Historical

City of Vengeance

City of Vengeance

  • Downloads：4895
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-04-18 13:51:17
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：D.V. Bishop
  • ISBN：1529038774
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

Summary

City of Vengeance is an explosive debut historical thriller by D。 V。 Bishop， set in Renaissance Florence。

Florence。 Winter， 1536。 A prominent Jewish moneylender is murdered in his home， a death with wide implications in a city powered by immense wealth。

Cesare Aldo， a former soldier and now an officer of the Renaissance city’s most feared criminal court， is given four days to solve the murder: catch the killer before the feast of Epiphany – or suffer the consequences。

During his investigations Aldo uncovers a plot to overthrow the volatile ruler of Florence， Alessandro de’ Medici。 If the Duke falls， it will endanger the whole city。 But a rival officer of the court is determined to expose details about Aldo’s private life that could lead to his ruin。 Can Aldo stop the conspiracy before anyone else dies， or will his own secrets destroy him first？

Download

Reviews

Anthony Lomax ，

I’d be hard pressed to say this was ‘good’ in any grand sense of the term and with a name like City of Vengeance I think I’d be forgiven for that。 I was keen to read a classic murder mystery story with limited angst and a healthy dose of both hyperbole and moustache twirling villains。 I wasn’t disappointed in that regard as I was treated to a diverting and faintly ludicrous romp across 16h century Florence。 The main protagonist was likeable enough in the way that Jack Bauer or John McClane are l I’d be hard pressed to say this was ‘good’ in any grand sense of the term and with a name like City of Vengeance I think I’d be forgiven for that。 I was keen to read a classic murder mystery story with limited angst and a healthy dose of both hyperbole and moustache twirling villains。 I wasn’t disappointed in that regard as I was treated to a diverting and faintly ludicrous romp across 16h century Florence。 The main protagonist was likeable enough in the way that Jack Bauer or John McClane are likeable in their rough and ready take on justice。 By the end Aldo's behaviour and brow-beaten take on the world was pretty predictable and most of the tension seemed to arise from just how knackered he got。 Honestly I feel like if he'd just had a good nights sleep at any point most of the pathos would have drained away。 Narratively it’s well done with sufficient pace to keep things moving along nicely。 There are very few dramatic reveals and the story does loose it’s momentum as some plot lines peter out or just end abruptly and unsatisfyingly。 I shouldn’t complain as I wanted an easy read with lots of swashbuckling， high octane Middle Ages action and on that front at least D。V Bishop delivered。 。。。more

PattyMacDotComma ，

There are some great reviews for this， but the style really didn't appeal to me， so I quit after only 25 pages or so。 Don't take my word for it - many loved it！ There are some great reviews for this， but the style really didn't appeal to me， so I quit after only 25 pages or so。 Don't take my word for it - many loved it！ 。。。more

Sebas ，

I was really excited about this book。 It’s about a really interesting time in history and the idea storyline is a good one。 It kept me interested enough to finish reading it but I nearly gave up on more than one occasion。 I found the book to be a bit of a letdown， mainly due to the awful interior monologues of the characters and overuse of rhetorical questioning， averaging at what felt like about one per page。 I’m sure at one point one character actually asks himself “But when？ And how？” which j I was really excited about this book。 It’s about a really interesting time in history and the idea storyline is a good one。 It kept me interested enough to finish reading it but I nearly gave up on more than one occasion。 I found the book to be a bit of a letdown， mainly due to the awful interior monologues of the characters and overuse of rhetorical questioning， averaging at what felt like about one per page。 I’m sure at one point one character actually asks himself “But when？ And how？” which just kind of annoyed me to be honest。 Also the Italian swear words that are mixed in with English every other sentence were pretty annoying。 I don’t mind books which have the odd bit of other languages mixed in but this one started to feel hackneyed after the 3rd ”cazo”。 The book is really fast paced which might be perceived as a good thing for some people but it didn’t work for me。 There’s a lot of action but not a lot of substance。 You don’t really find out anything about any of the characters which is a shame because they seemed interesting and could have been explored a bit further IMO。 I’m sure some people will enjoy it a lot and it would make a pretty good TV series I reckon so 2 stars for the ideas。 Pretty disappointing read overall though。 。。。more

