Lisa Scottoline is one of my favorite authors! I have loved all of her books so far. This is my first of her historical fiction books. I was blown away at how easy she mastered a new genre! This book was so fascinating and the characters so real you feel like you are actually visiting Sicily history taking place before your very eyes as the first mafia rises and you can almost smell the lemons. So many surprises and twists and turns that only a master storyteller can do! I can't even pick a favorite character because I liked so many of them, especially Dante, Lucia, Alfredo and Gaetano. Love, Hate, Revenge and Suspense....this book has it all. Make sure to read the author's comments at the end for so much extra insight. Locations in the book can also be viewed on videos on her site to give even more depth to the story! Thanks to #NetGalley for this amazing ARC!!! I can't wait to see what this author writes next!!!

My thanks to Net Galley and Penguin Group-Putnam Books for an advanced copy of this e-book. Pub Day 3/28/23.

Early 1800's Sicily. Franco who runs the profitable lemon grove for Baron Zito, wants to own a lemon grove of his own but the class system won't allow this. With some twists and turns he begins what we know as the Mafia, the "mafioso". He gets his twin brother, Roberto, to run it with him, but Franco is clearly "the godfather".

Gaetano, a young idealistic lawyer is led in his spirit by Saint Paul to seek out who kidnapped a young boy in town. Palermo is place no one trusts the police and you don't go to them for help.

There is a terrible tragic fishing accident in a coastal village that kills all the fisherman except one who washes up alive. This is night his wife gives birth. These tragedies and a mob mentality looking for someone to blame brings tragedy to this young couple and their new baby.

An interesting character Alfredo, the cheesemaker, becomes mythic to his local town. Some worshipped him and some wanted him dead.

So many interesting characters in the story that the author, thankfully, gives a character list for the reader. And the Author's Note is a must read to find out how much of this book is actual history. The beginnings of the mafia, the famous lemon groves, the castle, the chapels, the madhouse. A fascinating look at Sicily's history woven with an unputdownable story line. I highly recommend this wonderful book!

Thank you #NetGalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

I’m an avid reader of Lisa Scottoline’s work. I’ve read her series and her stand alone books. I’ve also read Eternal, which is another piece of her historical fiction. Like Eternal, I’m not as impressed with Loyalty. Hence the three star rating for both. While loyalty might bring me back to Lisa’s work, Loyalty just didn’t keep me interested.

This work, reportedly about one of the first mafias of Sicily, was to my eye, more of a jumble of characters and their own personal accounts. In fact it was broken into short chapters featuring the mafia don, a lawyer, a kidnapped child, an albino female child, etc. As you might imagine, it was difficult it keep up with each of their names, let alone stories. In fact, it was over halfway through the book before I began to see how they might come together. Even the remainder of the book didn’t quite pull it all to a cohesive story for me.

Although this didn’t quite live up to Scottoline’s standard to me, it was clear she’d done a lot of research. Much appreciated!

Like Eternal, I must mention that she used many Italian words and phrases that had me going to my dictionary. Some of which I never found.

Still a L. S. fan. I’ll just choose a bit more carefully.

Review will be posted 3/23/23
Scottoline has put together quite the cast of characters in her latest historical novel. There's Dante, a young boy, who gets abducted during a festival. He is thrown into the Ospizio di Santa Teresa, a horrible asylum. Local lawyer, Gaetano, employs a group of people to search for this poor boy; he wants justice. Meanwhile, there's a lemon farmer, Franco, who has many plans for himself. Currently, he works for Baron Zito, but wants a plot of his own land one day. He feels the only want to get ahead is to play the Baron's games and he is behind the kidnapping of Dante. He will do whatever it takes to get ahead and even organizes a crime group, which is, essentially, the origin of the mafia. Then there's Alfredo, a cheese maker, who is hiding a secret. There's Mafalda, who gives birth to an albino baby, and then is consequently shunned by her family and community. In order to save her daughter, Lucia, she must leave her family behind. Clearly, there are many subplots in Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline, but slowly she weaves the story together and brings all these unlikely characters together for quite the climax. Loyalty is perfect for fans of historical fiction who enjoy a dash of crime fiction in their historical tales.

To be honest with you, there were so many characters, I had a hard time keeping them straight in Loyalty. I really needed to write down their names and a small description, because I found myself going back to get reacquainted and getting confused as to who was the lawyer, which one was the cheese maker, etc. Once I got myself sorted, I was able to enjoy the plot a bit more. So be forewarned! I trusted Scottoline's process in that I knew she would tie these character's stories together and she definitely did by the climax.

