This was readable, but the plot felt predictable and I did not relate to any of the characters. It just felt really flat and unrealistic.

The Mafia have always fascinated me. Loyalty explores the complex dynamics of good versus evil in a time of societal upheaval. Set in 19th-century Sicily, during the rise of the Mafia, the novel follows four main characters whose lives intertwine in unexpected ways:

- Franco Fiorvanti, a determined lemon grower with dreams of owning his own lemon grove. To prove his loyalty to his boss, Baron Zito, Franco agrees to arrange the kidnapping of a little boy, Dante, setting off a chain of events that shape the future of the world’s first Mafia family.
- Gaetano Catalano, an idealistic lawyer and member of the Beati Paoli, a secret society fighting corruption in Palermo. Gaetano becomes obsessed with finding the kidnapped boy.
- Lucia Pancari, a new mother who becomes an outcast because of superstitions surrounding her albino daughter.
- Alfredo D’Antonio, a reclusive goatherd hiding his Jewish identity, constantly fearing discovery.

Scottoline’s historical thriller brings 19th-century Sicily to life with vivid descriptions and well-researched details. The novel explores themes of ambition, loyalty, love, and redemption as the characters navigate a world of corruption and crime.

The premise sounds appealing, but there are issues. There are far too many characters—thankfully, they are listed at the beginning of the book. Overall, the plot is sprawling, and I easily lost interest. The writing didn’t thrill me either, but I found the historical tidbits fascinating.

There are a couple of cool twists and examples of what greed and power can do. I really wanted to like this more. 3 stars.

** Thanks to the publisher for a comp of this title. The opinions are my own.

"Loyalty" by Lisa Scottoline is a legal thriller that follows the story of Judy Carrier, a young associate at a prestigious law firm in Philadelphia. When her boss and mentor, Tony Lucia, is found dead under suspicious circumstances, Judy is determined to uncover the truth behind his death and clear his name.

As Judy delves into the case, she faces challenges and dangers that test her loyalty to her mentor and force her to confront uncomfortable truths about the people she thought she knew. The novel is filled with twists, turns, and courtroom drama as Judy races against time to solve the mystery and seek justice for Tony.

I'll have to admit, I had to start this book over a few times because I just couldn't get into it...until I could, and then I couldn't stop reading. I always enjoy the historical fiction where I learn things I never knew, in this case, that the Mafia was born out of the sort of feudal system of the citrus trade.

But more than that, reading about the culture of the time, the scenery, the characters and what several of them had to endure in their lives, that's what really pulled me in. I knew who I was cheering for, who I hoped would meet a terrible demise. I really liked how the author introduced threads that didn't seem connected and then as the story went on, they came together to form a descriptive, interesting tapestry of a tale. Not only that, I was happy with the ending.

I have read a few of the author's books and she never fails to deliver. Also, her chapter at the end, where she talks about the rise of the Mafia, food at the time, the reformation of the "madhouse" and other parts of Italy and its history was just as fascinating as the book was. She also cites additional reading.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are mine and freely given.

I read all of Lisa Scottoline's books, but this one was not a favorite. It was good, but it did not stand out to me as much as her other books.

Loyalty is a historical fiction novel that brings to life the rise of the Mafia in Sicily. When one of the lemon growers for a baron decides that his ambition is being oppressed by his employer, will he make a decision that will have lasting consequences for the region? When a lawyer decides goes on a mission to find stolen children, will his family suffer because of it? The large cast of characters includes a mother with a child who is shunned because of her looks and a goatherd who is hiding a secret.

I usually like Lisa Scottoline, but Loyalty was not my favorite. There was too much going on and some of the characters did not really seem to fit into the larger picture. I wanted to like the book, but I struggled to finish it. Overall, I would not recommend Loyalty to other readers and instead would direct readers to other novels by this author.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to read and review this novel was entirely my own.

I love the Mediterranean area and really enjoy stories set in this region. This story had a lot of characters so it was a little confusing at first to keep track of everyone and who they were. I found myself referring back to the list of characters provided by the author in the front of the book. Once I got past that hurdle I did enjoy the story.

A quick moving, historical fiction-combined-with-thriller story about the creation of the first Mafia family in Sicily and the lawyer that chases down the mystery of a long lost, kidnapped young boy. I listened to the audio and this read a little bit like a soap opera in Sicily, but was a dramatic and entertaining picture of desperate humans doing whatever possible to get ahead. The descriptives of characters, places, and events were wildly vivid.

This was an interesting novel. I had a bit of trouble sorting through the characters but it was full of interesting tid bits that I had no idea about. I think I’ve loved others of Scottoline better.

A very good book about early life in Silciy with the mafia and how the different classes rule the regions. Mixed in with the loss of love and the struggle to overcome poverty this is a very good story that has many different characters yet the story the author weaves brings all of the characters to life on these pages. A very good book.

I love Lisa Scottline's books. I love when things are set in PHILLY and I feel like I am back in college.
Thanks so much for sharing the BEST READS with me.

I tried to get into this book but unfortunately couldn’t get into a rhythm with it. I loved What Happened to the Bennetts, but this book didn’t grip me the same way.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinion. Lisa Scottoline is one of my absolute favorite authors and I was so excited to read this! I liked this but I personally prefer the non historical fiction writing style. I loved her books that weren't historical fiction. I hope she still continues to write that style.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Loyalty
By: Lisa Scottoline
Pub Date: 3/28/23
Publisher: Penguin Group Putnam

This book has lots of storylines to follow. I really appreciate that the author included a list of characters right from the start.
This book is set in Sicily in the 1800s. There are several time jumps throughout the story. You follow the creation of the first mafia and a lawyer's mission to find a kidnapped child, a cheese maker and an albino girl named Lucia.
It’s an intense story with lots of ups and downs. If you like historical fiction you’ll love this one!

Thank you to #NetGalley, the publisher, and the author.

I love Lisa Scottoline's books and was so looking forward to reading this “tome.” This might be the first book of hers that I didn't like and didn't finish. I tried twice hoping it would get better but it didn't.

This is her second book set in Italy. I loved Eternal, not only because it was set there, but it was a good story. This was such a big letdown. Too many characters, too disjointed and I'm not a big reader of the 1800s nor the mafia.

I appreciate her delving into more male characters though instead of the usual women which was a nice change.

I wasn't “loyal” to this book.

DNF. There were too many characters and the plot was very confusing. I was very disappointed in this one.

This one took me a while to finish because I kept putting it down. I am glad I finished it and got a glimpse into Sicily and the early mafia. I had a few problems fallowing it at times and I also got some of the characters confused but I learned a great deal and would now love to travel to Sicily

This story had a very interesting plot, but the writing style was so verbose that it detracted from the story.

I read many books in the series by this author that began with Everywhere that Mary Went. Over the years, Scottoline began to explore other kinds of fiction and wrote a number of standalones. This is an historical fiction title and one worth reading.

The author has penned a rather complicated story that involves kidnapping, hospitalization in a psychiatric facility, the beginnings of the Mafia, a Jewish character trying to stay alive, loyalty and relationships in many forms. Quite a lot to take on but Scottoline handles all of this very well while also bringing Sicily in the 1800s to life.

Historical fiction fans may well want to give this one a look.

Many thanks to Penguin Group and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.

I normally really enjoy Lisa Scottoline's books, but this one just wasn't for me. I didn't care for any of the characters and the story just did not hold my attention.