Ashley ，

Tomorrow will come， whether we welcome it or not。Set in 1500s Florence， this richly atmospheric and mesmerizing political thriller is a must-read for any historical mystery lover。 With an endearing， yet flawed protagonist you can't help but love， and an intense， bloody， excellently told story， City Of Vengeance is a fantastic debut and the start to what is hopefully， an amazing series。Cesare Aldo， an officer of the court， finds himself implicated in a plot to overthrow the ruler of Florence。 Hav Tomorrow will come， whether we welcome it or not。Set in 1500s Florence， this richly atmospheric and mesmerizing political thriller is a must-read for any historical mystery lover。 With an endearing， yet flawed protagonist you can't help but love， and an intense， bloody， excellently told story， City Of Vengeance is a fantastic debut and the start to what is hopefully， an amazing series。Cesare Aldo， an officer of the court， finds himself implicated in a plot to overthrow the ruler of Florence。 Having just four days to uncover the truth， and solve a few murders along the way， he'll battle not only enemies， but his own secrets， threatening to bring him to ruin。Usually， political thrillers aren't my thing， but this one is so wonderfully done， I was hooked from page 1。 Seeing how spectacularly D。V。 Bishop portrayed my home country made my love for this book grow more and more as the story progressed。（view spoiler）[Also， its gay。 <3 （hide spoiler）] 。。。more

Laura Anderson ，

I will start the review by admitting bias， as the author is a friend and I think they're great， so I wanted to like this before I'd read it。 Happily， though， the book is brilliant， and I can't wait to read the rest in the series。Aldo is a great central character and will be a pleasure to revisit in subsequent books in the series。 He's complex， secretive， daring， clever， and the other characters he comes in to contact with are all equally interesting。 I loved the modern lens on history that the b I will start the review by admitting bias， as the author is a friend and I think they're great， so I wanted to like this before I'd read it。 Happily， though， the book is brilliant， and I can't wait to read the rest in the series。Aldo is a great central character and will be a pleasure to revisit in subsequent books in the series。 He's complex， secretive， daring， clever， and the other characters he comes in to contact with are all equally interesting。 I loved the modern lens on history that the book offers - shan't go into specifics for fear of spoilers but it's fair to say that there are subplots and characters in here that don't often feature in historical fiction， and it made this all the richer。 It's beautifully written， meticulously researched， and very atmospheric。 Bring on book two！ 。。。more

Leah M ，

I loved this book！ I was a bit hesitant at first as I am not normally a crime novel fan but I do love a bit of historical fiction and the time period and location were so well established that I found it incredibly immersive。 There has clearly been a great deal of research gone into this novel and it shows。 There is great attention to detail when it comes to architecture， atmosphere and semiotics。 Also the use of Italian throughout helps to set the scene nicely。 It’s also been used very cleverly I loved this book！ I was a bit hesitant at first as I am not normally a crime novel fan but I do love a bit of historical fiction and the time period and location were so well established that I found it incredibly immersive。 There has clearly been a great deal of research gone into this novel and it shows。 There is great attention to detail when it comes to architecture， atmosphere and semiotics。 Also the use of Italian throughout helps to set the scene nicely。 It’s also been used very cleverly as someone， like myself， who doesn’t speak Italian can still see what is said and understand what is going on purely from the context given。 I have now added a wonderful plethora of filthy， Italian， onomatopoeic words to my repertoire！ The character development is well established and at no point feels rushed which is a pet hate I have with some novels。 Strocchi is definitely my favourite！ I particularly love D。V。Bishop’s choice to explore the role of gender and sexual inequality in the time period。 It adds subtext and another dynamic to all of the character interactions。 I have thoroughly enjoyed this novel and can’t wait for next instalment！ 。。。more

