Murder in Megara (John the Lord Chamberlain Mystery) by Eric Mayer, Mary Reed

I love the originality of this murder mystery series, in a genre that often feels rehashed.  It is set during the Byzantine Era, when the Eastern Roman Empire was expanding after centuries of contracting.  The Emperor Justinian used brute force to reclaim all the bits and pieces that had once made up the Roman Empire, and brought them together again.

John, the protagonist of the series, of which this is book eleven, is a man who was enslaved, then made into a eunuch to work at the Byzantine court, the sexual mutilation a requirement of high civil servants at the time, a practice imported from the courts of Asia and Persia.

He worked his way up the bureaucratic ladder using his intelligence and clever skill, to reach the pinnacle, the Lord Chamberlain's position, Emperor Justinian's Chief of Staff, so to speak.  The top is always a dangerous place to be, especially in a political monarchy held together by military force.

The books in the John the Lord Chamberlain Mystery Series:

1. One for the Sorrow (reviewed on this site)
   
2. Two for the Joy
3. Three for a Letter
4. Four for a Boy
5. Five for Silver
6. Six for Gold
7. Seven for a Secret
8. Eight for Eternity
9. Nine for the Devil
10. Ten for Dying
11. Murder in Megara
    

The authors provide John with a richly imagined past and present.  In Murder in Megara, John is an exile from Constantinople, deemed a political enemy.  He is banished to his newly purchased property in Megara. Southern Greece.  That's where the story unfolds, rather than the busy capital which is the setting for the other books in the series.

I loved delving once again into John's life.  It felt like I was catching up with an old acquaintance, a fascinating and clever acquaintance.  The writers, as always, make the setting both exotic and familiar.  This series is a treat for fans of both historical novels and murder mysteries. 

Murder in Megara shows that John's life after his exile, and after the confiscation of most of his wealth and property, is still precarious.  He is under surveillance, since the usual fate of men like him was death.  John should count himself lucky, which he does, since he is still surrounded his friends, employees, and the love of his life, a cast of characters readers of the series will know well.

John suffers from the paranoid gossip and xenophobia of the locals.  He faces much local hostility:

We don't need a new landowner, especially one who'll actually live on his estate, meddling and upsetting things.

What did a farm estate produce in those days?  Honey, olive oil, wool, crops, live stock were common commodities, just as they were from Ancient Roman times up to the industrial revolution, when specialization pushed many small farmers out of business.  That existence is well portrayed in the book.

The authors skillfully present their story and characters.  As is the case with this genre, the setting and characters are introduced well before the titular murder occurs.  All the backstory a reader needs to know from the previous books in the series is skillfully presented, making it possible to read Murder in Megara as a standalone book.

Something that has always endeared me to John is that he refuses to employ slaves, since he was once one, and he cannot bear the indignity that it inflicts on the soul of the enslaved.  Since he chose to live modestly in Constantinople, he could indulge his principles regarding slavery, but when he becomes an active estate owner, there are economic pressures that come to bear on him, but his principles stand firm.  I'm glad, because I would hate to start disliking John now.

My advice is to avoid the book descriptions of the series books and this book, since they always contain spoilers, especially in the mystery genre.  Just go for it.  Read and enjoy the story as it develops.  Enjoy the rich cast of characters, too, who the capable writers portray distinctly and imaginatively. 

To be honest, I don't understand book reviewers who think novels have "too many characters".  A novel is supposed to have lots of characters.  Short stories and perhaps novellas can exist with a small cast of characters, but a novel is supposed to be rich with a multitude of characters.  Without them, the fiction of a real world remains just that, a fiction, and an unconvincing fiction at that!

From the book's description:

John, former Lord Chamberlain to Emperor Justinian, has been exiled from Constantinople to a rustic estate John has long-owned in Greece, not far from where he grew up.  But exile proves no escape from mystery and mayhem.

The residents of nearby Megara make it plain John and his family are unwelcome intruders.  His overseer proves corrupt.  What of the other staff—and his neighbors?  Before long, John finds himself accused of blasphemy and murder.  

