The Three Deaths of Giovanni Fumiani
Fumiani is dead…again. Giovanni Fumiani, buried in 1706 in the Venetian church of San Pantalon, after falling to his death while finishing the church’s immense ceiling painting turns up dead four years later on the Giudecca. Stefano Bigio, an impoverished nobleman, asked by the parish priest to unravel the circumstances of the artist’s deaths and disappearance, begins a journey into the corrupt underbelly of the dying Republic. Lies, murder, and the ambition of the powerful block his way in a tale of honor, love, and the power of art to open eyes and change lives.
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“A crisp and lyrical romance with a protofeminist subtext and authentic period flavor” (Kirkus Reviews)
“This book is a great read for everyone who enjoys historical fiction with a romantic twist!” (Goodreads)
England, 1591. Eager for adventure English lord William Bateman sets out from Norwich for the Continent and beyond. He leaves behind a young woman, Elizabeth Hilliard, who has secretly pledged her heart to him though they had barely spoken. He is falsely imprisoned and tortured as a spy by the Ottoman governor of Rhodes. Safiye, the governor’s young daughter, helps him escape. She and William pledge to be faithful to each other for seven years. William returns to England to find the family has suffered tragedies and misfortune. William must save the family’s estate. Elizabeth has grown into a beautiful, spirited woman whom William comes to love. As the seventh year approaches, Safiye abandons her life to find Lord Bateman. William torn between love and a gentleman’s code of honor must decide where the true path of honor lies.
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Jewish jewel trader Abraham, a young widower leaves the ghetto in Venice in 1598 for the Burmese kingdom of Pegu to acquire high-quality gems for the family business. In Pegu as a foreigner he is confronted with a local custom that demands he perform a duty that runs against the moral dictates of his faith. He is torn between the demands of his faith and success of his business. When tragedy destroys the future planned for Mya, Abraham takes the young woman in, offering her his protection and, unexpectedly, his love. Social and political upheaval threatens to violently transform the kingdom. The actions of the powerful force fateful choices that could have devastating consequences for Abraham and Mya and their dreams for the future.