Clare ，

City of Vengeance is set in 16th century Florence during the Renaissance， a time when cities in Italy were run by Dukes。 Florence’s Duke was Alessandro de’ Medici。 Cesare Aldo is an officer of the criminal court and a former soldier， and when we first meet him， he is riding home to Florence from Bologna with the Jewish moneylender he’s protecting。 This is where we learn just how good Also is at this part of his job。 His charge reaches his home safely， despite an encounter with bandits。 Thinking City of Vengeance is set in 16th century Florence during the Renaissance， a time when cities in Italy were run by Dukes。 Florence’s Duke was Alessandro de’ Medici。 Cesare Aldo is an officer of the criminal court and a former soldier， and when we first meet him， he is riding home to Florence from Bologna with the Jewish moneylender he’s protecting。 This is where we learn just how good Also is at this part of his job。 His charge reaches his home safely， despite an encounter with bandits。 Thinking he has finished his job well， Also leaves the moneylender at his home and thinks nothing more of it - until the moneylender is murdered。 Also is tasked with finding the murderer within four days， which seems impossible。 Especially when you factor in all the trouble that Aldo manages to get himself in to！ Meanwhile another constable of the criminal court， Strocchi， is investigating the death of a young man。 The only problem， is that he was murdered whilst wearing a dress， and homosexuality is illegal。 Finding his murderer isn’t high on the courts list of priorities - in fact， there are those who work there who believe that he has got exactly what he deserves。 There’s loads of mystery and intrigue in this book， as well as heaps of historical detail。 It’s fast-paced and totally unputdownable。 It shows the seedier， more difficult side of life at this time， especially when we get a look in to La Stinche - a notorious prison hellhole。Both Also and Strocchi are characters that I’m looking forward to finding out more about - especially Aldo。 There’s a lot more to him than we see in this， what I hope is， the first of a series （I’m totally guessing here - but it’s not a terrible idea！）。 Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for providing me with an e-copy of this book to read and review through NetGalley。 。。。more

Leanne Cramond ，

This is a great debut historical mystery/thriller set in 16th Florence and based around real events of the time。Cesare Aldo works for the criminal court after serving for a period in the military。 The story starts with him escorting a Jewish money lender on his travels to bring him safely back to Florence only to have him murdered once they return home。 Meanwhile， a ‘courtesan’ of the time is brutally beaten to death where they discover she is actually a he， and homosexuality is punished by deat This is a great debut historical mystery/thriller set in 16th Florence and based around real events of the time。Cesare Aldo works for the criminal court after serving for a period in the military。 The story starts with him escorting a Jewish money lender on his travels to bring him safely back to Florence only to have him murdered once they return home。 Meanwhile， a ‘courtesan’ of the time is brutally beaten to death where they discover she is actually a he， and homosexuality is punished by death。 As the reader quickly discovers， Aldo has a vested interest in solving both cases but while investigating， also unearths a plot to murder the current Duke， Alessandro de Medici。 The book very visually describes the filth， violence and intrigue of this period in history and the short chapters and fast pace keep the reader turning the page quickly。 As the blurb says， this is perfect for fans of C J Sansom （one of my all-time favourite historical writers） but I would add Ken Follett too， as the type of characters remind me of the ones you would find in his Pillars of the Earth series。 Looking forward to the second book in this new series to read more about Cesare Aldo and the others we have been introduced to！ 。。。more

Sean Kennedy ，

Enjoyable start to a series， had the enjoyment factor of an Assassin’s Creed game and refreshing to see a gay protagonist take centre stage in a mainstream genre。

Susan ，

1536 Travelling to Florence， Cesare Aldo， law enforcer， and Samuels Levi， are attacked but survive。 Although late Levi is murdered in his home and Aldo is given four days to find the guilty party。 But this is not the only murder the Otto need to investigate。 But political intrigue and secrets seem to be everywhere。A entertaining and well-written historical mystery， I found the characters to be likeable in the main especially that of the complex Aldo。 A good start to the series which I look forwa 1536 Travelling to Florence， Cesare Aldo， law enforcer， and Samuels Levi， are attacked but survive。 Although late Levi is murdered in his home and Aldo is given four days to find the guilty party。 But this is not the only murder the Otto need to investigate。 But political intrigue and secrets seem to be everywhere。A entertaining and well-written historical mystery， I found the characters to be likeable in the main especially that of the complex Aldo。 A good start to the series which I look forward to reading the next。An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Lyn ，

There were lots of twists and turns in this novel。 It was an interesting setting and the main character is complex and honourable。 Set in 1536， sleuthing requires different skills。 Bishop does a good job of explaining how the city is run and the power of the Medicis。 I am hoping that this is the start of a series， as the time and place are fascinating， and the other characters introduced are likely to be worth reading about， especially Strocchi。