Now a powerless outsider, he’s on his own, investigating and annoyingly hampered by the ruthless and antagonistic City Defender who serves Megara as both law enforcer and judge.  Plus there’s that corrupt estate overseer, a shady pig farmer, a servant’s unwelcome suitor, a wealthy merchant who spends part of his time as a cave-dwelling hermit, and the criminals and cutthroats populating such a seedy port as Megara.

Complicating matters further are two childhood friends whose lives have taken very different paths, plus the stepfather John hated.  

John realizes that in Megara, the solution to murder does not lie in the dark alleys where previous investigations have taken him, but in a far more dangerous place—his own past.  Can he find his way out of the labyrinth of lies and danger into which he has been thrust before disaster strikes and exile turns into execution?

Here is a direct link to the book at Amazon.com

This review is by Candida Martinelli, of Candida Martinelli's Italophile Site, the author of the crime-romance novel THE HAGUE, the romance novel ROSE AND SINGING BAGELS, a traditional murder mystery novel AN EXTRA VIRGIN PRESSING MURDER, and the young-adult/adult mystery novel series THE VIOLET STRANGE MYSTERIES the first book of which is VIOLET'S PROBLEM.

The Hague by Candida Martinelli

An Italian with Europol deals with crime and women is the tagline for a romantic-crime novel, a Rom-Crime as I like to call it, that I have recently published.  It is for fans of European crime fiction, especially A.C. Baantjer's Inspector DeKok Series, which is set in The Netherlands, as is The Hague.  And it should hold appeal for fans of cozy mysteries, who enjoy clean mysteries with light romance.

In The Hague Europol Intelligence Officer Tony Sampaoli weaves together solutions to European crime puzzles with the help of four law enforcement friends and a consulting psychologist-graphologist.  Italian Tony takes on ripped-from-the-headlines cases set in Europe in the year 2000, while working to unify European Union policing practices.  Tony and his friends are mature characters at the top of their respective fields.

Europol's Original HQ in The Hague, The Netherlands

Europol, The European Police Office, an agency of the European Union, is based in The Hague in The Netherlands.  Contrary to popular-culture representations, Europol is not a police force like the F.B.I. that can conduct investigations and arrest suspects.  Europol is a bureaucratic entity, that collects data and offers training, while it assists with cooperation between police forces.  Tony is bored by his paper-pushing, meeting-chairing, training-coordinating job.

Tony relies on his law enforcement friends to provide him with interesting crime puzzles to keep his investigative skills honed, and to keep him sane.  Cases that Tony tackles include (stop here if you don't want to know until you read the book!)  a body that mysteriously appears in the middle of a milk cow paddock, another body that's found in a cement mixer, four students and their sailboat disappearing while sailing from Holland to England, and an American professor who dies at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport.

Europol's Old Offices in The Hague

Psychologist-graphologist Jennifer Eastman uses the study and practice of handwriting as a therapy tool, graphotherapy, to help troubled children.  She also works as a graphologist, a handwriting analyst, with clients in business and law enforcement, a common practice in many European countries.  One of her clients is Tony Sampaoli, a man who has captured her interest from day one.

At Europol he was much more subdued, restrained and professional. Socially he was lively, warm, spontaneous. He was wonderful.

The Dutch Polder Landscape

Tony's friends don't need a psychological report to know that Tony Sampaoli has a problem with women.  Despite his interest in Jennifer since day one, he's yet to make a move, even when the opportunities are dropped in his lap.  

Her short blond hair was cut in a style similar the late Princess Diana's. Her hazel eyes stood out against her pearly skin. Her high cheek bones set off her small nose and well formed lips. Her conservative, professional-looking clothing couldn't hide her womanly curves.

While Tony works to weave together solutions to the criminal cases, his friends work to help Tony weave together his damaged love-life, but there are forces stronger than Tony at work in his subconscious.  The 3rd-person omniscient narration lets us into the minds of many of the characters. 

