I am a huge fan of Lisa Scottoline, so I was very excited to get to read the story of the rise of the Mafia in Sicily. In this saga, Scottoline strays from her normal storylines and introduces multiple characters that are sometimes hard to keep up with and difficult to know how they connect to the story.
Unfortunately, I can’t recommend this one.
Thank you Edelweiss and Netgally for my ARC.

Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline is the fictionalized story of the mafia’s roots in Italy. It was simple enough: a dissatisfied worker decided to take things into his own hands. Over a period of time it became obvious that loyalty only went as far as it was good for the person being loyal. It was a good story, a story of families, and of love. The characters were excellent, good or bad and each had his or her own agenda. Loyalty

The book was essentially the story of Franco Fiorvanti, who started off a the manager of a lemon grove outside Palermo. He wanted more for himself so he did “errands” for his boss. One such errand was to kidnap a young boy and kill him. Even Franco could not be so cold so he delivered the boy to an insane asylum where, somehow, he managed to stay sane until he was rescued some years later. He fell in love and he was loved back but his beloved decided Franco’s life was too rough for her so she absconded to a nunnery. When he confronted her, he believed her and lived the rest of his life without her. But his ambition never dimmed and he, through underhanded and often violent means, got everything he’d ever wanted. Sadly, he ended up paying for it all, as did his brother.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Loyalty by Penguin Group Putnam, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #PenguinGroupPutnam #LisaScottoline #Loyalty

I’ve long been a fan of this author’s legal thrillers, but Lisa Scottoline’s new historical fiction blew me away. A lover of historical fiction, the market is so saturated with WWII dramas, which I love but needed a break. Gladly jumped at the chance to read book…because of the beautiful cover, jacket description and, of course, favorite author. This well written, beautifully descriptive book is set with a dual timeline in Sicily, 1810 and 15 years later, detailing the start of the Mafia family. Scottoline’s research is detailed in her Authors Note. I knew absolutely nothing of this time frame so was excited to jump in. It didn’t disappoint.

There is a cast of characters listed at the beginning which is usually a red flag for me, meaning too many storylines and hard time keeping track of all involved. I’m happy to report I did not need this guideline at all. The author did a great job of keeping the stories separate, and bringing them together slowly at appropriate times, until the satisfying conclusion. Filled with descriptive scenery and the problems of the time period. Graphic, raw, heartbreaking scenarios add to the story. Do not let the book’s length scare you off, it’s a fairly quick read due to the shorter chapters and name players.

Thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

Wow, not what I expected from Lisa Scottoline... was a very interesting story set in the 19th century, Sicily. The beginning of what today is the mafia. Thank you to Net Galley, the Publishers and Author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Scottoline always delivers. This delicious novel is set in Sicily in the 1800’s.

Dive into the rise of the Mafia!
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This story has many characters, so don’t get distracted. Franco is trying to protect his lemon growing industry on the island. Several children are kidnapped and an attorney who will risk everything to get them back. More characters to discover with their own story. Read this rich novel to find out how this story comes together.
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You can tell Scottoline’s heritage is important to her and this novel is incredible rich and detailed. Family secrets, tragedy and the importance of love and loyalty as a family is relevant.
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Thank you Netgalley, G.P Putnam & sons and author Lisa Scottoline for the advanced copy. I purchased a copy as well. Out now as of March 28, 2023.Scottoline always delivers. This delicious novel is set in Sicily in the 1800’s.

Dive into the rise of the Mafia!
🍋
This story has many characters, so don’t get distracted. Franco is trying to protect his lemon growing industry on the island. Several children are kidnapped and an attorney who will risk everything to get them back. More characters to discover with their own story. Read this rich novel to find out how this story comes together.
🍋
You can tell Scottoline’s heritage is important to her and this novel is incredible rich and detailed. Family secrets, tragedy and the importance of love and loyalty as a family is relevant.
🍋
Thank you Netgalley, G.P Putnam & sons and author Lisa Scottoline for the advanced copy. I purchased a copy as well. Out now as of March 28, 2023.

I have to admit, this one was a bit of a hard one for me. I am a fan of Ms. Scottoline and have usually liked everything she has written. That is why I found it surprising when it took me a REALLY long time to get into this book. Maybe because this is more of a historical fiction book? I thought about that, but then realized that there are several books in that genre that I adore.

In the end, I think that there were too many characters as the world was being built. It was hard to keep track of everyone and especially in the beginning, it was confusing trying to figure out what in the world any of these characters had to do with each other. So...I ended up putting it down...many times.

But I will say this - once the book establishes itself, it takes off. I enjoyed the uniqueness of it and felt a kind of glee when everyone was brought together. I thought, "oh, okay...this makes sense."
Then the uniqueness became its shining light.

So, thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone.

Loyalty is a historical fiction novel set in Sicily in the 1800's. The book is compelling with many story lines to keep track of, but I found Gaetano's compassion and sacrifice to be the heart of the book. Gaetano is a married lawyer with 2 boys who becomes distraught when there is a kidnapping at a yearly festival. Gaetano's own family had attended the festival which made it all the. more concerning for him. A 5 year old boy was taken while standing next to his mother in a crowd. It all happened so fast that the mother couldn't find her son, Dante, and feared for the worst. The police weren't much help in the matter and didn't work very hard to find out what had happened. Gaetano took it upon himself to begin investigating with a secret group that did such things.

