war， the power of art， and the resilience of the human spiritThe heart of the book is certainly its characters。 I loved Pietro and Massimo from the beginning， and came to really love Ferrari too。 While this is absolutely an historical fiction story， it also a coming-of-age story with a lot of heart。 There are a few very dark parts to this story， but I couldn't help but cheer for this band of misfits！ 。。。more

Chris Karnei ，

I received an Advanced copy from Avid Reader/Simon & Schuster and GoodreadsThis is a story about a number of people who find themselves at the monastery at Montecassino as the American invasion of Italy is beginning in 1943。 Several of the characters are using false identities to protect themselves from the fascists or the world in general。 To avoid spoilers I will refer to the main characters by the names and identities they used at the beginning of the story。 Pietro Houdini is an art expert se I received an Advanced copy from Avid Reader/Simon & Schuster and GoodreadsThis is a story about a number of people who find themselves at the monastery at Montecassino as the American invasion of Italy is beginning in 1943。 Several of the characters are using false identities to protect themselves from the fascists or the world in general。 To avoid spoilers I will refer to the main characters by the names and identities they used at the beginning of the story。 Pietro Houdini is an art expert sent by the Pope to conserve some of the piles of art that have been sent to the monastery to protect it from the war。 Massimo is a fourteen year old boy that was orphaned by the allied bombing of Rome that Pietro saves from a gang of bullies in the town of Cassino。 Massimo becomes Pietro’s assistant and they take up residents in the monastery。 When they come to understand that the Nazis are intending the largest art heist in history， they come up with a plan to save some of the artwork by stealing it first。Throughout the book the reader is introduced to several people who find themselves at the monastery for various reasons and we learn about their public faces and， later， who they really are。 By the time the bombing of the monestary begins in the spring of 1944， a new family has formed from the broken and abused civilians， soldiers and monks。 The person narrating the story is returning the stolen paintings to an Italian museum in 1973。 That persons identity is kept hidden throughout the book， but the reader is not kept ignorant of who the narrator is in the story。 While that may sound cryptic， I am trying not to include spoilers。 This is truly a wonderfully written book and the author has a real talent for turning a phrase such as‘An attitude – a mood – had settled among the combatants that anything that worked wasn’t to be questioned， and a time without questions became a time without mysteries。 This was the nature of their certainty and such is the eternal truth of war。’or Pietro on the insanity of war“Go with the Nazis。 The Nazis will keep you safe。 You hear the sentences this war is making me say？ It is unnatural。”Because I read this book in December of 2023 and it comes out in January of 2024， I will have to spend all of 2024 judging everything I read against this book to decide what my best book of the year。Five StarsChris KarneiPresidentFriends of the Wythe County Library 。。。more

LoneStarWords Deb Coco ，

I feel as though I’ve been reading this book forever; I know that is never a great recommendation， but there are lots of reasons why it took me so long to get through this one， not the least of which is that it’s the craziest two weeks of the year。•First， do NOT read this as an audiobook。 I began it that way （thank you @librofm for my gifted copy） but was quickly irritated by the choice of a woman to narrate a man’s story - it’s honestly terrible。 But， I wanted to see this story through and than I feel as though I’ve been reading this book forever; I know that is never a great recommendation， but there are lots of reasons why it took me so long to get through this one， not the least of which is that it’s the craziest two weeks of the year。•First， do NOT read this as an audiobook。 I began it that way （thank you @librofm for my gifted copy） but was quickly irritated by the choice of a woman to narrate a man’s story - it’s honestly terrible。 But， I wanted to see this story through and thank you @avidreaderpress for sending this beautiful， physical arc。•You all know I love to read about art in any form， so this art history heist， set in Italy， had all the markings of a recipe for success。 But The Curse of Pietro Houdini is so much more than a story about art or history and in my opinion， it’s more of a coming of age novel than either of the former。•Massimo is a young child who is orphaned in Italy during WW2。 A mysterious lover of art named Pietro Houdini takes him under his wing and raises Massimo in a Benedictine Abbey， amidst some of the greatest artwork in the world。 As Massimo grows， with war unfolding around them， he and Pietro will attempt to save invaluable works of Renaissance art from the Germans。•I loved the art storyline， but it is woven amidst Massimo’s coming of age and Houdini’s secrets， which I felt muddied the plotline。 This is a relatively long novel that I think would have been more powerful had it stuck to the history of the art， the abbey， and Italy’s place in WW2。 The art/history was done very well but the other storylines detracted from the focus。 There is also some fairly awkward dialogue that felt both wrong for times and somewhat cringy; I’m so particular about dialogue fitting the time period。•If， like me， you search high and low for art-centric novels， I think you’ll find value here。 There are some beautiful passages about why art matters and how it nourishes our lives。 I marked numerous quotes I would have loved to share but could not as this is pre-publication。 Do heed my warnings about the audio and grab the physical copy which will be on shelves 1/16。 。。。more

