“Dramatic, fun, thoughtful, clever, and (literally) punchy.” the art of prophecy
DEATH OF A HERETIC
understandably distraught. Nico, of course, agrees to help. Trinchieri, who in the course of her series has expanded and deepened her portrait of Gravigna, points out in a prefatory note that Perillo and his impulsive assistant, Daniele, are the backbone of the series along with Nico. They’re on hand every step of the way, more Abbott and Costello than Holmes and Watson. Jimmy, the co-owner of Bar All’Angolo, Nico’s hangout and de facto office, calls Nico for help when his car breaks down on a trip home from Florence. After OneWag smells something odd in the trunk, the men find the body of Cesare, wrapped in plastic. This expands the circle of amateur sleuths to the cafe staff, leading to a probe that is lively if often discursive. Laura emerges as a prime suspect. Could she possibly be guilty, or is she hiding something else? A lengthy list of characters is provided to help readers keep it all straight. A clever, colorful cozy with a decidedly Italian flavor.
Tremayne, Peter Severn House (336 pp.) $29.99 | Aug. 2, 2022 978-0-7278-8966-9
An exceedingly clever lawyer, a woman of great stature among her people, delves into another series of crimes in the year 672. Sister Fidelma, an advocate of the Irish law courts, and her companion, East Anglia transplant Brother Eadulf, are returning from a trip when they hear of the death of a visiting Burgundian bishop at a nearby abbey. Abbot Cuán asks the couple, well known for solving thorny mysteries, to investigate a case they soon realize is connected to the battle over whose theology will rule Christianity. Everyone disliked Bishop Brodulf, who insisted that instead of staying in the abbey’s guest quarters he’d stay in an old wooden structure behind the abbey—which ended up burning with him inside, though the dagger in his chest showed that the blaze was no accident. The abbey is slowly replacing all its wooden structures with stone buildings, and it appears the fire had help from the sulphur dust the masons used to split rock. The abbey is a mixed house where members of both sexes live and work, producing some suggestive undercurrents. The bishop had been arguing violently with the abbey’s star pupil, Brother Garb, whose opinions were antithetical to his. Garb believed both in the equality of women and in the heretical idea that Jesus was not the son of God but only a wise man. The bishop, who was caught rummaging in the library, is known to have stolen some paperwork concerning the line of succession in the land of the Franks. When the murder of Brother Garb is added to her problems, Fidelma must use all her finely honed skills to unravel a complex case. A mystery embedded in a revealing look at the violently differing theological views of early Christians.
THE ART OF PROPHECY
Chu, Wesley Del Rey (544 pp.) $28.99 | Aug. 9, 2022 978-0-593-23763-2
A prophecy is unexpectedly foiled and a chosen hero cast adrift in this first of a fantasy trilogy inspired by Chinese martial arts films. Elderly, one-armed, but still incredibly able war artist Ling Taishi is invited to view the progress of the Champion of the Five Under Heaven, prophesied to be the doom of the Eternal Khan, foe of the Zhuun Empire. Taishi discovers that the so-called hero, Wen Jian, is a poorly trained spoiled brat; nevertheless, she sees some potential in him and resolves to train the boy herself. Then a Zhuun foot patrol blunders into the naked, profoundly drunk Khan and kills him themselves, turning Jian into a political liability and forcing the new master-disciple team to go on the run. Under an assumed name, Jian toils resentfully as a novice and servant at a war artist school; Taishi dodges assassins and searches for the temple where the prophecy was made to learn how and why it failed. Meanwhile, Salminde, an elite warrior and close friend of the late Khan, looks first for her sister and then for some way of helping her people, forced into indentured servitude in the aftermath of the Khan’s death. Author Chu uses his knowledge and experience as a martial artist, stuntman, and actor to craft an exceptionally easy-to-visualize work with expertly blocked fight sequences; it’s impossible not
MURDER ON THE VINE
Trinchieri, Camilla Soho Crime (336 pp.) $27.95 | Sept. 13, 2022 978-1-641-29366-2
When murder is on the menu, it’s best to have a seasoned detective on hand to serve just deserts to the killer. Retired New York City detective Nico Doyle has settled into a quiet, idyllic life in the charming Tuscan village of Gravigna with his faithful canine companion and sleuthing sidekick, OneWag. His reputation has made Nico the go-to for locals in distress. So naturally his friend Perillo, Gravigna’s “maresciallo” (civilian police chief), comes to him when Cesare Rinaldi, the faithful, elderly bartender at the Hotel Bella Vista, has been missing for three days. Hotel owner Laura Benati is |
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science fiction & fantasy
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science fiction & fantasy
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1 july 2022
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