Bee Lee ，

Great read， kept me awake all night。

Robert Craven ，

This is an impressive historical thriller set at the height of Medici power in Florence。 With a nod to Patrick Süskind's 'Perfume' and the swashbuckling actioners like 'The Count of Monte Cristo'。 It's gritty， at times bloody but overall an engaging and enjoyable read。 Rich in detail and intrigue， every character is clearly defined and propels the plot at a breakneck speed。 The main character， Cesare Aldo is a complex character， beneath the violence， he is a man of his time， but principled and u This is an impressive historical thriller set at the height of Medici power in Florence。 With a nod to Patrick Süskind's 'Perfume' and the swashbuckling actioners like 'The Count of Monte Cristo'。 It's gritty， at times bloody but overall an engaging and enjoyable read。 Rich in detail and intrigue， every character is clearly defined and propels the plot at a breakneck speed。 The main character， Cesare Aldo is a complex character， beneath the violence， he is a man of his time， but principled and unashamed of who he is。City of Vengeance is thoroughly enjoyable and Bishop has hit the nail on the head with a rich seam of history to draw from。 Can't wait for the next one。 。。。more

ClaireJ ，

I am really enjoying historical crime books lately and this one was honestly superb。It is the first in a dramatic new series featuring officer of the criminal court and former soldier， Cesare Aldo who I immediately took a liking to。 He is brave， cunning and highly intelligent。 He has to use his wits to work out who is committing these murders with the knowledge that corruption surrounds him。 Who can he trust？ Cesare has his own secrets which others could try to use against him。 The setting of th I am really enjoying historical crime books lately and this one was honestly superb。It is the first in a dramatic new series featuring officer of the criminal court and former soldier， Cesare Aldo who I immediately took a liking to。 He is brave， cunning and highly intelligent。 He has to use his wits to work out who is committing these murders with the knowledge that corruption surrounds him。 Who can he trust？ Cesare has his own secrets which others could try to use against him。 The setting of the story in 16th century Florence is highly atmospheric and the author successfully describes the city in a beautifully immersive way。 I felt like I could experience the sights， sounds and smells as if I was actually there。 You certainly find out a lot about the dark side of this famous city and its underground life in rich detail。 Overall this was a compelling and highly exciting historical crime book where I loved reading every single page。 I look forward to finding out what happens next to Cesare Aldo who may now be a new favourite character of mine。 。。。more

Anne Cochrane ，

Loved this book。 The characters were engaging， the action was exciting and the historical detail was fascinating。 It was full of political intrigue and gave fascinating insight into life in Florence at that time。 Can’t wait for the next in the series。

Annelies ，

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for the ARCFlorence， 16th century。 Aldo Cesare is tasked with protecting a Jewish money lender and later with investigating his murder。 This leads him to discover some de Medici court intrigues which then endanger his own life。 Parallel to this plotline there is another murder of a male prostitute， which serves to provide some background to Aldo's private life， but also muddles the story a bit。 The two murders and two investigations are sometimes hard to Thank you to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for the ARCFlorence， 16th century。 Aldo Cesare is tasked with protecting a Jewish money lender and later with investigating his murder。 This leads him to discover some de Medici court intrigues which then endanger his own life。 Parallel to this plotline there is another murder of a male prostitute， which serves to provide some background to Aldo's private life， but also muddles the story a bit。 The two murders and two investigations are sometimes hard to separate， I had trouble at times to tell the characters apart。 Not just the investigating officers， but also the criminals and nobles。The setting is original， but the use of Italian words bothered me at times， especially since there seems to be only one swear word that is used over and over again。 。。。more

Kiwiflora ，

We love a detective with an irascible personality， an interesting and possibly dodgy back story， often a loner， burdened with a challenging underling or offsider， challenging crimes to solve， sometimes involving dangerous situations to sort it all out。 And when the writer gives you a setting that is quite outside the usual scenario， we may well have a winner of a novel， and in this case， perhaps a new series featuring this new detective。 This novel is set in Florence， the winter of 1536， with th We love a detective with an irascible personality， an interesting and possibly dodgy back story， often a loner， burdened with a challenging underling or offsider， challenging crimes to solve， sometimes involving dangerous situations to sort it all out。 And when the writer gives you a setting that is quite outside the usual scenario， we may well have a winner of a novel， and in this case， perhaps a new series featuring this new detective。 This novel is set in Florence， the winter of 1536， with the Medici family cementing their rule of the city。 Alessandro is the first hereditary Medici ruler， and spends much of his time juggling the various threats to his rule， the court and its manipulative minions and the people of the city itself。 Our hero is a former soldier， now an officer of the greatly feared criminal court， going by the marvellous name of Cesare Aldo。 He lives in rooms attached to a brothel， he has few friends and has his own juggling of threats to his existence to contend with。 The story opens with him escorting an elderly Jewish banker on a journey back to Florence after some business in another city。 An ambush immediately alerts Cesare to something sinister going on with the banker， and then when he is later found murdered， Ceasar is charged with finding out who is responsible。 In the process he also unearths a plot to assassinate the Duke， which no one seems to want to know about， leaving him and his offsider to try to prevent the assassination occurring。 So a great story line， with intriguing and well formed characters。 But wait there is more。 The setting of time and place is wonderfully depicted and described。 Living in a Renaissance city was a horrible existence for 90% of the citizens。 Poverty， squalor， disease， complete lack of hygiene， brutal。 All the ghastly stuff。 There is a character who is a doctor - fascinating to read how daily medical care was carried out， how an operation was done。 This author has a terrific eye for putting the reader in the story， almost living and breathing the ugliness and violence of it all。 I am very much looking forward to Cesare Aldo's second outing。 。。。more