Anjali ，

4。5 stars， rounded up。 Miller is an author who consistently works for me - I've read almost all of his books， and they've all been 4- or 5-star reads。 His newest novel is set in Italy during WWII， and despite the many， many books set during WWII， this novel felt fresh and inventive。 It's an art heist/adventure/coming-of-age story with a wonderful child protagonist and a host of other interesting characters。 The pacing was a little uneven at times， but overall this was an engaging look at the com 4。5 stars， rounded up。 Miller is an author who consistently works for me - I've read almost all of his books， and they've all been 4- or 5-star reads。 His newest novel is set in Italy during WWII， and despite the many， many books set during WWII， this novel felt fresh and inventive。 It's an art heist/adventure/coming-of-age story with a wonderful child protagonist and a host of other interesting characters。 The pacing was a little uneven at times， but overall this was an engaging look at the complexities of war that I highly recommend to fans of historical fiction， even if you think you're done with WWII stories。 Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for a digital review copy。 。。。more

Robin ，

If you’re a historical fiction person seeking a heart-wrenching story about the people caught in the crossfire， the abandoned and alone just trying to survive in a world that no longer makes sense， then The Curse of Pietro Houdini is one for you。 Basically， this is the story of an Italian youth who finds themselves orphaned after a warplane kills their parents right in front of them。 Stunned and traumatized， they soon stumble into a kind stranger named Pietro Houdini， who takes them under their If you’re a historical fiction person seeking a heart-wrenching story about the people caught in the crossfire， the abandoned and alone just trying to survive in a world that no longer makes sense， then The Curse of Pietro Houdini is one for you。 Basically， this is the story of an Italian youth who finds themselves orphaned after a warplane kills their parents right in front of them。 Stunned and traumatized， they soon stumble into a kind stranger named Pietro Houdini， who takes them under their wing as an assistant。 The two seek shelter in a monastery on top of a hill and help the monks restore priceless works of art。 Both have secrets， secrets that are too big to share in this new reality。 Yet as the enemy circles closer and closer， they must trust one another in order to survive。 I know times are what they are， but if you’re one of those people who can compartmentalize and enjoy WWII fiction， this one is good。 It gives All The Light We Cannot See and some Inglorious Bastard vibes。 There’s a grumpy yet protective older man， a teenager spiraling in their own head， and a cast of secondary characters that you cannot help but love。 Yet this is a story about war。 The book does not shirk from historical realities of the destruction and violence wrought during this time。 It is the juxtaposition of brutality and compassion。 Thank you so much， AVID READER PRESS for sending me a copy of The Curse of Pietro Houdini in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more