Someone paid the man who took Dante and instead of killing the boy, like the man wanted him to, he put him in the mental hospital instead. Dante was surrounded by men who were insane 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Dante cried and cried but no one ever came to rescue him. Gaetano and his group were working hard underground to try and figure out what boy had been taken and to find his family. In these times, the families were told not to disclose the kidnapping for fear that the kidnappers would kill the child. They were waiting for a ransom demand which they were willing to pay. Gaetano was working so hard on the kidnapping case that his work started to fall off and he was fired. His wife was upset with him because he came home late and was often distracted from his own boys.

Franco and Roberto are twins that work in the lemon groves helping to transport lemons for the rich owner of the grove. They dream of owning their own grove and Franco is dating and in love with the rich owner's daughter, but the owner has no idea. The brothers begin to make plans to buy land with lemons, but it all comes crashing down when the owner of the grove they work for finds out about his daughter and Franco. He fires Franco and Roberto on the spot and Violetta, the daughter, is sent to the seminary. Franco loves Violetta and wants to marry her, but she tells him she no longer wants to see him after Franco sets out to get revenge on her father. Franco is heartbroken and dangerous as he and his brother begin what becomes the mafia.

The characters in the book are complex and you will be rooting some on while rooting against others. The book is heartbreaking at times, but also hopeful at times. I encourage you to read this wonderful book by Lisa Scottoline. I rate the book 4 stars and recommend it highly. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Group G.P. Putnam and Sons for an advanced copy of Loyalty in exchange for a fair review. #Loyalty

I have enjoyed everything I have ever read from this author, and even though this was a departure from her usual style, I wasn't disappointed. I was intrigued by the multiple storyline and was invested in following them to their end.

This story of the rise of the Mafia in Sicily spanned about 20 yrs in the early 1800s. The Mafia began as an honest effort to get produce - lemons- to the British ships docked in Palermo. However, this book developed the themes of love and loss, justice and revenge, faith and hope, the omportance of family and of course LOYALTY as the author also brought into play the consequences of choices.
The five main characters each has a story to tell and initially, I found it a little overwhelming trying to keep up with them. The stories were poignant, and injustices were imposed upon each main character.
Gaetano was a lawyer who was on a mission to find a kidnapped 6 yr old child. He pursued the child because the Carabinari were corrupt and not interested in finding the child (or the second one kidnapped). He was a religious man who followed the teachings of St Paul, and belonged to Beati Paolo (a society of aristocrats who worked for the common good)
Franco was a lemon orchard manager who helped his brother Roberto form the protective organization to prevent bandits from stealing the lemons. The group were selected for their boldness, daring and strength and pledged their loyalty to the Fiorvanti family.
Mafalda was married to the only survivor of a terrible shipwreck which occurred on the day their daughter Lucia (an albino) was born. She was cast out of the town because people thought that she made a deal with the devil and the child was cursed.
Dante was the child who was kidnapped and imprisoned in a madhouse with lepers, the ill and the insane.
Alfredo - probably the last Jew in Sicily- had 4 goats that produced cheese which the women thought was magical (could cure just abut anything) and he was thought to be a wizard.
I loved the way that the author wove the stories together producing a cohesive and believable finale.

Having lived in Sicily for a short time, I recognized many of the areas described in the novel. While I studied Italian there, I was curious that the Sicilians respected the Mafia and spoke about it in positive terms.
In my opinion, Lisa Scottoline delivered an outstanding saga which reflected the amount of research and her love for Sicily and is well worth reading.

I gratefully received an ARC from NetGalley and Putman, Penguin Random House and the opinions are my own

I loved traveling to early Sicily and seeing a family work their way into a mafia-type existence as they tried to have a better life. Surrounded by lemon trees, the Fioranti brothers struggled to make a profit and used their wits to increase their holdings.

Unfortunately, their relationship was similar to Cain and Abel of the Bible. One brother has a good heart and the other does not. The fact that they were twins and very close made their relationship all the more challenging.

Early in the story, a wealthy child is kidnapped and a lawyer who lived nearby makes it his mission to find the child because he knows the police will not. There are several storylines at play, so at first it seems they have nothing in common, but by the end of the story readers will see how each story connects with the others.

Readers must be sure and read the author’s notes at the end, as it was just as interesting as the story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam, GP Putnam & Sons for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to recommend this book to readers and to offer my honest review.

Wow! Loyalty is one of those books that had me dying to talk to someone about it. I kept thinking how I wished our book club was reading it so we could all discuss it. Until I can recommend it to them, I am just telling everyone I see about this rich multi-layered story that I had me eagerly waiting to see how the author was going to pull all the unique stories together.

