Book review : Sent to the Devil by Laura Lebow

Sent to the Devil
by Laura Lebow
Lorenzo Da Ponte Mysteries Book #2

GENRE : #HistoricalFiction #CozyMystery #MusicalWhodunit
My rating: ★★★★★

What a delightful mystery to dive into!

It features real-life historical figures as the stars, captures all the enchantment of the 18th-century Viennese theater scene, avoids any graphic violence, and masterfully weaves authentic history into the fabric of a fictional plot.
If you’re looking for a mystery that feels like a warm embrace rather than a dark alleyway, you need to pick up Sent to the Devil by Laura Lebow.

__THE PLOT __ 1788, Vienna.
Lorenzo Da Ponte, the court poet, is hard at work as the librettist for Mozart’s Don Giovanni, which has already seen great success in Prague.
While the theaters remain busy, the atmosphere is tense. Emperor Joseph II has embroiled the nation in a war against the Turks, and the city is frequently rocked by protest riots.
To make matters worse, a series of shocking murders targeting the aristocracy and clergy has gripped the public in fear.

One of the victims is a close, long-time friend of Lorenzo. Because of this connection, Da Ponte is summoned to police headquarters and tasked by the chief of police with assisting in the investigation alongside Count Benda (who was also linked to the first victim).
Determined to bring his friend’s killer to justice, Da Ponte joins the secret inquiry.
Alongside another dear old friend, the legendary Giacomo Casanova, he finds himself caught in the middle of the delusional, paranoid schemes of a madman obsessed with the verses of Dante’s Purgatorio.

__________________________

_____ MY THOUGHTS _____

I absolutely adored everything about this book as it aligns perfectly with my personal tastes, though I feel it’s only fair to note that I’d primarily recommend it to fans of light mystery (such as cozy or classic whodunits). Despite the title and the serious-looking cover (which I quite like), the nature of the mystery and the investigation won’t satisfy those who prefer high-octane, gritty thrillers filled with dramatic tension or gory details.
If you’re looking for a fast-paced, blood-soaked thriller, this isn’t it.

Conversely, if you love mysteries with an inviting atmosphere, lighthearted moments that foster a sense of friendship and camaraderie, an investigation that moves at an easy pace, a relatable human protagonist (who is certainly no fearless hero pulling off complex logical miracles), and abundant historical nods, then this is the perfect book for you!

__ WHY I LOVED IT (AND WHY I’LL BE RE-READING IT!) __

1 _ THE MAIN CHARACTERS :
These are three figures who truly existed, were genuine acquaintances in real life, and shared real moments of friendship.
While history books give us the facts, fiction allows us to step into their shoes: watching them banter, collaborate at the theater, share a drink, or exchange confidences. These moments, while imagined by the author, feel entirely plausible and human.

• Lorenzo Da Ponte, Approaching his forties, he serves as Mozart’s librettist.
  Born in Venice, he took his vows as a priest not out of religious calling, but because it provided a path to education.
  Much like in real life, he’s a man who appreciates feminine beauty, and Lebow’s books don’t shy away from that trait.
  He is cultured, polite, and kind; he doesn't go searching for trouble but is frequently dragged into it against his will. It’s truly amusing to watch him navigate dangerous confrontations with cunning killers in his own clumsy, charming way.



• Giacomo Casanova, Also a Venetian, he actually assisted in adding scenes to Mozart’s Don Giovanni, even though he wasn't in Prague at the time.
  Here, he is sixty years old but remains as charming as ever with quite an eye for the ladies.
  It’s worth remembering that he was far more than a libertine; he was a brilliant, cultured man who authored several books and served as an Italian diplomat and secret agent!



• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart needs no introduction, though most people only know the surface details.
  He was a magnificent, fascinating genius with a restless soul and an unruly life (filled with gambling, debt, parties, and women).
  I loved seeing him in a romanticized light, as a devoted husband enjoying a peaceful day-to-day life with his wife, Constance, and their children.
  I loved watching him joke with his colleagues and direct actors at the theater.
  It was a joy to set aside his chaotic history and focus on the sunny side of his personality. That is the true magic of fiction!