Lorin （paperbackbish） ，

4。5 stars。 Massimo， a young teen and now an orphan， is saved from the streets by an odd man who calls himself Pietro Houdini。 Pietro and Massimo head up the mountain to an ancient Benedictine abbey full of art and treasures， where they shelter from the war and its horrors。 After a time， the war starts knocking at the abbey's door， so Pietro hatches a plan to confound the Germans with Massimo's help。 Things get trickier as their band of misfits grows， but everyone is willing to sacrifice all they 4。5 stars。 Massimo， a young teen and now an orphan， is saved from the streets by an odd man who calls himself Pietro Houdini。 Pietro and Massimo head up the mountain to an ancient Benedictine abbey full of art and treasures， where they shelter from the war and its horrors。 After a time， the war starts knocking at the abbey's door， so Pietro hatches a plan to confound the Germans with Massimo's help。 Things get trickier as their band of misfits grows， but everyone is willing to sacrifice all they can to make it out of the nightmare they've found themselves in。 YOU GUYS。 I was not expecting this book to be as impactful as it was。 Oh my gosh。 Please， PLEASE read this if you're a historical fiction fan！ The ending definitely made me cry， and I loved every single character in this book。 I don't have much else to say about it except that it was fantastic！ Pacing， plot， characters， detail， complexity， emotion， yes。 All of it。 Read it。 Thanks for coming to my TED Talk。Big thank you to Derek B。 Miller， Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster， and NetGalley for my advance digital copy！ 。。。more

Marianne ，

“The wrinkles around his eyes and on his forehead spoke more of wear than years and I felt his presence to be dramatic and theatrical and magnetic: as though my eyes couldn’t help but fall on him and when they did—like being drawn to a performer under a spotlight onstage—I was unable to break away because of the promise of some inexplicable drama yet to come。”The Curse of Pietro Houdini is the fourth stand-alone novel by award-winning American-born author， Derek B。 Miller。 It’s August， 1943， and “The wrinkles around his eyes and on his forehead spoke more of wear than years and I felt his presence to be dramatic and theatrical and magnetic: as though my eyes couldn’t help but fall on him and when they did—like being drawn to a performer under a spotlight onstage—I was unable to break away because of the promise of some inexplicable drama yet to come。”The Curse of Pietro Houdini is the fourth stand-alone novel by award-winning American-born author， Derek B。 Miller。 It’s August， 1943， and the fourteen-year-old， determined to reach family in Naples after being orphaned by an Allied bomb dropped in Rome， is rescued from a beating at the foot of Montecassino by a man calling himself Pietro Houdini， with the same destination。This “opinionated but charming polar bear with a big personality and a beautiful accent” somehow exudes trustworthiness， and seems to have a plan for the teen， who takes the name Massimo。 They climb up to the Benedictine monastery founded in 529AD where Pietro identifies himself as the Vatican-endorsed Master of Art Restoration and Conservation from the University of Bologna， and declares Massimo his assistant。 Massimo has been told his role is to ““Keep cleaning the brushes， especially if you hear someone coming。 And listen to me talk。 You don’t have to pay attention。 There will be no test。 But you must feign interest at all times。”But as Maestro Houdini pretends to work on the frescos， and Massimo pretends to clean brushes while listening， around them the monks are negotiating with the Germans。 Montecassino is， just then， one of the greatest repositories of culture on earth， a storehouse for treasure and history and art。 And while Fridolin von Senger is assuring the Archabbot Gregorio Diamare that the monastery will remain neutral， safe from attack， Lieutenant Colonel Julius Schlegel is insisting that the irreplaceable artworks and manuscripts be loaded onto German trucks and taken to the Vatican for safe-keeping， just in case。Brother Tobias， torn between St。 Benedict’s admonition for silence and a peasant’s unstoppable need to gossip， shares the gist of the discussions with Pietro and Massimo。 Pietro is unconvinced about the supposed sincerity of the Nazis: he believes that Truman Konig is shopping for Hitler， and that not all the loot will make it to Rome。 “It was hot and his body was perfectly still。 His mind， I felt， was building a plan as big as a cathedral” Pietro hatches a scheme to deprive the Germans of a few pieces that will also serve an important personal purpose: his intentions aren’t wholly altruistic either。 Keeping this under the radar takes a bit of cleverness with the monks’ meticulous inventory， and Massimo observes “Pietro’s actions seemed like those of an alchemist and his ramblings part of an incantation。” Everything done with flair。Once their pieces of art are ready for travel， a few incidents delay their departure and， ultimately their sudden flight in the face of Allied bombs resembles a radical nativity scene that includes a wounded German soldier on a mule， a nurse， a monk， a fourteen-year-old， an Italian soldier， a flautist， and a limping art restorer。 Pietro tells them “We will need to lie， cheat， steal， fight， kill， and sin our way to Naples。 We will hold our own lives as precious above all others。 We will trust no one but each other， and we will try and remember that in this country， at this time， there is no way to tell friend from foe。” Do they make it to some sort of safety？Miller effortlessly evokes his era and setting， and his descriptive prose is marvellous: “Pietro Houdini had the sorted mind of a scientist but the spirit of a shaman who had seen too much and expected to see much more of it， a thinker and a storyteller and a liar who had as little reverence for the facts as P。T。 Barnum。 And yet， his dedication to truth—to God’s own truth， a truth Pietro claimed to know and I now believe he did—was bottomless。” He gives his cast insightful observations: “My father was dismissive because he thought that things that don’t make sense don’t matter， when in fact they are the things that matter most” and “Secrets and lies are illusions and one must commit to the illusion if it is to work！” are examples。 Based on certain actual events， Miller’s glimpse into war and its myriad effects is a moving， sometimes blackly funny， and thought-provoking page-turner。 This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Avid Reader Press/ Random House UK Transworld。 。。。more