 

The Flat Dutch Landscape

The Hague is clean fiction, which means the book has no vulgarities, no explicit sex scenes, and no in-scene violence. This doesn't mean this is a book for children, it just means there is nothing offensive in the book. The focus is on engaging the reader with interesting stories from Europe, partly stories of the efforts to integrate the various countries into the European Union experiment, and partly stories from the crime world.

The reader can also gain an insight on what it is like to work as an ex-patriot in Europe, and especially as an Italian ex-patriot working in a Northern European country. The most difficult things for the ex-pat are also the most mundane, the things most people take for granted like food, company, the weather, and language.

Tony checked that the radiators under the windows were working and were on high. During the fall, spring and winter months, he tended to check them several times a day, sure that the cold he felt in the marrow of his bones was because the radiators had stopped working. To date, they had not broken down; the building was just old and drafty, the heating too weak, the windows poorly insulated, and Tony was from Rome, Italy.

The European Union Flag

The Hague is a book for those who wish to have a glimpse into another world, and a glimpse into the life of an Italian ex-pat policeman in The Netherlands. It is also a realistic mature romance.

Here is a direct link to the book at Amazon.com:

Here is a two-minute introduction to the city of Den Haag, The Hague:

 

Mischief in Italy by Beate Boeker

An American father and son live in houses on their estate overlooking Italy's Lake Garda.  It is idyllic but lacking in love for both of them.  One is a widower business investor, the other a playboy property developer.  The premise of this romantic-comedy novel is simple:

Pretend to be not wealthy, to see if women will stay with them or want to be with them based on affection not greed.

Have you never seen the beauty of Lake Garda?  Here is a 2 minute video postcard of the lake and the surrounding villages.

Italophiles will enjoy the author's lovely feel for Italy: 

Autumn was coming, and soon, the olive harvest would begin.  Already the menus at the restaurants offered specials with sweet chestnuts and mushrooms.

The point of view of the first-person narration alternates between the characters, giving us insight into their motivations and emotions.

I thought the depiction of the sometimes awkward relations between a father and son were interesting.  Here is the father musing about that difficulty:

Finances are a much easier topic than human beings...human beings are unpredictable...

There is much humor and heart in the story.  It moves along at a quick pace, letting us experience both mature love and a younger love.

Interestingly, the younger love begins with a pact that has nothing to do with love.  Actually, their pact has to do with just the opposite, stopping love in its tracks!

There is a commendable tolerance of diversity in the story, including sexual diversity, with a major character who is homosexual, a friend of the father looking for love.

And there are lots of people who see in others very interesting things:

He knew how to listen.  And he knew how to smile with his eyes.  I liked that.

Trying to find love that is real, and not mercenary, is certainly a problem for the wealthy.  It is probably they most often marry each other.  Perhaps unrealistically there is never mention of a prenuptial agreement in this book that ends happily with two engagements.  For the wealthy, the prenuptial agreement is the real test of true love, in my humble opinion.

The title is perfect title, Mischief in Italy, because the father and son, and the mother and daughter who join them in Italy, manage to create lots of mischief in this millionaire romantic-comedy.  And the lucky reader gets not one, but two, happy endings! 

From the book's description:

All Henry wants is a serious talk with his grown-up son Josh about the wrong women in Josh's life.  However, the conversation immediately spins out of control and somehow, they reach a compromise that leaves Henry highly uncomfortable.

Has he really promised to place a personal ad in a newspaper to have more fun in his life?  And why on earth did he agree to put the words “house with pool at Lake Garda” into the ad?  He doesn't want any gold diggers at his heels!

To counteract the undeniable attraction of a villa in Italy, he comes up with an unusual concept for his ad, and from then on, mischief is running rampant in Italy.

This romance is supposed to be taken like an after-dinner-mint – a sense of freshness and sweetness will linger and stay with you when you've finished the last line.