At the same time, once you step out of the “bubble of serenity” that fiction provides, it’s wonderful to go back and learn the historical truths about these men.
This is one of those rare historical mysteries that incorporates true facts—literature, opera, politics, and the splendor of Vienna, and encourages me to dig even deeper into history.

2 _ THE SETTING:
As I mentioned, the backdrop is warm and inviting.
I loved the theater scenes during rehearsals, complete with the real names of actors from that era, capturing their insecurities, hysterics, wit, and creative spark.
It was fascinating to see how the opera was adapted based on the specific vocal strengths of the singers and the political climate of the time.

Beyond the theater, the author provides a wonderful overview of the beautiful Habsburg capital.
As Da Ponte travels around for work or investigation, the book highlights streets, monuments, and buildings that still stand today.
Having been born in Vienna and returned many times, I loved “traveling” through the 18th-century version of my home city, even searching for old lithographs online to help myself get fully immersed in the atmosphere!

3 _ THE STRONG HISTORICAL ELEMENT:
It shows up in many ways and blends perfectly with the fiction.
There are books that use history as a mere backdrop, and then there are “true historical novels” where fiction is perfectly integrated with factual history.
Thanks to the author's deep research, we get a beautiful look at the past:

• The novel offers a glimpse into the political climate and public mood of the period.


• The author explores the protagonist's love for literature by including Dante's verses in the killer's messages and explaining them through Da Ponte's words.


• Laura Lebow talks about Vienna’s iconic monuments, buildings, and cafés, explaining who built them and why. She also shares even more details in the historical notes at the end of the book.


• The story includes real life events of the three main characters.


• We get a front-row seat to the rehearsals of one of Mozart’s most famous operas, alongside mentions of many other works of the era.

All of this is woven into the plot in a light and pleasant way, but it's also sharp enough to make you curious to find out more.

I applaud the author, and I sincerely hope she continues this series, perhaps exploring other works Da Ponte focused on in other cities where he lived.

👉 Clean language, one sex scene barely mentioned and without any explicit description.
👉 This mystery is perfect for both adults and young adults, especioally for fans of cozy and classic mysteries.
If you love gentle investigations, charming settings, and a protagonist who is more "relatable human" than "fearless detective," you are going to love this.
I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a great overall story, even if the mystery investigation itself is low on tension and pathos. The final resolution, however, is wonderfully unexpected!

This is installment #2 in "Lorenzo Da Ponte series", If you’re interested in my review of the first book, The Figaro Murders, you can find it here:

#BOOK 1 : THE FIGARO MURDERS "Lorenzo Da Ponte Series" by Laura Lebow book review

Thanks so much for stopping by and reading my review.

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Book review : Shadow of the Alchemist by Jeri Westerson

Shadow of the Alchemist
Crispin Guest Book #6
Medieval noir by Jeri Westerson

My rating: ★★★★★
5 full stars ! 😃
Installment #6 in the Crispin Guest series and one more time was an exciting read!

__ THE PLOT IN SHORT__ 1387, London. This time Crispin Guest, a disgraced former knight, now known as the Tracker, the one who finds lost things (or people), is hired by a French master alchemist, secretly staying in London, to find his wife and missing assistant.
One of the two is immediately found dead and the other kidnapped.
No ransom money, but riddles, several strange characters and other crimes, seem to lead Crispin towards a single path...
No holy relic and no parchment is valuable, this time, the historical object at the heart of this story is a legendary object, which tickles the imagination and credulity of people: the "Philosopher's Stone", which can transform objects into gold and can give eternal life.

*************

It is a fast-paced mystery, with more than one crime to solve: a murder and a kidnapping, a mass poisoning, mysterious characters, misunderstandings and liars, against the backdrop of recent political plots.
A race against time to save the kidnapping victim, through puzzles to solve, by a villain full of hatred and skilled in disguises.

___ HISTORICAL EVENTS FORMING THE BACKDROP___ The end of the year 1387 in England was a turbulent time, as Jeri Westerton tells us in the final notes.
Along with the fictional characters, as in every book of this series, we find other characters who were real historical figures.