Elizalulu ，

whoops， finished a couple days ago but i really really liked it！！ found an ARC outside of pegasus the other day， branddd new， and i was really intrigued by the cover。 i really loved pietro's character and the whole story and mission。 i loved the changes between 1st and 3rd person， that was clever and unique to this book。 i liked the descriptions of the art and how everything massimo listened to finally came together in the end。 this book was really really good！！ whoops， finished a couple days ago but i really really liked it！！ found an ARC outside of pegasus the other day， branddd new， and i was really intrigued by the cover。 i really loved pietro's character and the whole story and mission。 i loved the changes between 1st and 3rd person， that was clever and unique to this book。 i liked the descriptions of the art and how everything massimo listened to finally came together in the end。 this book was really really good！！ 。。。more

MB ，

I received a softcover ARC through Goodreads （thank you）。 I admit this may not have been the type of read I’d pick up to read， but the author does a fantastic job of drawing a reader in。 I enjoyed the deep storyline。

Jill ，

There’s magic underway in the Curse of Pietro Houdini。 Derek Miller earnestly weaves together a tale inspired by a true-life historical event （preserving Renaissance art treasures held within Italian monastery walls）， a World War II saga， a high stakes adventure heist， and a unique coming-of-age story。Whether this book is for you or not will depend upon your enjoyment of these disparate genres， particularly your tolerance for an adventure tale with a philosophical undercurrent。If so ， then prepa There’s magic underway in the Curse of Pietro Houdini。 Derek Miller earnestly weaves together a tale inspired by a true-life historical event （preserving Renaissance art treasures held within Italian monastery walls）， a World War II saga， a high stakes adventure heist， and a unique coming-of-age story。Whether this book is for you or not will depend upon your enjoyment of these disparate genres， particularly your tolerance for an adventure tale with a philosophical undercurrent。If so ， then prepare to become engulfed in this narrative， which is filled with moral ambiguity， laden with hidden secrets， packed with fascinating insights into fine art and history， and fraught with lessons on survival。 Narrated by an orphaned young Italian teen （dubbed Massimo）， who was saved from an Allied bombing by the charismatic artist Pietro Houdini， the story gathers steam as the characters reveal themselves。 After taking refuge at the Abbey of Montecasino， our intrepid narrator shares the unmasked Pietro: a man who develops a false rapport with the Nazis while hiding three Titian paintings from their grasp。 As Derek Miller writes （in the voice of Massimo） at the start， “We are part of something larger: something mystical and beyond the realm of human understanding that impinges on our stories and our lives。” All of us， he suggests， carry stories that may not be part of something good， just， fair， or virtuous， but these stories still demand to be told。I owe thanks to Avid Reader Press for enabling me to be an early reader in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Jeff ，

I would like to thank the goodreads giveaway program and Avid Reader Press （ Simon and Schuster） for the opportunity to read this novel。Life。 Love。 Loyalty。Humanity。The Good and Bad。 Joys and Horrors。Art。 History。 Philosophy。Comedy and Cynicism。This was a Big Book for 360 pages。And simply put， an Excellent Read。