Here is a direct link to the book at Amazon.com, where it is available in paperback and as a Kindle e-book:

This author has a cozy mystery series set in Italy that is reviewed on this site, The Temptation in Florence Series, and she has a standalone mystery-romance novel set in Florence, A New Life, also reviewed on this site.  Here are links to them at Amazon.com, along with a link to her free short story, The Beauty and Beast E:

This review is by Candida Martinelli, of Candida Martinelli's Italophile Site, and the author of the cozy-murder-mystery novel AN EXTRA VIRGIN PRESSING MURDER, and the young-adult/adult mystery novel series THE VIOLET STRANGE MYSTERIES the first book of which is VIOLET'S PROBLEM.

Hit and Nun by Peg Cochran

Hit and Nun and the Lucille Mystery Series is for cozy mystery fans who also love slapstick humor.  Lucille, a fifty-year-old Italian-American woman and grandmother, who is happily married to her childhood sweetheart, is the unlikely protagonist of this slapstick cozy series (3 books to date). 

An oddity with the books is the folksy narrative style.  It reads as if the writer originally wrote the stories in Lucille's first-person narration, then changed her mind and made the narrative style third-person limited, but kept the folksy style.  I found myself, more than once, wondering who this narrator was supposed to be.  A family member?  A member of the Italian-American community?  A member of the church where Lucille works?  We are never told.

Lucille jumped, and she could feel her heart thumping crazily in her chest.  She hoped she wasn't going to have no heart attack on account of being scared like that.

 Book One in the Lucille Mystery Series

There are recurring characters in Hit and Run whose relationship to Lucille are not entirely clear, at first, to someone who has not read the previous two books, such as myself.  But the author brings the reader up to date without giving away the plots of the previous books.  So if you choose, you can read the books out of order.

One recurring character is Lucille's policeman nephew.  All good cozy amateur detectives have to have a close link to the police department.  There is also an ex-boyfriend of Lucille's who is a police detective.  He's having a hard time dealing with the bodies Lucille tends to discover.

You keep stumbling over bodies like this and I'm gonna start wondering, you know?

Book Two in the Lucille Mystery Series

Lucille's family loves their Italian food and they follow the big Sunday dinner tradition that many hyphenated Italians enjoy.  Italian food plays a big part in their lives.  Lucille is particularly fond of Italian dishes, and she prepares plenty of them for her family, as she has since first getting married to her Italian-American husband.  Lucille's Roman Catholic faith also plays a big role in her life and in the books.

Cozies stay away from violence, sex, gore and disturbing subjects.  That is why I was surprised that the author included disturbing mammograms and a threat of breast cancer in Hit and Nun.  For personal reasons, I found those scenes and that storyline disturbing.  If I were not reading the book to review it here, as a review-copy, I would have stopped reading.  If you are sensitive to these subjects for reasons of your own, you may want to avoid this book in the series.  There are also lots of references to the negatives of aging, which some readers may find upsetting.

Sometimes she felt as if life had passed her by.  While she was busy cooking, cleaning and raising a family, the world had changed without her knowing it.

Giovanna "Gigi" Fitzgerald in the Gourmet De-Lite Mysteries Series, by the same author, is up to 3 books (links below)

There is lots of humor in Hit and Run, much of it physical humor.  But the verbal humor is there too, in abundance.  The folksy style might wear on some readers, but if you enjoy it, you will appreciate the verbal humor in the story more.

Yes, we -- me and Flo here -- are investigating like.  On account of Sal's mother asked my mother to ask me to see what I could do.

Be prepared for lots of reminiscences and stray thoughts of Lucille's that intrude on the crazy antics with her sidekick Flo.  Odd tangents at inappropriate moments are also part of the humor in the story, such as the contemplation of grass-stains on a killer's clothing, and how difficult it will be to remove them in the wash, all the while Lucille is intent on not getting shot.

The books in the Lucille Mystery Series:

1. Confession Is Murder
2. Unholy Matrimony
3. Hit and Nun
4. A Room with a Pew (reviewed on this site)

For middle-aged “Jersey girl” Lucille Mazzarella, only two things in life really count—her family and her friends.  When her brother-in-law’s body falls out of a church confessional, everything she holds dear is threatened, especially when the police arrest her husband for the murder.