Sam Dolan ，

An excellent and immersive narrative with brilliant characters。 I couldn't put it down and can't wait for Aldo to return！ An excellent and immersive narrative with brilliant characters。 I couldn't put it down and can't wait for Aldo to return！ 。。。more

Jo-anne Atkinson ，

1536 and Florence is cold。 Cesare Aldo has been tasked with escorting a Jewish moneylender from Bologna back to Florence and the precaution of hiring Aldo is proved right when the two are attacked。 However， it is not until they are parted back in the city that the Jew is murdered。 In addition， one of Aldo's informants， a cross-dresser， has also been murdered and Aldo discovers a plot against the Medici Duke of Florence。 In violent times where Church and state co-exist uneasily， Aldo and the loya 1536 and Florence is cold。 Cesare Aldo has been tasked with escorting a Jewish moneylender from Bologna back to Florence and the precaution of hiring Aldo is proved right when the two are attacked。 However， it is not until they are parted back in the city that the Jew is murdered。 In addition， one of Aldo's informants， a cross-dresser， has also been murdered and Aldo discovers a plot against the Medici Duke of Florence。 In violent times where Church and state co-exist uneasily， Aldo and the loyal men of the city must try to discover the truth。This is the first in a purported series of novels set in Renaissance Florence and it is a strong start。 There is a multilayered plot， a wide cast of characters and enough intrigue to keep the reader hooked。 My only quibble was the over-emphasis on the homosexual nature of the protagonist and， especially， the very clunky 'romance'。 Other than that this is a well-researched and thoroughly entertaining book。 。。。more

Jessica M ，

http://jessjustreads。comDebut historical thriller City of Vengeance by D。V Bishop takes us to Renaissance Florence， 1536。 Cesare Aldo is tasked with solving two murders — moneylender Levi， who was stabbed to death in his home， and cross-dresser Corsini， who was bashed to death after dark。 The novel also explores the unrest in Florence， and the traitorous plan to overthrow Alessandro de’ Medici by his own cousin。 Whilst fiction， this book is inspired by true events， which are detailed in the Auth http://jessjustreads。comDebut historical thriller City of Vengeance by D。V Bishop takes us to Renaissance Florence， 1536。 Cesare Aldo is tasked with solving two murders — moneylender Levi， who was stabbed to death in his home， and cross-dresser Corsini， who was bashed to death after dark。 The novel also explores the unrest in Florence， and the traitorous plan to overthrow Alessandro de’ Medici by his own cousin。 Whilst fiction， this book is inspired by true events， which are detailed in the Author’s Note at the end。Readers needn’t love historical fiction to enjoy City of Vengeance — you must merely enjoy crime and thriller stories。 At its core， this is a book about two murders， and a lead detective trying to uncover the truth。 Whilst the setting may feel vastly different， this novel follows a similar format to most police procedural tales。“It took Strocchi hours to find a true address for Corsini。 The Otto’s records revealed several arrests of him in recent months: petty theft， pickpocketing and indecent acts。 But the accused gave a different address each time， forcing Strocchi to eliminate them all。”D。V Bishop does well to paint the setting。 I’m somewhat familiar with the Medici reign and felt like the author captured the atmosphere of the time — societal behaviour and attitudes— rather well。 It’s clear that years of research went into writing this book， a lot of source material and perhaps reference books as well。 City of Vengeances explores political intrigue， betrayal， familial obligation and keeping secrets。 Each major character has been crafted uniquely， their personalities differing significantly。 We have more than one villain， and plenty of red herrings along the way to throw us off the scent of the murderer/s。 Aldo in particular is a well-developed character。 He is in charge of uncovering secrets， but at the same time， he’s hiding some secrets of his own。“Aldo went to the door。 It stood ajar but there was no splintering to the wood， and no damage to the bolt。 That suggested Levi had let his attacker in — a debtor， maybe， or a rival？ Or had it been someone closer to home？ Killings in Florence were not infrequent and were usually personal， fuelled by family， love， hate or greed。”Despite the book only taking place over a few days， the pacing slows in the middle and suddenly the novel feels very long。 Four hundred pages wasn't necessary for the scope of this story， and I’ll admit I groaned a little when I found out this was the first book in a planned series。 Please， make the sequel more succinct！Admittedly， the other gripe I had with the story were the similarity in names。 Perhaps unavoidable when writing a story based on true events， but we had Cesare， Corsini， Cosimo and Cerchi。 It took me about one hundred pages to tell them apart whenever they appeared in a scene together — some names starting with another letter would’ve been welcome。 “Levi had been anxious on the road back from Bologna， but not defeated。 If what Dante said was true， something must have happened after Levi’s return to Florence。”Energetic and intense， with enough intrigue to keep you reading。 Recommended for readers of fantasy and medieval history。 Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Nemesia ，