The king who banished Crispin Guest from court is Richard II and the house to which Crispin was linked when he was a knight is that of Lancaster.
---> While in the previous books we often meet John of Gaunt (father of the future King Henry IV), here, as in book #5, we meet his eldest son, the young Henry, Earl of Darby and future king of England.
While Crispin runs around half of London trying to solve strange riddles and capture the culprit, Henry, very dear to Crispin, participates in the "Lords Appellant" group, aristocrats who impeached five of the king's favorites, to curb what was seen as a tyrannical and capricious government.
Henry finds himself in the crosshairs of those who want to eliminate him as a possible candidate for the throne, but despite being a friend of Crispin, he never fully reveals the truth about his role in the various affairs, so our hero is continually torn between affection and suspicion.

---> Even the alchemist Nicholas Flamel (also present in Harry Potter) and his wife Perenelle, are figures who truly existed in the 14th century, although, as the writer explains in the notes, they were not alchemists.
Actually Flamel was a writer and seller of manuscripts who, thanks to his interest in the Philosopher's Stone and his studies on it, was thought as an alchemist in the following centuries.

Political events appear only marginally during the story of the book, while at the end many points and all developments are clarified.

I really like following Crispin's stories intertwined with the several historical real-life figures.
I use to love, while reading, exploring the true story of those really existed characters on the web and feeling like I am a participant in those historical events, thanks to the dialogues of the characters in the fiction.

___CRISPIN GUEST, THE MAIN CHARACTER ___
I love this character with all my heart!
He is young, courageous and full of ideals, but he doesn't always do or think the right thing... in fact the author also shows his flaws and this makes him feel more real and more human.

While the series begins with Crispin feeling sorry for himself, with each book and adventure, our ex-knight matures as a person, learning to have a more open view of people and facts and while remaining very proud, we discover that he has a very big heart.
Over the course of the books, he earned the appreciation and affection of the poor people and found some true friends at court.
I'm really happy that in this book, he also manages to have a semi-official demonstration of esteem and affection, which he would never have expected.

---> In addition to Crispin, the character of Jack, the little cut-purse, also grows, becoming Crispin's now honest assistant.
As a boy we see him slowly become a man and in each book his affection and loyalty (both reciprocated) for Crispin, manage to move me. I love him too.
Together they are the perfect duo.

NOT a "cozy" mystery : there are no gruesome scenes in this book, but it has happened in other books in the series.
No foul language, but every now and then a bad word can happen by villains (not here that I remember).
Also in this book, as in the others, there is a woman who manages to enchant Crispin and although it is not a serious love story, but more cuddles, sex and physical attraction, I am happy to see Crispin momentarily more satisfied and less "alone" than the moments in which he drowns the sorrows of love in wine.
--> Kisses and a non-explicit sex scene.

___ TO CONCLUSION___
Thank you for reading my review and please be lenient with my English: it is not my native language.
I'm not good at writing reviews, but I hope that my enthusiasm for this series does enough justice to "Crispin Guest" and its author, even if readers' taste is subjective.

I hope you can find the necessary guidance in choosing or not choosing the book.

------> Each book is readable as a standalone, but if you read them in order your enjoyment will be doubled !

If you want to know more about PREVIOUS BOOKS, you can read my reviews here :

BOOK #1 "Veil of Lies" :

BOOK #2 "Serpent in the Thorns" :

BOOK #3 "The Demon's Parchment" :

BOOK #4 "Troubled Bones" :

BOOK #5 "Blood Lance" :



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Book review : Dangerous to Know by Tasha Alexander

Dangerous to Know
by Tasha Alexander
Lady Emily Ashton Mysteries book #5
GENRE : #historical-cozy-mystery

My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually 3,7 stars rounded up to 4.

Another mystery very hard to solve, this time set in wonderful Normandy ( France ).

I love to read the "Lady Emily mystery series", because it leads me through the most beautiful places in Europe and through the history, art and real-life historical figures of its charming regions, cities and towns, in the late Victorian era and later in the series in the early 1900s.