Plagued by hot flashes, a thickening waistline, a mother addicted to the home shopping channel, and a sexy old flame who’s come back to town, Lucille really has her hands full.  And while she may not know much about solving crimes, this traditional churchgoer with very modern attitudes knows that with some prayers, some fast thinking, and some even faster talk she might just be able to nail the killer and restore order to her life.

The hilarious Lucille Mazzarella is back and planning a wedding.  But even the worst Bridezilla can’t create the wedding drama she’s about to face in this second book in the series.

Desperate to see her pregnant daughter Bernadette married before the baby comes, Lucille is engrossed in all things wedding.  Nothing will distract her from planning this Mazzarella main event. Nothing, that is, except for the murder of the mother of the groom.

Just when things couldn’t possibly get any worse, Lucille is named as the prime suspect, and it’s a race against time as she and her best friend Flo struggle with shady financial dealings, a family that isn’t at all what it seems, a groom that might not be all man, and a little bundle of joy that might make an appearance before the mother can say I do.

The hilarious Lucille Mazzarella is back, and this time she’s investigating a murder linked to her favorite pizzeria. When the fifty-something housewife goes undercover at a restaurant to solve the case, she quickly learns that if the killer doesn’t get her, the calories will.

When the owner of Lucille’s favorite pizzeria drops dead at her feet, she’s left wondering who could have harmed such a kind man—and wondering where she’ll get her favorite food now. Deciding to go undercover as a pizza maker to sniff out the clues—and maybe an extra slice or two—Lucille’s determined to track down the culprit before they can strike again.

As the hunt for the killer heats up, Lucille and her friend Flo dig deeper into the crime and discover a jealous wife, a competitive pizza man who would kill for more business, and a decades-old mystery that may hold the key to the murder. Trouble is, the one person who could break the case wide open is a nun who took a vow of silence—and she’s not talking.

Here are links to the three books at Amazon.com:

Please visit the author's website.  Follow the author on Facebook.

The author has another series featuring Giovanna "Gigi" Fitzgerald in the Gourmet De-Lite Mysteries. 

This review is by Candida Martinelli, of Candida Martinelli's Italophile Site, and the author of the cozy-murder-mystery novel AN EXTRA VIRGIN PRESSING MURDER, and the young-adult/adult mystery novel series THE VIOLET STRANGE MYSTERIES the first book of which is VIOLET'S PROBLEM.

A Zen for Murder by Leighann Dobbs

Cozy murder mysteries are modern-day morality tales with justice always served in the end.  Perhaps that is why women tend to like this genre more than men; women are known to value justice more highly than men.  It feels good to have the good-guys win at the end of a cozy mystery, as they do at the end of A Zen for Murder. 

The one thing missing from this cozy is the romantic sub-plot.  There is a hint about romance for two couples in the book, but nothing is developed, and nothing is even hinted at for either of the co-protagonists, Claire and Dom.  Perhaps there is romance to come for them in the future books in the series?

A Zen for Murder is a cute-cozy murder mystery.  For those of you who don't know, cute-cozies are shorter than traditional cozies, actually this cozy is novella length at 135 pages.  The characters and plots are less complex than the Dorothy L. Sayers and Ngaio Marsh variety of traditional cozy, and the English is simpler. 

Closer to Agatha Christie's novellas, cute-cozies are written to be read in a day or so.  The clues are limited to those needed to solve the mystery.  The characters are generally archetypal.  Having said that, A Zen for Murder has one or two characters who I think will be very interesting to follow in this new series, as they grow from book to book.

A Zen for Murder has co-protagonists who attempt to solve the murder mystery:  Claire Watkins, a retired criminal psychologist; and Dominic Benedetti, a retired criminal investigator.  There are many mature characters in the book, since the setting is a tourist island off the coast of Maine in the U.S. where many of the local residents are retirees.