A read as gripping as The Name of the Rose - which you have to think of when you talk about a historical crime novel set in Italy， even with a gap of 200 years。The characters are fascinating and the mystery remains intact till the end， with a lot of clues and false leads for the readers to enjoy。 The historical context is extraordinary vivid and made me want to read a lot more about the Italian Renaissance！

Vivienne ，

My thanks to Pan Macmillan for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘City of Vengeance’ by D。 V。 Bishop in exchange for an honest review。 I complemented my reading with its unabridged audiobook edition， narrated by Mark Meadows。 “Cesare Aldo took no pleasure from killing， but sometimes it was necessary。” - first and last lines， ‘City of Vengeance’。This is the first in a series of historical mysteries set in 16th Century Florence， Italy featuring Cesare Aldo， a former soldier who now serves as an officer of My thanks to Pan Macmillan for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘City of Vengeance’ by D。 V。 Bishop in exchange for an honest review。 I complemented my reading with its unabridged audiobook edition， narrated by Mark Meadows。 “Cesare Aldo took no pleasure from killing， but sometimes it was necessary。” - first and last lines， ‘City of Vengeance’。This is the first in a series of historical mysteries set in 16th Century Florence， Italy featuring Cesare Aldo， a former soldier who now serves as an officer of the Renaissance city’s most feared criminal court。
Florence。 Winter， 1536。 When a prominent Jewish moneylender is murdered in his home， the death has wide implications。 Aldo is given only four days to solve the murder with a threat of ‘consequences’ if he fails。 During his investigations Aldo uncovers a conspiracy that could endanger the city’s future。 In addition， if aspects of Aldo’s private life are exposed it would likely lead to his ruin。 Yet a rival officer of the court is determined to uncover Aldo’s secrets。I found this an engaging historical mystery with a strong sense of its period setting with Aldo established as a compelling lead。 In his Historical Notes following the main text， Bishop details the real events that had informed the narrative。 It is undoubtedly a brilliant debut and I am looking forward to reading further of the Cesare Aldo mysteries。 。。。more

Nadine Paque-Wolkow ，

Kann ich bitte den nächsten Band haben 。。。 Jetzt？

Katrina Evans ，

Really entertaining historical crime。 Full review can be found here https://allopinionsarenotequal。wordpr。。。 Really entertaining historical crime。 Full review can be found here https://allopinionsarenotequal。wordpr。。。 。。。more