__ PLOT IN BRIEF __ 1892. After a disastrous honeymoon in Constantinople, where Lady Emily risked her life and lost the child she was carrying, she is now convalescing, accompanied by her husband Colin, at her mother-in-law's residence in Normandy .
Here Emily not only meets characters of the caliber of Monet and Maurice Leblanc, but she meets the fascinating thief Sebastian and comes across a terrible murder and perhaps even a ghost.

___THINGS I LOVED ___

As you may have guessed from the plot, there's a lot of stuff in this installment #5.

The mystery begins immediately with the gruesome discovery of a corpse, in which the killer's modus operandi brings to mind London's famous Jack the Ripper.
The discoveries regarding the victim's past, however, lead to different paths and Lady Emily, still very sad and sensitive for the loss of the child, finds herself facing other difficult issues: mental disorders and the shame that family members often felt when someone he was affected by it in his family.
The etiquette of good society and the terrible pressure that women underwent at that time in not being able to show their feelings and suffering, the lack of freedom in expressing themselves and the absurd submission that was imposed on wives by their husbands... and despite Emily's modernity and the declared equality of the 2 spouses within the marriage declared by Colin, we will see that this couple in love will also have big problems in this regard.

In addition to the murder, from the beginning of the story, we meet the supporting characters, among which the famous Claude Monet, impressionist painter who had just married his lover of many years Alice Hoschedé and the writer Maurice Leblanc, father of Arsène Lupin and who was then still a young journalist.

Tasha Alexander, the author, allows us to have tea with the famous painter in his beautiful home in Giverny, and it is fantastic to find ourselves immersed in the beautiful gardens that Monet loved so much. We breathe in the enchanting atmosphere of the village of Giverny with its half-timbered houses and rolling hills.
No less enchanting is the atmosphere of the medieval towns of Rouen, in which Lady Emily recalls that Joan of Arc was burned.
Not much is said about personal life of Maurice Leblanc, but is good to watch him to take part from time to time in this investigation.
The author also makes the reader understand that Leblanc was inspired by the friendly and charming gentleman thief Sebastian Capet (fiction obviously, in fact Sebastian is a fictional character) to write the his future novels starring the legendary Arsène Lupin.

As I already said, each historical mystery in the Lady Emily series is a journey through history and different places, interesting to visit and that will make you want to travel right away!
The descriptions range from landscapes to city streets, from historical events to the traditional gastronomy of the place, from habits and customs to the fashion of the time and place.
This does not prevent the author from creating complicated puzzles in each book in which it is really difficult to guess the culprit.

__LITTLE THINGS I LIKED A LITTLE LESS ___

Perhaps the thing that made me lower my rating for the book was the prolonged argument between Emily and her husband Colin. Not because the discussion itself bothered me, on the contrary, I liked seeing the couple with problems of misunderstanding, more similar to reality than a perfect sappy relationship that doesn't exist in any couple in the world...

What bothered me was Colin's unexpected arrogance and his alternation: imposition and "I love you", imposition and prohibitions and then again "you know I love you"... Wow, it really made me nervous and it made me even more angry with Emily, who, despite being dissatisfied, was trying to submit to this... true at the time it was like that, but it really made me nervous and even if they finally made peace... I wasn't satisfied with the motivation.
I like Emily's independent spirit and wish she had done more to be respected.

Another thing that had a negative impact on my rating was the presence of what was believed to be a ghost... Tasha Alexander often includes fake ghosts in her short stories (I have read all those published in the series) and it is a topic which I don't like very much and if it can fascinate me once, if it is repeated in several books of the same series, it tires me.

___ SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE MORE IN THE SERIES ___

The only topic I would like to see more often and I could never get bored is actually a side character: Sebastian, the thief with refined taste... I love him!
He is charming, gallant, always ready with a joke and unpredictable, even if he may look predictable.
He appears for the first time in book #3 (A Fatal Waltz, set in Vienna), where it is impossible not to fall in love with him. He reappears here and will reappear in book #12 ( Death in St. Petersburg ), which I read last year and I highly recommend it, it's a great read.
I already know that Sebastian will not appear in more books than those named by me ( among those already published), but I hope to have the pleasure of his presence in future books in the series.

