Welcome to my spot on the blog tour for The Devil’s Tune by Fran Kempton. Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for my spot on the tour. Read on for more info and my review.
Carlo Gesualdo, prince, composer and murderer has his wife and her lover killed in Naples in 1590. The wife’s maidservant,Laura Scala, witnesses the events and vowes to avenge her mistress.
The princess, Donna Maria d’Avalos, rescued Laura in Sicily after she had been raped at the age of thirteen. Laura devotes her life to her saviour and after the murders she spends years of her life trying to be revenged on the musical prince.
The scene moves from Sicily to Naples and Venice, back to Naples and finally to the New World. Laura believes she is carrying a curse. Everyone she becomes involved with appears to suffers misfortune and death.
A Jewish girl in the Venetian ghetto is kidnapped and sold into the Sultan’s harem, Laura’s daughter is placed in an orphanage without her knowledge, the artist Caravaggio uses Laura as a model and meets a tragic end.
Three beautiful pearls given to Laura by her mistress play a part in the story. Is Laura really cursed – or is it her connection with the murderous prince who dabbles in the occult?
A gypsy woman is burned at the stake, a Venetian gondolier meets a mysterious fate and Laura becomes a skilled herbalist and poisoner by default before the story ends in the New World. The background to these events is the strange and compelling music of Gesualdo.
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Review:
The Devil’s Tune by Fran Kempton is a historical fiction novel about Prince Gesualdo, who was a composer and a murderer. I read a lot about real life murders, so this was intriguing to me. I hadn’t heard this story before, so it was a compelling read.
Fran Kempton clearly did her research. This story transports the reader back to 16th century, Italy. I could easily see the settings and people described. The writing is vivid and makes the reader feel part of the story.
The story is narrated by Laura Scala, who was a maidservent to Prince Gesualdo’s murdered wife. It really created a unique perspective that was very intriguing to read.
Gripping and thrilling. I loved the pacing and the history. I enjoyed this very much. Don’t miss out.
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the review copy and the opportunity to honestly review this book on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.
Rating:
4/5☆
Frances Kempton is a reclusive writer fleeing from the clutches of Jane Austen.
She has an obsession with Italy. This is the first book in an Italian trilogy.
Let me know what you think in the comments. I’d love to interact with you. If this sounds like something you would read, let me know!
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Jessica Belmont 