Lauren Steele ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 *This review contains spoilers！ Sorry I couldn’t avoid it！*Having studied Renaissance history for my masters （which now seems a life time ago）， I’m always up for reading some historical fiction。 City of Vengeance is the first in a brand new series of murder mystery books set in Florence during the Renaissance。 Thank you to Macmillan for my lovely proof copy。It’s 1536 and Cesare Aldo， an ex-soldier officer of one of the harshest criminal courts in Florence， is on the road back from Bologna with a *This review contains spoilers！ Sorry I couldn’t avoid it！*Having studied Renaissance history for my masters （which now seems a life time ago）， I’m always up for reading some historical fiction。 City of Vengeance is the first in a brand new series of murder mystery books set in Florence during the Renaissance。 Thank you to Macmillan for my lovely proof copy。It’s 1536 and Cesare Aldo， an ex-soldier officer of one of the harshest criminal courts in Florence， is on the road back from Bologna with a Jewish moneylender。 Once out of Aldo’s protection， the moneylender is killed and Aldo is given four days to solve the murder。 But as his investigation progresses， Aldo unravels a much larger plot against Duke Alessandro de’Medici。 Suspicions are raised against Aldo and he struggles to protect himself from the whispers of conspiracy。 Can Aldo protect the Duke， or will his own secrets destroy him first？Firstly， I was so happy to see that there was absolutely a phenomenal amount of research that went into this novel。 Blood， dirt and disgusting streets are what the majority of people had to face， and I think Bishop does an excellent job in conveying it。 The actual history of the events is pretty exciting and an excellent choice for a crime setting。 This doesn’t mean that there weren’t some extras and added embellishments but if this isn’t a period of history you already know， you get to learn about the events of the rise of the Medici family in a pretty accessible way。I think the pace of this book was perhaps a little on the slow side for me and it did take me a while to get into it。 Most of the action also happens in the last ten pages and I would have liked other variations in pace elsewhere in the book。By the end of the book I felt an affinity towards Aldo and I’m looking forward to seeing what the next instalment of the series brings。 Perhaps this one was a bit long and slow for my own personal tastes， but overall I was glad I ventured into this new debut series。Read my full review here: https://lozlit。wordpress。com/2021/02/。。。 。。。more

Andy Wormald ，

A novel rich in character with an atmosphere dripping in intrigue and drama。Firstly many thanks to the publisher for an arcSynopsis:Florence。 Winter 1536。 A prominent moneylender is murdered in his home， a death with wide implications in a city powered by immense wealth。Cesare Aldo， a former soldier and now an officer of the Renaissance city’s most feared criminal court， is given four days to solve the murder: catch the killer before the feast of Epiphany – or suffer the consequences。My Thoughts A novel rich in character with an atmosphere dripping in intrigue and drama。Firstly many thanks to the publisher for an arcSynopsis:Florence。 Winter 1536。 A prominent moneylender is murdered in his home， a death with wide implications in a city powered by immense wealth。Cesare Aldo， a former soldier and now an officer of the Renaissance city’s most feared criminal court， is given four days to solve the murder: catch the killer before the feast of Epiphany – or suffer the consequences。My Thoughts:Welcome to the world of Aldo Cesare where power and money rule。It is difficult to find the words to do the book justice， for me in any book the characters are King they make what follows feel real， in this book the characters just sing to you， they almost come fully rounded， you can feel that each has been well thought out each critical to the plot。 Aldo carries secrets he must preserve， he as a loyalty to the Duke and whilst caring with a certain honesty he is prepared to fight for his survival， definitely an engaging character。There are two seemingly separate murders to be investigated， however as one deals with homosexuality it is not given as much credence as the death of a Jewish money lender by those who wield the power， the book deals with those in abject poverty equally as those whose wealth can also be their downfall。 The plot is full of political greed and intrigue as there are those who would like to rule。 Dangers abound around every corner， and as Aldo comes close to uncovering the truth， this could also be his downfall， there are those who are prepared to stop at nothing to keep the truth hidden。 Murder and mystery abound， with plenty of political machinations。The book takes place over a short time frame and this adds to the believability， bearing in mind when the book is set the pace of the pacing is spot on， as to the detail and the period in which the book is set， clearly the author has done his research and superbly blended certain facts into fiction of the highest order。However，It is the writing which shines throughout， there is depth and the way the book is written makes you feel as though you are there on the page lurking in the shadows， wonderfully descriptive passages。 There are scenes within the La Stinche prison in which you feel the terrors and horrors in which the prisoners endured。 Whilst the book deals with the horrors of death， there are moments of tendernessThe book draws you in from the opening pages and doesn’t let go， packed with plenty of drama， intrigue， and plot twists， the ending when it comes is a highly satisfying conclusion。One to watch， this was a joy to read， highly compelling and one I would heartily recommend， eagerly await the return of Aldo and his fellow officers 。。。more