To me, Claire feels slightly less developed than Dominic, possibly because we know less about her past.  Dom is still grieving the loss of his wife, and he is only just adjusting to the idea of being retired.  He seeks comfort in food from his childhood that he remembers from his life with his extended Italian-American family in Boston, and from his long marriage to Sophia, his Italian-American wife.  Pasta and pastries are his favorite comfort foods.

...he normally had his pastry shipped from Boston's north end.

True to his heritage, Dom is thrilled when the locals consider him to be one of them; he enjoys belonging to a close-knit community.  The community of Mooseamuck Island's main town, Crab Cove (yes, it is a bit too close to Cabot Cove of Jessica Fletcher fame), is not very cooperative with the mainland detective who is assigned to solve the murder on the island.  That is why Dom and Claire eventually feel they ought to join forces to make sure justice is served.

The book follows the cozy genre by introducing various characters who make up the "cast" from which suspects, witnesses, red-herrings, etc. will be pulled.  I imagine many of the cast of local characters will return in the novels to come in this series.  A crime occurs, the crime scene is studied, suspects questioned, theories formulated, etc.  A warning:  for devoted readers of murder mysteries, the crime in A Zen for Murder is not very complex.

The mainland detective, Frank Zambuco (aged 60), is Italian-American, too.  I found it refreshing that the author was comfortable with portraying Italian-Americans in law-enforcement, since there are thousands of Italian-Americans in law-enforcement in the U.S.  Unfortunately, the few Italian-Americans involved in organized-crime get most of the press. 

Interestingly, the author tells me that the mainland detective is actually based on someone very close to her, whom she lost last year:

As a side note, the policeman from the mainland is Italian, in fact he is modeled after my father who died this past year.  Yes, believe it or not he whistled under his breath constantly, drummed his fingers and had a closet full of tan chinos.  Oh and he loved to have lots of ice in his drinks.  His parents were both from Italy and I have many fond memories of Sundays spent at their house with my grandmother making homemade pasta and sauce.

The point-of-view in A Zen for Murder alternates between Dom and Claire.  The English is colloquial.  This Indie author works hard to create typo-free texts presented with quality covers for the fans of cozy fiction. 

The author is prolific, so check below where I list her other series.  Her books often have fantasy/paranormal aspects, and A Zen for Murder is no different, with an all-knowing bird and a roaming cat who help the amateur-detectives, and credence given to a "psychic".

From the book's description:

The first in a new series by USA TODAY bestselling author Leighann Dobbs...

Tourist season is about to start, and murder is the last thing on the minds of the locals in Mooseamuck Island, Maine ... but that's about to change.

When local psychic Zoila Rivers is found dead at the zen garden, retired police consultants Dominic Benedetti and Claire Watkins are forced to team up to catch the killer.  Too bad Claire and Dom don't always see eye to eye.

But with an island full of locals who all have secrets, Claire and Dom have to put aside their differences in order to solve the case before the police arrest the wrong person and a killer goes free.

Will Claire and Dom figure out whose secret was worth killing for in time to stop the killer from claiming another victim?

Here is a direct link to A Zen for Murder at Amazon.com:

The author has two more books in this series, and will be writing more!  Here is the second book's cover and description.

How far will the Islanders go protect one of their own?

When the body of an 'outsider' is found stuffed in the crab boil pot right before the opening of Mooseamuck Island's annual Crab Festival, the islanders aren't too worried. After all, outsider business is none of their concern. They just don't want something as inconvenient as a murder to put a damper on their festival.

But when the victim's real reasons for being on the island are revealed, suspicions fall on several of the long time island residents. Claire and Dom find themselves in the unenviable position of having to team up to prove the innocence of their friends ... too bad each of them have a different idea of who is innocent.

Will Dom and Claire be able to put their differences aside long enough to nail the real killer even when the investigation threatens to expose a deeply hidden secret of one of Mooseamuck Island's most beloved residents?

This is book three and it is reviewed on this site.