Loyalty examines the birth of the mafia, so there's a lot of violence, crimes, and people seeking justice. There's also nice moments of community and friendship. The story was a bit sadder than I expected, but I found the Sicilian culture so interesting. Which leads me to the setting, which is my favorite aspect of the story. Scottoline spent some time on Sicily before writing the novel and it shows. She brought the food, the culture, the land, and the people to life so well.

If you love a good sweeping saga with a beautiful setting mixed in with some crime fiction, you will loved to be lost in Scottoline's world. While I enjoyed Scottoline's Eternal a bit more, I was still entirely captivated by this tale. So, are you a fan of Scottoline? Do you plan on reading Loyalty? Let me know in the comments below.

I have always loved Lisa Scottoline's books and this one more than exceeded expectations. The novel tells the engrossing tale of how the Sicilian mafia began in Palermo in the early 1800s. At the same time, it introduces a number of other players and deftly weaves their stories into the main storyline. The crisp and interesting narrative keeps you hooked till the end. I'm glad I got approved for an ARC from NetGalley. I finished the book in less than 24 hours and this one is going on my recommended list for sure!!

Loyalty took place in Sicily.

Franco was a lemon grower who longed for his own place among the elite. Franco worked for Baron Zito and was asked to kill a young boy of 6 years old named Dante. Franco instead had Dante abducted and put in a home for the mentally unstable called the Madhouse, but led Baron Zito to believe he killed Dante. After everything Franco had done for Baron Zito, Franco realized he was nothing to the Baron who made sure Franco would never be with his true love, darkness took over and Franco wanted nothing more than to make Baron Zito pay by destroying him.

Franco had a twin brother named Roberto who had a hard time coming to terms with the darkness surrounding his brother but ended up working along side him by hiring the worst of the worst to be gunman to make sure those that pay for protection of their goods get it, and those that don't, well...don't. This was the beginning of the mafia in Sicily.

Dante grew up in the Madhouse he was left in. To find out what happens to Dante turned this book into a fast paced read for me, I was just unable to put it down.

There was so much about this book I loved, the writing was so well done I could picture the scenery as I was reading.

If you love a good historical fiction you will love this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love reading thrillers written by Lisa Scottoline. This is not a thriller! This historical fiction work proved just what a talented and diverse writer Ms. Scottoline is. This epic story of Italy in the 1800s features a large cast of characters that are tied together nicely by the end of the book. If you enjoy historical fiction, I encourage you to read this book!

I haven't read a Lisa Scottoline novel in quite some time, but when I saw the synopsis for this one, it piqued my interest.

The back story of Franco wanting to own his own lemon grove captivated me immediately. I mean, who doesn't wish for more occasionally? But then, Franco's dream quickly led to a nightmarish reality for Dante.

The mafia involvement, the want-to-be entreprenuer, the evil boss, they all drew me in and made me want to find out what would happen in the end.

My heart ached for Dante and I was cheering him on while my mind was spinning many cruel ends for some of the characters.

I'd definitely recommend this one!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own.

I had no idea this was posed to be a historical fiction book. Still, when I found out that Loyalty by Scottoline was positioned to tell the ups and downs of Sicily's most infamous Mafia family, I was totally intrigued. Buckle up because this thick boy is a chunker and it'll have your attention from start to finish. I am so thankful to Lisa Scottoline, NetGalley, and Putnam Books for sending me advanced digital access and also a physical finished copy before it publishes on March 28, 2023

Wow! Very different from the other Scottoline books I’ve read, but I enjoyed her foray into the historical fiction genre, of course there is her superb blending of characters, along with twists and turns. Seeing how it all comes together at the end is riveting! Great job!

Pub date: 3/28/23
Genre: historical fiction
Quick summary: In 19th century Sicily, the kidnapping of a young boy sets off a chain of events that will change the region forever, including promoting development of the mafia.

ETERNAL is a fave historical fiction read of mine, so I was so excited to read LOYALTY. Warning to the reader: there are A LOT of characters, and it's not clear from the beginning how their stories combine. That being said, if you sit back and just enjoy the read, everything comes together at the end. The mafia storyline provided high emotional stakes, especially towards the end of the book.

Edoardo Ballerini's narration was engrossing, and I recommend both audio and text formats. I was glad to have the chance to learn about this time period, and I look forward to more from Scottoline! 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Thank you to Putnam Books for my e-ARC and PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook!

I am a huge fan of Lisa Scottoline, so I was super excited when I got Loyalty. I mean Lisa and mafia yessss please! Loyalty had a slow burn beginning, lots of different characters (so many characters) and no connection to each other that I kept saying to myself how is Lisa connecting these people. But when Lisa connected all the dots it was with a huge OMG moment that had my jaw on the ground.
In the fashion of The Godfather this books is a epic saga piece. Stick with it you will thank me!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Lisa Scottoline’s Loyalty is a beautifully written work of historical fiction. Set in Sicily, the book stars several characters, all of whom are marked by tragedy.