Kevin McCloskey ，

I picked up an advance reader's copy in the lobby of a public library。 I was swept away by the audacious story。 It takes place during WWII。 Much of the action centered at the monastery at Montecassino。 The story starts strong and stays strong。 One of the principal characters， an Italian teen called Massimo， goes through some astounding changes。 I appreciate the author's vivid imagination。The reason I cannot give this 5 stars is there came a point in the story where North African soldiers arrived I picked up an advance reader's copy in the lobby of a public library。 I was swept away by the audacious story。 It takes place during WWII。 Much of the action centered at the monastery at Montecassino。 The story starts strong and stays strong。 One of the principal characters， an Italian teen called Massimo， goes through some astounding changes。 I appreciate the author's vivid imagination。The reason I cannot give this 5 stars is there came a point in the story where North African soldiers arrived。 The Moroccan soldiers were portrayed as beasts， inhuman， almost like Tolkien's orcs。 There is an afterward informing readers the Moroccan's war crimes are drawn from historical databases。 I don't doubt that。 However， Derek Miller manages to portray Nazi German soldiers as individuals having a shared humanity。 He might have found some room for nuance in his description of Non-European combatants。 Pivotal in the story are paintings by Tiziano。 I was ignorant of the fact that Tiziano is the artist we in the U。S。 know as Titian。 Possibly this is common knowledge。 Perhaps it was revealed early in the book， if so， I missed it。 。。。more

Dan ，

My thanks to both Goodreads and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this novel set in Italy during the Second World War， a story of art， loss， doing the right thing even when wrong， and fooling Nazis as much as possible。 Another World War has laid waste to our narrator's parents， his city， and much of Italy。 The war is being fought on two fronts， against the Allies and the Nazis who are as much occupiers as members of a shared Axis。 Attacked by bullies our narrator is rescued by a man of Go My thanks to both Goodreads and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this novel set in Italy during the Second World War， a story of art， loss， doing the right thing even when wrong， and fooling Nazis as much as possible。 Another World War has laid waste to our narrator's parents， his city， and much of Italy。 The war is being fought on two fronts， against the Allies and the Nazis who are as much occupiers as members of a shared Axis。 Attacked by bullies our narrator is rescued by a man of God surrounded by an aura， a man that our narrator will follow no matter where it takes him， from monasteries ， to dealing with evil， making friends， and saving a countries treasures。 The Curse of Pietro Houdini by Derek B。 Miller is a story of war， survival， loss， betrayal， a little bit of love， and lot of cheating the nazis out of their stolen war booty。Pietro Houdini is an artist but most importantly is an agent of the Vatican， or so he proclaims。 To the young boy he has just rescued from a beating， a boy he calls Massimo， Houdini is someone who can help him get to safety。 Massimo's parents were killed by Allied bombers attacking Rome， and he is alone in the world。 Houdini declares Massimo his assistant and brings him high in the mountains to a monastery that is sharing there walls with German troops。 Here Houdini shares his plans with Massimo。 Houdini is trying to slip three works by the artist Titian out of the monastery to keep it out of the nazis hands， as they have been busy stealing the great art of the country， to bring back to Germany。 Massimo and Houdini begin to recruit a motley band of people to aid in this attempt， but Massimo is slowly starting to have doubts about his mentor， which could destroy everything。 A large sprawling novel that is a bit heist story， a little about becoming an adult， and a lot about war and guilt。 What makes this story so special are the characters that Miller has created。 All of them from major character to even small bit ones seems real。 Their voices are all authentic， they have a lived in feeling， and even at the most convenient for the plot times， still have that realness that carries the story。 Miller has a big story， like I said， but there are few wasted words and Miller is really good about keeping things together。 There are lots of moments of sadness， and violence， sometimes surprising and shocking， but there are some wonderful moments。 All of them are written well， in fact quite a few sentences will be read a over and over for the emotion， and sometimes beauty they convey。Recommended for fans of World War II set stories， or for heist fans， and art fans。 A really wonderful stories， perfect for those days it is too snowy or cold to go out。 。。。more