I've read many books in this series out of chronological order and although the stories are connected to each other by Lady Emily's personal life, they all are readable as a standalone.

Clean language, no sex or kissing scenes, no violence, no gruesome descriptions.
Therefore a historical mystery also suitable for the youngest and those who love cozies.
If you choose to read the book, I hope you will enjoy it the same as me.

Thank you for reading my review and please forgive my bad English, because it is not my native language.

If you want to know more about PREVIOUS BOOKS, you can read my reviews here :

BOOK #2 : A Poisoned Season

BOOK #3 : A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander

BOOK #4: Tears of Pearl

BOOK #13.5 : Upon the Midnight Clear ( Christmas novella ) BOOK #17 : A Cold Highland Wind




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Book review : Tears of Pearl by Tasha Alexander

Tears of Pearl
by Tasha Alexander
Lady Emily Ashton Mysteries book #4

My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually 3,5 stars rounded to 4.

A very intricate mystery!

___ THE PLOT IN SHORT____ Lady Emily and Colin Hargreaves, diplomats of the British Empire, are finally married and can't wait to enjoy a relaxing and magnificent honeymoon in an exotic place. Their choice falls on the wonderful Constantinople.
Of course as always, plans don't go as planned and on their first night in the city, a harem girl is found murdered, strangled in the courtyard of the Sultan’s lavish Topkapi Palace.

An Englishman who works at the embassy in Constantinople is present and recognizes the girl as his daughter, kidnapped twenty years earlier.
Emily and Colin promise the heartbroken man that they will find the girl's killer.
As a woman, Emily has access to the forbidden world of the harem and soon discovers that its mysterious, sheltered walls offer no protection from a ruthless killer.

As the death toll grows, Emily must rely on her sharp wits, putting her life at great risk and possibly with very serious consequences.

***************

The author is skilled at leading the reader to believe they can predict what will happen, but you really can't!
More and more characters enter the scene with each chapter, and any hypothesis you formulate ultimately turns out to be wrong.
You won't figure out what happened until almost the very end.

I really enjoy that Lady Emily's adventures often take place outside of England.The descriptions of the places, important buildings, customs, and traditions are so vivid that you feel like you're actually there.

In each book (this is the fourth in the series, but I've read others out of order), there are mentions of her past adventures and several characters who are part of her life. Some are often involved in her investigations or appear even sporadically, perhaps writing a letter or making a courtesy call, which makes Lady Emily's life and character feel very real.

____CHARACTERS____
The characters are well-defined, each with their own distinct personality traits, both positive and negative.

While I generally like Emily's character, I sometimes get irritated because she rarely follows Colin's well-considered advice. She often acts irresponsibly on her own. In this book, Emily is pregnant; initially, she's unsure about being happy, but regardless, she repeatedly puts herself in dangerous situations, risking the baby's safety.

I'm giving this Lady Emily mystery 3,5 stars for two main reasons:

1)__The complicated mystery is enthralling, but when things drag on without a resolution, it becomes frustrating and I lose interest in the book. I ended up skimming the last few chapters because, for my taste, it felt like the story kept going in circles without reaching a conclusion, and I grew tired of it.

2)_ When I was a child, I was fascinated by the stories of Aladdin's lamp and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, by women dressed in colorful veils, and by sultans with amazing turbans.
But obviously, harems weren't entirely happy places. The women were prisoners, often kidnapped from their families, and even among them, friendships were difficult to form. Instead, they lived in constant rivalry, vying for the sultan's favor and a better life. This reality, also present in the book, prevented me from fully appreciating the setting, and to this day, the Middle East remains a fascinating place for me, but one I'd be reluctant to travel to. because of this the book didn't fully capture me as the other books.
Probably because of this, the book didn't fully captivate me as the other books in the series have.

( I'm Italian and my English isn't perfect, but I hope I've explained my thoughts clearly! )




If you want to know more about PREVIOUS BOOKS, you can read my reviews here :

BOOK #2 : A Poisoned Season

BOOK #3 : A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander

book #5 : Dangerous to know

BOOK #13.5 : Upon the Midnight Clear ( Christmas novella )




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