Her
Deadly Mischief
A
Tito Amato Mystery
Beverle Graves Myers
Poisoned
Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-233-0 (1590582330)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-233-6 (9781590582336)
Publication Date: September 2009
List Price: $24.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): Venice, 1742. Tito Amato has regained his zest for
performing and is once again singing lead roles at the Teatro San
Marco. On opening night, the famous castrato has the entire audience
entranced -- except for one box with its scarlet curtains stubbornly
drawn. Annoyed at being ignored, Tito aims the full force of his golden
throat at the fourth-tier box. He is astounded when the curtains part
and a woman tumbles over the railing.
The victim is Zulietta Giardino, a mischievous courtesan involved with
a young glass maker. Did a wager over a rival courtesan's jewels spell
Zulietta's death? Or did the motive involve sinister events in the
glass factories of Murano?
Review:
Castrato Tito Amato investigates a murder committed during one of his
performances in Her Deadly Mischief,
the fifth mystery in this Baroque series by Beverle Graves Myers.
The place is Venice. The year is 1742. Tito Amato is once again singing
a leading role in Armida
at the Teatro San Marco Opera House under the direction of Maestro
Torani. It is the third week of the Carnevale so masking is in order.
The disguises can be useful for a number of purposes: some illicit,
some romantic, and some a bit risqué. Amato is in his
element that night, at the top of his form. Every eye and spyglass is
glued to him, and every ear attuned to his music. As he raised his eyes
and voice, he notices that the owner of one of the boxes in the fourth
tier
has their curtains completely drawn. He thinks someone has shut him
out, that someone is ignoring him. He aims his voice higher, and it
seems to work. A woman’s arm slides through the drawn drape.
But then to his horror he sees she is struggling with a tall man
wearing a mask. The man pushes her over the box’s railing and
she falls to her death on the floor of the pit. Amato is the only
witness to the murder. But the man was masked, and he only saw his eyes
staring down at him. Knowing that Amato is the only person that had
seen the killer, and knowing that Amato likes to do a little sleuthing
and solving a mystery that no one else cares, or dares, to investigate,
the chief of Venice’s police force, Messer Grande, enlists
his help in trying to solve the mystery.
The box belongs to Alessio Pina, the son of a wealthy glass maker.
Against his father's wishes, Alessio had planned to marry Zulietta
Giardino, a Jewish prostitute who had left the ghetto, and move to the
colonies in America. They were going to publicly show their love for
each other by appearing together, in public, at the opera. But Alessio
is delayed, and Zulietta is alone in the box when her killer confronted
her.
The case is quite personal to Tito as he, too, has a Jewish wife and an
adopted son, Titolino. And his wife's family has disowned her for
marrying Tito. But as the singer becomes more involved in searching out
clues, talking to both friends and enemies of the dead woman, and
getting closer to the truth, the masked killer transfers his vengeance
to Amato’s loved ones.
The author brings to life the city of Venice, its canals, bright colors
and dark streets, opulent opera houses and Jewish ghettos, and more.
The murder plot is multi-faceted, holding the reader's attention
throughout. The characters are delightful, notably Messer Grande, who,
befitting his title, is a little larger than life. Her Deadly Mischief,
with its first-rate mystery storyline that is coupled with some humor
and romance, is highly recommended.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Her Deadly Mischief and to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ARC of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read Her Deadly Mischief? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series ...
Interrupted
Aria
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), February 2004
ISBN-10: 1-59058-111-3 (1590581113)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-111-7 (9781590581117)
Painted
Veil
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), February 2005
ISBN-10: 1-59058-140-7 (159058-1407)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-140-7 (9781590581407)
Cruel
Music
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), September 2006
ISBN-10: 1-59058-230-6 (1590582306)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-230-5 (9781590582305)
The Iron Tongue of Midnight
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), March 2008
ISBN-10: 1-59058-232-2 (1590582322)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-232-9 (9781590582329)
Her Deadly Mischief
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), September 2009
ISBN-10: 1-59058-233-0 (1590582330)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-233-6 (9781590582336)
Omnimystery
keywords for Her Deadly Mischief
...
Location(s) referenced: Venice,
Italy.
