I liked the main character Blanche a lot and want to read more about her and her life but the author can be hard to follow at times jumping from events without detailing the consequences

The story begins in present-day Connecticut with Rose, a book restorer. She is asked by William Lomazzo to restore a book about art by an ancestor of his, Giovanni Lomazzo.

We then find ourselves in Renaissance Venice. Where a painter of some renown, Giovanni Lamazzo, is commissioned by Sebastiani Venier to paint his beautiful courtesan, Chiara. Venier is a statesman of some import who wishes to be appointed admiral, in case Venice is forced to go to war with the Ottoman Empire. A win over the Ottomans would give him a doge seat, his greatest wish. Meanwhile, the Ottomans are fast approaching the island of Cyprus, which is held by Venice. Taking over Cyprus would be in their best interest and give them a good position in taking over the city-state of Venice.

I thought that the author did an excellent job with research. It was very engrossing and I loved the historical background she included in her story. There was another part she included which I really liked and doesn't seem to be touched on by many authors. That is that very few women, let alone men, were able to read in the 16th century. It is a fact that Venetian courtesans were some of the most educated women. They were allowed into libraries which gave them access to many books. Such a fascinating fact.

I would like to thank Margaux Deroux, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Blanche, the main character in this book, is up against a big developer that's trying to take over her small island near Tampa. A writer and part-time journalist, Blanche tries to find every angle to defeat this project, but ends up searching for a murderer instead. The book is filled with quaint nuances of small-beach-town life, including the residents. The setting seems serene, but it's masked somewhat by the inconsistent amount of detail in the storyline. For example, when a hurricane threatens the island, details of how Blanche prepares her home are there, but then she goes to do some research and the next thing we know, the hurricane is over and she's talking with a guy about repairs. No mention of how she endured the actual storm. There's a town meeting, but we only read about the first few comments, then the narrative switches without explanation to events after the meeting. So, there's a lack of continuity in parts of the story, as if the reader has taken a short nap and awakened to learn that some things have been missed. This made it difficult to read.

I'm more than happy I discovered a new cozy series because this is a good mystery, entertaining and engrossing.
Well rounded characters, a plot that flows and a solid mystery that kept me guessing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Thank you so much to net galley for sending me a copy of this. I don’t usually read stuff like this but I was extremely surprised to enjoy this book!