Mary Lins ，

Derek B。 Miller’s brilliant new novel， “The Curse of Pietro Houdini”， is a captivating story of friendship， courage， moral ambiguity， art， and identity set in Italy during WWII。 It’s thrilling historical fiction at it’s best， based on the true history of the Montecassino Abbey， which housed countless art and historical treasures， and was destroyed in 1944 by the Allies。Pietro， and art historian on his way to the Abbey， finds newly orphaned， fourteen-year-old， Massimo beaten in a gutter。 Pietro m Derek B。 Miller’s brilliant new novel， “The Curse of Pietro Houdini”， is a captivating story of friendship， courage， moral ambiguity， art， and identity set in Italy during WWII。 It’s thrilling historical fiction at it’s best， based on the true history of the Montecassino Abbey， which housed countless art and historical treasures， and was destroyed in 1944 by the Allies。Pietro， and art historian on his way to the Abbey， finds newly orphaned， fourteen-year-old， Massimo beaten in a gutter。 Pietro makes him his assistant and takes him to the Abbey。 They both have reasons to travel south to Naples， but that is not possible as the Germans have occupied Naples and are now headed north toward the Abbey。What follows is the story of a suspenseful art heist， grisly murders， shifting identities， heartbreaking alliances， and ultimately of survival。 As always， Miller’s characters will stay with you long after his story is done。Speaking of characters， Miller does something quite unique in this novel; he credibly shifts from a first-person narrative by Massimo， to a third-person narration also from Massimo’s point of view， and then…well， I don’t want to spoil it because it’s so beautifully done that the reader should experience it from the page not from a reviewer！ Many thanks to Avid Reader Press for an advanced copy of this sure-to-be-bestseller！ Readers， look for it in January 2024 for the first great read of the year！ 。。。more

Liz ，

The Curse of Pietro Houdini has been described as an art heist adventure。 But that is too glib a description to describe this story。 The plot is complex， the humor is dark and the logic is sometimes twisted。 There’s a deep current of philosophical treatise。 And it moved me more than most books I’ve read lately。 In fact， while I’ve liked Derek Miller’s earlier books， I loved this one。 It’s one of my favorite reads of 2023。 Massimo is only fourteen when the Allies bomb Rome， killing his parents。 T The Curse of Pietro Houdini has been described as an art heist adventure。 But that is too glib a description to describe this story。 The plot is complex， the humor is dark and the logic is sometimes twisted。 There’s a deep current of philosophical treatise。 And it moved me more than most books I’ve read lately。 In fact， while I’ve liked Derek Miller’s earlier books， I loved this one。 It’s one of my favorite reads of 2023。 Massimo is only fourteen when the Allies bomb Rome， killing his parents。 Taking off， he finds himself in Cassino， at the base of the Montecassino Abbey where he meets up with Pietro， a self described master artist。 The Germans are there and it’s apparent this will be the new frontline of the war。 The Germans are looking to “secure” the Abbey’s artwork。 But Pietro has a plan to steal a few pieces before the Germans get their hands on them。 Everyone has secrets， especially Pietro。 The story moves at a strong clip。 I was fully invested in the plot and what would come next。 Both of the main characters quickly became favorites of mine。 Actually， as more characters join in， I became entranced by them all。 The writing here is lovely and I found myself highlighting numerous passages。 This would make a wonderful book club selection， as it deals with war， sexual identity， community， art and God。 Miller even does a neat trick with pronouns/narrative style。 It touches on all aspects of human nature。 I also applaud Miller for sneaking in all the necessary historical facts without slowing down the story line。 Warning - there is one very graphic scene towards the end。 I literally had to put the book down and walk away for a few minutes。 I recommend this for fans of Robert Dugoni。 My thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of this book。 。。。more

Ron Frampton ，

Massimo is saved by PIETRO who he must help save three pieces of art from the German army。

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Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Curse of Pietro Houdini

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Curse of Pietro Houdini&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Curse of Pietro Houdini&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0