First, meet twin brothers Franco and Roberto who are working to make their way in the world, but with somewhat different standards. Then you have Gaetano, the attorney who really wanted to be a priest, that is trying to find out who is kidnapping the children from their community. We also meet young Dante who has been kidnapped and is being held in a madhouse. Then, there is Mafalda who has longed for a child for so many years and now that she has one, no one is going to come between them. And one of my favorite characters, Alfredo, a Jewish cheesemaker, who is hiding his religion to keep himself safe in Sicily.

Loyalty is fast paced and keeps you turning pages to see how each characters story will develop. I loved everything about this book and found it so original. Lisa Scottoline is an amazing author and I was so happy to read another historical fiction book from her.

This would make an amazing book club pick and I can't wait to check out some of the extras she has on her website (videos, etc.) to learn more about the locations in the book. Definitely a 5 star read for me.

I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As I read the separate scenarios, I wondered what they had in common? I wondered why are they relevant? I wondered how will the author put this all together? Since each scenario grabbed my attention on an individual basis, I continued with anticipation. No surprise, the author ties of the loose ends at the end, and demonstrates why each separate plot needed to be told. The question remains, who is loyal to who? Avarice, love and suspense all play a role in this and this familial Mafia based brilliant story.

This book is hard to summarize because there are so many moving parts to it, but it is essentially the interwoven stories of ordinary people in Sicily. The short chapters alternate with the perspectives of the rise of Italian mafia, a kidnapped boy and the lawyer in search of him, an outcast mother and her child, and a goatherd hiding his Judaic roots. Told in three parts, this book vividly discusses good vs. evil, religion vs. superstition, and love vs. hate.

Although very slow in parts, this book comes together very well by part 3 and shows the reader why the slow start was so important to gather the reasons for each characters Epic finale.

Epic, Memorable, and Emotional,

I have always been a fan of Lisa Scottoline and Loyalty did not disappoint! The setting, the characters, and how they were all woven together was amazing. I would be lying if I didn’t say that at one point I did not question how all the individual characters were going to come together, but that is what also made me want to ignore everyday life and keep reading! Loyalty really made me feel attached to some of the characters and despise others. Readers also get information from the author about how she researched for the book and visited places she wrote about! I love getting that connection. #Loyalty #NetGalley

This was a different type of novel than I’m used to from Lisa Scottoline, but I liked the historical aspect and learned a lot about Sicily and the history of mental health care and the prison system. I enjoyed the individual stories of each character and how they interconnect in the end. I don’t often read The author’s notes at the end of the book, but even they were interesting and showed the amount of research done to complete this story.

This might just be a case of incompatibility. I know others love Lisa Scottoline but this is my second book and I am having a difficult time getting into this story. There are so many characters being thrown in and I know they will be connected eventually and I think I’ve figured out how but I can’t get through the writing to get there.

I really have enjoyed Lisa Scottoline's entries into historical fiction, and I thought the story in Loyalty was incredibly compelling. It's too long by a solid hundred pages, and I think there was at least one perspective that could have been cut to accomplish that, but I will say that despite the length it feels immersive to read and it's clearly well researched and developed.

A varied account of the history of the beginning of the “family’ in Italy. Very interesting read.
The story starts with the kidnapping of a young boy and no one is telling who he is. But his was not the only event. There are several more stories worked into the novel.

I absolutely love all of Lisa Scottoline’s books. They are quick fast paced and beautifully written. This one is so well written. It’s a beautiful story. It did take me quite a bit to really get engaged into the story. The beginning had a lot of storylines and characters setting up the background for the rest of the story. The characters are well written and the story concept is very unique. I just could not get engaged and connected to the characters. After a while the story started connecting the stories and I found last half flying by. If you love a well written historical book or mafia book I would defiantly give this book a try as I think it is a great book for the right person. Many thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline

Lisa Scottoline has been one of my favorite authors for so long and she is one of the best authors that does care about the readers of her books. I remember contacting her through AOL back in the day just to tell her I was a fan and how her rosata and associates books kept me entertained on the road as a truck driver. I have watched her write so many fantastic books and spread her wings into other genre.
It has been a fun ride reading her books and I am so glad she has written so many of them.

Loyalty made me feel like I was there in Sicily right along with the characters the story was atmospheric to me and kept me engaged into the story. This was a fictional account of the rise of the mafia in Sicily. Franco who will never be accepted by the upper class, but will do anything at their bidding until he develops his own army to “protect” the lemon growing industry on the island. He is ruthless in becoming capo di tuti capi.” Dante is one of a number of boys kidnapped from their families in Palermo; Gaetano an attorney who risks all to try to find the missing children; Lucia the Albino child whose rare condition results in her mother being cast out from her home. There is also a man hiding his Jewish roots because Jews have been expelled from Sicily.

The mafia expected Loyalty and this story played out in the demands of loyalty against other demanding odds. It's about family, justice, revenge and loyalty. This book was well written and well researched. Do not be discouraged for the initial complexity of all these characters it is all pulled together nicely in due time. I love the intrigue and drama as well as the knowledge of the mafia role in Sicily.

If you are a fan of Historical fiction and knowing more about the mafia this book will be for you. Even if you are not a fan of historical fiction this book was well written, and the story will pull you it is worth the read. It was a five-star read for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for a free copy of loyalty for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.