Bishop brings Cesare Aldo back to Florence and the Otto di Guardia e Balia, the most feared criminal court. They are feared for their authority to detain and torture. All the main characters from the previous three books struggle with their conscience, life goals, dedication, beliefs, and faith. Cesare Aldo, demoted to constable and on […]
historical fiction
Ritual of Fire by D.V. Bishop
Ritual of Fire by D.V. Bishop is the third book in the Cesare Aldo series. We are once again in Florence, 1538. It is hot and there is a persistent drought. If the area does not get some substantial rain soon, crops will be lost. But there’s more at stake, people’s health and sanity matter […]
The Cesare Aldo Series by D.V. Bishop
I am excited about this new Historical Fiction series by D.V. Bishop. It is set in the sixteenth century in Florence, Italy. The ruler at that time was Duke Alessandro de Medici. The first book, City of Vengeance, came out in 2021. The cover caught my eye in the bookstore. Having been to Florence, the […]
The Conviction of Cora Burns by Carolyn Kirby
Carolyn Kirby has a knack for describing in painful detail how hard life was in Victorian London. The atmosphere, violence, and darkness grip you from page one. She details meticulously how poor people were, the humiliations they suffered, and how few privileged men could really call themselves gentlemen. The story takes place in 1885. It […]
The Last days of Night by Graham Moore
I just watched an episode of the Big Bang Theory where Leonard, Howard, and Sheldon take a closer look at themselves to see who amongst them is Edison and who resembles Tesla. With that discussion in mind, I wondered through my local book store and saw Moore’s book. Westinghouse, Edison, Tesla. I flipped to the […]
The Devil in the Marshalsea by Antonia Hodgson
The Devil in the Marshalsea by Antonia Hodgson is a splendid début novel. I love it when an author can describe the filth dripping from the walls so that I get an instant itch and the urge to check my room for anything decaying. Antonia Hodgson’s work is murder for your eyes (you will exhaust them) and […]