If you are a cozy mystery fan, then you might enjoy some of the author's other books in her other cozy series:  Mystic Notch, Lexy Baker, Blackmoore Sisters, Kate Diamond Adventures.  Here are some books by this author at Amazon.com, including a free offering:

This review is by Candida Martinelli, of Candida Martinelli's Italophile Site, and the author of the cozy-murder-mystery novel AN EXTRA VIRGIN PRESSING MURDER, and the young-adult/adult mystery novel series THE VIOLET STRANGE MYSTERIES the first book of which is VIOLET'S PROBLEM.

Loving Lucianna by Joyce DiPastena

Loving Lucianna is the first book in the author's Hearts in Autumn medieval romance series that features couples in "the autumn of their years".  Lucianna is from the Venetian Republic, and she is proud of her wealthy, powerful, independent city-state.  Through the twists of fate she finds herself in southwestern France, but her Venetian heritage is always in her heart.

The book's chapters move the reader from Lucianna's present to her past and back again to the woman's present.  Unlike some romance novels, Luciana has a lover when the book begins, and is set to wed him in three weeks time.  The rest of the novel is about Luciana's struggle to protect her lover from shame and hurt, even if it means giving him up.  But true to the genre, true love prevails in the end.  How could it not, when...

...he made her blood rush as hot as it has at fifteen, coupled with a playfulness she had nearly forgotten she once possessed.

It seems as if a whole novel is referenced in the first chapter of Loving Lucianna, and that is because that is exactly the case.  The characters in Loving Lucianna first appear in the author's novel Illuminations of the Heart.  I wish I had read that book first and been witness to Lucianna and her lover's courtship.  I would consider Loving Lucianna a sequel, featuring characters who clearly became dear to the author's heart.

Lucianna's lover is a mature man with many qualities and skills.  He feels capable only late in his life of supporting a wife, and Lucianna is the woman he wants to fulfill that role.  For Lucianna, he is:

...this knight who had brought joy to her lonely autumn soul with his smiles and his touch and his kisses.

The text is peppered with Italian words, which are largely explained within the text.  The author provides a small Glossary of the Italian words used in the book.  There is also a helpful Glossary of Medieval terms, for those readers unfamiliar with the archaic words and customs.

Personally, I think I would have enjoyed reading the story chronologically, but the author is very skilful in weaving her story together, moving through time.  It is difficult to comprehend the threat that Lucianna feels, since our present-day sensibilities are so different from the 1100s.  Sometimes I found her fear silly, and often I found Lucianna's actions cruel.  But those were different times.  And all ends well.  If her lover can forgive her, I suppose I can too.

For lovers of historical novels there is a nice sprinkling of historical detail, some cultural, some political.  It never overpowers the story, which is how I like my historical novels, so I was pleased.  We get a glimpse into the life of women in Medieval Venice and southwestern France.  Women were the property of men, so the ladies' position in the book can be frustrating to read about for modern women, but it also can make us grateful for the changes that have come with time and struggle. 

Sadly, the rights and freedoms I and the writer enjoy are not enjoyed by women the world over.  Their lives are probably not so different than the ones described in Loving Lucianna!  As the author notes for women in 1100 (and in many places in the world today):

...sin does not deal its consequences evenly upon men and women...

An extra at the end of the book is a section Discussion Questions.  This is a book for fans of Medieval romances, preferably ones who have read the author's previous book Illuminations of the Heart.  Loving Lucianna will be especially appreciated by mature women who will enjoy reading about "two autumn hearts".

From the book's description:

Sir Balduin de Soler gave up long ago on love. He never had the means to support a wife until an unexpected advancement in his fifties allows him to reassess his future just as the lovely Lucianna enters his life.

Lucianna Fabio harbors a secret, painful memory from her past that has kept her unwed, as well. Now in her forties, she thought herself too old to marry until she meets Sir Balduin. Now suddenly their lonely autumn lives feel very much like spring again . . . until Lucianna’s brother appears without warning and threatens to revive the secret that will destroy Lucianna’s second chance at love.

