Review: The Fortune Keeper by Deborah Swift
I'm delighted to share my review for The Fortune Keeper by historical fiction author, Deborah Swift.
It's the third book in a series about an Italian poisoner, Giulia Tofana, and – as a fan of the Affair of the Poisons that happened later that century – I was keen to read this novel. I hope to catch up on the first two titles in the next few months.
The Fortune Keeper is currently on blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club. Please find all the other fabulous stops here!
The Fortune Keeper
Deborah Swift
In The Fortune Keeper, we find ourselves in Venice where Giulia and Fabio have made themselves at home with Mia, who they took in after she lost her parents. Fabio works as a bookbinder, and Giulia helps with herbs and treating women's problems.
But the focus of this novel is on young Mia. Married at 14, to Niccolo Caiozzi, a spendthrift, gaming husband who ran off to leave her to herself, Mia's dream is to rise in fine society, amongst the nobles of the city, talking about modern sciences – astronomy and astrology in particular.
When she attends a talk by an old scientist called Bravaggio, she is hooked, and she begs him to teach her about the movement of the stars. Soon, she creates beautiful astrological readings, with which she earns a little money.
During the meeting, she notices two men who raise her interest: young Jacopo, a doctor in training who'd run out of study funds – and the mysterious Signor Moretti, who rises fast to become the financier of the Count d'Ambrosi, and is even introduced to the Doge. Mia is impressed, and a little envious.
Against Giulia's specific wishes, Mia pursues her ’heretic’ studies and as her path crosses Moretti's more often, she fins herself intrigued by his power and influence. How she yearned to be part of the high society, respected for her knowledge!
But Moretti has a dark side, one she only learns about after tragedy strikes at the heart of her home, and when she eventually realises that her own life is in danger, her fate appears sealed. As does Giulia's.
Can they find a way out of Moretti's deadly clutches?
The Fortune Keeper is a fascinating tale of life in 17th century Venice. The Inquisition even reached into the heart of the trading city, and Ms Swift describes everything so well. We can smell the stinking canals, shiver in the cold winds, and feel the damp rise in the houses. The setting is utterly realistic, and we are quickly drawn into the fast-paced action of the story.
As expected, there is a very dark side to this tale, one of revenge and envy, murders and poisons, and the underlying danger of being arrested as a heretic for merely questioning established Church doctrine.
Mia is naive and gullible. Her ambitions go way beyond someone at her station, and we shake our heads at her desperate attempts at being accepted, as we know it won't end well. In her quest, she trusts the wrong people, and learns several harsh lessons before realisation strikes. Her life in danger, she bravely seeks a way out, her inquisitive, daring nature then becoming her saving grace.
Of course, Giulia also features strongly, always present in the background, hiding her past from Mia, but with that past cruelly catching up with her, she becomes a shell of her former self.
The Fortune Keeper is a wonderful story of ambition, greed, curiosity and redemption. Now, I must catch up on the first two titles in the series, before the next one comes out.
Sumptuous settings, flawed characters, clever plots, and dark deeds make this story very special.
A gripping, engrossing, and highly recommended read!
~~~
Blurb:
Count your nights by stars, not shadows ~ Italian Proverb
Winter in Renaissance Venice
Mia Caiozzi is determined to discover her destiny by studying the science of astronomy. But her stepmother Giulia forbids her to engage in this occupation, fearing it will lead her into danger. The ideas of Galileo are banned by the Inquisition, so Mia must study in secret.
Giulia's real name is Giulia Tofana, renowned for her poison Aqua Tofana, and she is in hiding from the Duke de Verdi's family who are intent on revenge for the death of their brother. Giulia insists Mia should live quietly out of public view. If not, it could threaten them all. But Mia doesn't understand this, and rebels against Giulia, determined to go her own way.
When the two secret lives collide, it has far-reaching and fatal consequences that will change Mia's life forever.
Set amongst opulent palazzos and shimmering canals, The Fortune Keeper is the third novel of adventure and romance based on the life and legend of Giulia Tofana, the famous poisoner.
'Her characters are so real they linger in the mind long after the book is back on the shelf' - Historical Novel Society
NB This is the third in a series but can stand alone as it features a new protagonist. Other two books are available if reviewers want them.
Trigger warnings: Murder and violence in keeping with the era.
Buy Links:
This book is available to read on Kindle Unlimited?
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/4EJBOz
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fortune-Keeper-gripping-historical-Renaissance-ebook/dp/B0B9T83FRY
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Fortune-Keeper-gripping-historical-Renaissance-ebook/dp/B0B9T83FRY
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Fortune-Keeper-gripping-historical-Renaissance-ebook/dp/B0B9T83FRY
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/Fortune-Keeper-gripping-historical-Renaissance-ebook/dp/B0B9T83FRY
About the Author:
Deborah Swift
Deborah Swift is a USA TODAY bestselling author who is passionate about the past. Deborah used to be a costume designer for the BBC, before becoming a writer.
Deborah loves to write about how extraordinary events in history have transformed the lives of ordinary people, and how the events of the past can live on in her books and still resonate today.
Recent books include The Poison Keeper, about the Renaissance poisoner Giulia Tofana, which was a winner of the Wishing Shelf Readers Award, and a Coffee Pot Book Club Gold Medal, and The Cipher Room set in WW2 and due for publication by Harper Collins next Spring.
Connect with Deborah:
Twitter https://twitter.com/swiftstory
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authordeborahswift/
Website www.deborahswift.com
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.co.uk/deborahswift1/
Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/deborah-swift
Amazon http://author.to/DeborahSwift
Thank you for taking the time to read, and for your lovely review.
ReplyDelete