Annette Jordan ，

City of Vengeance by D。V 。 Bishop is a well crafted historical thriller and the opener of what looks like a promising series。 Set in Florence in 1536， the book follows Cesare Aldo ， an officer of the Criminal Court of Florence as he investigates the murder of a Jewish money lender in the city。 Given only four days to solve the crime， Cesare at first has difficulty gaining the trust of the Jewish population ，who prefer to keep to themselves ，and would rather that the matter be left to their relig City of Vengeance by D。V 。 Bishop is a well crafted historical thriller and the opener of what looks like a promising series。 Set in Florence in 1536， the book follows Cesare Aldo ， an officer of the Criminal Court of Florence as he investigates the murder of a Jewish money lender in the city。 Given only four days to solve the crime， Cesare at first has difficulty gaining the trust of the Jewish population ，who prefer to keep to themselves ，and would rather that the matter be left to their religious authorities。 As he begins to unravel the mystery， and discovers several suspects with motives ranging from greed to vengeance， he is surprised to find that there is a plot afoot to assassinate the Duke of Florence ， unleashing a struggle for succession that would destabilise the city。 As if that was not enough pressure， Aldo is hiding a secret of his own， one that a rival investigator could use to destroy his career。 This was an entertaining read， and I really liked the character of Cesare Aldo， he was really well fleshed out in the book， with an intriguing back story and a lot of potential for future development as the series continues。 The plot was complex enough to keep me guessing and had plenty of twists and turns with lots of plots and intrigue。 In terms of pacing the book starts out really strongly but does lag a little in the middle， before picking up again for a dramatic conclusion。 The attention to detail was excellent， it made the setting come to life on the page 。 I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher， all opinions are my own。 。。。more

Jessica Gilmore ，

What an absolute treat。 Based on true events， City of Vengeance is clever， twisty and inventive， transporting the reader back to the narrow streets of treacherous， repressive Renaissance Florence。 Cesare Aldo works for the local law enforcers and he has been tasked to protect a Jewish moneylender on a journey back from Bologna。 Although they are attacked， Aldo delivers him home safely， only to hear he was murdered later that night。 Aldo is given just four days to find the killer - and has to rep What an absolute treat。 Based on true events， City of Vengeance is clever， twisty and inventive， transporting the reader back to the narrow streets of treacherous， repressive Renaissance Florence。 Cesare Aldo works for the local law enforcers and he has been tasked to protect a Jewish moneylender on a journey back from Bologna。 Although they are attacked， Aldo delivers him home safely， only to hear he was murdered later that night。 Aldo is given just four days to find the killer - and has to report his progress to the Duke himself。 But meanwhile old rivalries are plotting against Aldo and his secrets are under threat， and with them his life。 I really hope that this is the start of a series。 Well paced， well written， cleverly blending fact and fiction this is an impressive debut。 Highly recommended。 。。。more

Teresa Cornelius ，

City of Vengeance by D V BishopA historical novel which has a basis in fact this is a fascinating depiction of Florence in 1536。 The research which has been carried out in order to write this novel is obvious but you never feel as if you are wading through facts。 The main character is Aldo who has been paid to escort Samuele Levi， a Jewish moneylender， along the dangerous road from Bologna。 He has managed to get Samuele safely back to Florence but he is brutally murdered shortly after his return City of Vengeance by D V BishopA historical novel which has a basis in fact this is a fascinating depiction of Florence in 1536。 The research which has been carried out in order to write this novel is obvious but you never feel as if you are wading through facts。 The main character is Aldo who has been paid to escort Samuele Levi， a Jewish moneylender， along the dangerous road from Bologna。 He has managed to get Samuele safely back to Florence but he is brutally murdered shortly after his return。Aldo is charged with discovering the perpetrator of this murder and alongside this he is investigating the murder of a young man who satisfied the needs of the wealthy men of the region whilst dressed as a courtesan。 It is a tense novel full of atmosphere and intrigue。 It is clear that there are numerous plots bubbling beneath the surface and many who will stop at nothing to further their own ends。The depiction of a corrupt Florence which is a hotbed of secrets and rivalry is a gripping read and one which I would recommend to others。 I would like to thank the author， the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review。 。。。more

John Mccormick ，

My thanks to the Author publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review。Well written and researched with an excellent mix of real and fictional characters built around an actual historical event in Florence。 This is an absorbing atmospheric intriguing debut and hopefully the start of a series， Entertaining and engaging from first to last page。 A clever descriptive imaginative debut。Recommended。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=City of Vengeance

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=City of Vengeance&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

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