“Loving Lucianna" is the first in my new “Hearts in Autumn” romance series, medieval romances revolving around heroes and heroines “in the autumn of their years.” Because you’re never too old to fall in love!”

Here are links to the author's work at Smashwords, an on-line e-book sales site that offers e-book in various formats for instant download.

Direct link to the Author's page at Smashwords

Here are direct links to Loving Luciana and Illuminations of the Heart at Amazon.com:

Please visit the author's website and sign up for her newsletter.  She also has a blog, a Pinterest presence, a medieval research site, and is available via Facebook and Twitter at JoyceDiPastena.  


Curious about Venice?  Here is a documentary narrated by Leonard Nimoy about the history of Venice:

This review is by Candida Martinelli, of Candida Martinelli's Italophile Site, and the author of the cozy-murder-mystery novel AN EXTRA VIRGIN PRESSING MURDER, and the young-adult/adult mystery novel series THE VIOLET STRANGE MYSTERIES the first book of which is VIOLET'S PROBLEM.

Pizza and Promises by Sophia Bar-Lev

Pizza and Promises is the sequel to Pasta, Poppy Fields & Pearls (reviewed on this site), in a series the author calls The Tuscany Quartette Series.  The life drama picks up right where the first book lets off.  There will be a third book, and perhaps more, so this is really a series for lovers of sagas.  Some of the mysteries and traumas are resolved in each book.  Others continue on to the next book for resolution.

The main protagonists of this series are a group of diverse, mature women from around the world, who have retired to Tuscany, very near to Florence.  In the first book you learn their stories and how they got to Florence.  In this second book, the author tells us much about the women's children and other relatives.

Life is tumultuous.  That is reflected in the book, as is the need for good friends and faith to help us survive the travails of life.  Faith plays a stronger role in Pizza and Promises than in the first book.  It provides comfort and hope when things seem overwhelming for our characters.  Some of the women have difficulty dealing with their problems:

We're a lively, healthy and active group.  This doesn't happen to the likes of us.

I suspect mature women will most enjoy reading about these women dealing with grandchildren, grown children, health problems, loneliness, and late love.  The pace is stately, the details many.  There is no rush to come to an ending, instead, the joy should be taken in the journey.  One character has this insight about their group:

I don't think it's actual death itself that we fear.  It's the process of dying that we dread.

This group of friends may make some readers envious.  The women are close-knit and supportive, and they provide a laugh when needed, and a hug when wanted.

Loyalty was their way of life.

Be prepared for some pretty horrible things happening about halfway and at the end; this book is not all Tuscan sunshine, pizzas and promises!  More and more family come to join the women in their Tuscan idyll, some for a visit, others more permanently.  

The women may have been there for many years, but the beauty of the countryside has not lost its appeal:

They drove through the beautiful Tuscan countryside, feasting their eyes on landscapes they dearly loved and never tired of seeing.

But no matter how lovely the setting, they are not protected from world events.  That thought closes the novel, setting the stage for the next in the series.  Pizza and Promises delivers quality writing, editing and presentation, as with the first book, as well as the lesson that one can gain strength seeing how others overcome life's upsetting events.

Here is the book trailer for the first book in the series:

From the book's description:

The friends you loved in Pasta, Poppy Fields & Pearls continue their engaging and intriguing adventures in this sequel, Pizza & Promises.  New characters add to their uniqueness to the frequently humorous, sometimes deeply moving and at other times, heart-wrenching events.

You will be charmed and challenged by these women who defy stereotypes, ignore supposed age limitations and leave you wishing they lived next door!  PIZZA & PROMISES is the second of Sophia Bar-Lev's series of novels set in Tuscany.

Here are direct Amazon.com links to the paperback and e-book editions of Pizza and Promises:

Please visit the author's website.

This review is by Candida Martinelli, of Candida Martinelli's Italophile Site, and the author of the cozy-murder-mystery novel AN EXTRA VIRGIN PRESSING MURDER, and the young-adult/adult mystery novel series THE VIOLET STRANGE MYSTERIES the first book of which is VIOLET'S PROBLEM.