Franco manages a lemon farm for a wealthy aristocrat and has big dreams. Dante is just a boy when he is kidnapped and hidden in a “madhouse.” Gaetano is a lawyer with a bigger purpose. Finally, Lucia is a girl who is ostracized because of her appearance and lives her whole (at least prior to meeting Dante) hiding from people. Each of these characters comes to life through Scottoline’s skilled writing.

The story grabbed me, and I enjoyed it immensely— and stayed up way too late to finish the book because I just couldn’t put it down. I had to learn how it ended!

Thank you to Scottoline, Putnam/Random House, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my opinions.

A wonderfully told of love, honor, secrets, and lies set in 19th century Sicily. Lisa Scottoline gives us a rich and diverse set of characters including a kidnapped child, the lawyer determined to find him, an outcast wife and her unusual daughter, and brothers who long for power and love. If you’re a fan of historical fiction, you will enjoy this book!

Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline is a change from so many of her great novels. Within this book, we will see many ideas of loyalty; what it is, what it does to people and how it may be maintained. There are many characters who are defined at the beginning of this fantastic historical fiction with so many facts woven throughout the story.
I was not expecting such an honest and often brutal look at Sicily in the 1800’s. Scottoline has done an incredible job with her research of the beautiful lemon groves, the beginning of the mafia, the cruel “madhouses” of the times and the rise and fall of the wealthy and less wealthy people. Do not end this book without reading the Author’s Notes. These added so much more to the book. As usual, I loved this book as I have loved all of Scottoline’s books. I really enjoy her totally immersive historical fiction based on real events and periods of time.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lisa Scottoline and Penguin Group Putnam Publishing for this ARC. This is my honest review.

In LOYALTY, Lisa Scottoline does what she does—writes a heartbreaking tale full of interesting characters. It’s a lengthy book with lives and storyline converging to finish with a satisfying ending. The overriding theme is good over evil, but the reader will also find threads of other themes: of love and loss, justice and revenge, faith and hope, and yes, loyalty. There’s something for everyone.

The story opens with Franco, a lemon farmer, who dreams of one day owning his own grove. The action is jumpstarted with the kidnapping of a young boy named Dante, who spends most of his life in an asylum for the insane. The quest for the real truth behind his kidnapping keeps the reader turning the pages. My favorite character is a young lawyer, Gaetano, who is driven to find young Dante. The story shifts to a mafia family that desires revenge and the protection of its own.

The only thing that could make this any better is if I were reading it while visiting the island of Sicily!

I have been a fan of Lisa Scottoline for a long time. Her books never fail to keep me entertained and most of the time on the edge of my seat in anticipation of what Is going to happen next. This book had all of that and more. I could not put this page turner down. Loved it so much!
I just reviewed Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline. #Loyalty #NetGalley
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This book is quite different than Scottoline's usual fare. It is not a legal thriller. It is still a crime drama but one that has several different stories weaving through it at the same time as it imagines the beginnings of the mafia.

Franco Fiorvanti is an awful awful man demanding complete loyalty from his men although he is not loyal to anyone but himself, not even his own family members. He and his men commit the most heinous crimes. It would not necessarily be that enjoyable just to read about these terrible men, particularly, Fiorvanti himself, and their crimes so their story is counterbalanced with the story of Gaetano Catalano, a lawyer trying to solve the mystery of young boys who are going missing even though his inquiries into the subject may put himself and his own family in jeopardy. There are also the outcasts, Mafalda and her overly pale-skinned daughter, Lucia, and Dante one of the kidnapped boys, and more who are also good.

The book is also a bit of a travelogue with its vivid descriptions. Most of the locations are real places in Sicily. You can find out what is real and what isn't in an author's note at the end of the book.

On the whole, the story is interesting but not necessarily as gripping as some of Scottoline's other books. It is definitely a bit too much to take at times as it makes you realize the depths of depravity to which some people will sink and how little regard they can have for their fellow human beings. However, it is still a mostly satisfying read.

Fans of Scottoline will enjoy this solid exploration into historical fiction, showing the rise of the Mafia in Sicily.

The length, large cast of characters, and multiple parallel storylines makes this a daunting read. Quality writing keeps the reader engaged throughout the journey.

#netgalleyarc I think maybe I need a break from some of my favorite authors. Again, another author I usually really enjoy but this book was just meh. I had a hard time keeping track of all the characters and just found the story underwhelming,