My thanks to the Author publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review.
Well written and researched with an excellent mix of real and fictional characters built around an actual historical event in Florence. This is an absorbing atmospheric intriguing debut and hopefully the start of a series, Entertaining and engaging from first to last page. A clever descriptive imaginative debut.
Recommended.

This was a good mystery, solid in that area alone. I also loved the historical setting, it was unique to most of the mysteries I read. Going on about the setting, I felt it was really well done in descriptions and transported me to where Aldo was in a Renaissance Florence. The fact that Caesar Aldo was gay also was an added bonus for me, and he wasn't just written that way for the 'sake of it' the author took time to develop him as a full-fledged character not only in sexuality but in background, a well hashed out history where a lot of mystery writers tend to forget to have that for their MCs.

The mystery did drag on a bit and I felt the middle was a bit muddled because of that, but it did alright, as I said a solid mystery read at the end of the day.

There were other characters that we tend to write out of history and I appreciated the author's authenticity in giving those forgotten characters their proper places in history.

Downsides? The pacing again, with the large slump in the middle was a big one. Another point that had me rating this down was the over use of the curse words in Italian. It was always just the one 'curse' word in Italian and it was like when a child learnds a new 'naughty' word and just wants to go to town with it. It also was a bit sad that, that was the only Italian language that was used.

Still, fun mystery, really great ending and I am curious to see what Aldo does next!

3.5/5 cups of coffee from me thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this debut novel; an interesting mix of crime and historical fiction. Basically, a Jewish moneylender is murdered and it’s up to Aldo, the investigator with his own backstory, to bring the perpetrator auto justice.

It’s set in Florence at a time when the Medici family were all powerful and the political intrigues form a central part to the story. I felt a strong sense of time and place and although most of the characters are fictional, it feels realistic and I could almost picture many of the places detailed. There’s a huge cast of characters and it’s not action packed, but it’s engaging, colourful and filled with insight about customs and attitudes as well as being a decent murder mystery.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

I got City of Vengeance by D.V. Bishop from Netgalley for a fair and honest review.


The city of Vengeance is set in Florence. Winter, 1536. A prominent Jewish moneylender is murdered in his home, a death with wide implications in a city powered by immense wealth.

Cesare Aldo, a former soldier and now an officer of the Renaissance city’s most feared criminal court, is given four days to solve the murder: catch the killer before the feast of Epiphany – or suffer the consequences.

City of Vengeance is a novel that has been written many times before, a police procedural novel where a crime in this case, a muder of a money lender, leads the investigator, Aldo, into political intrigue.

What makes this novel a cut above the rest, is the writer D. V. Bishop’s idea of moving the setting to Florence in 1536. A time when Italy was not the country we know now, but a number of city states, with Florence being ruled by the Medici family.

Into this world the author with a number of historical characters and some invented ones including Aldo the detective in the novel, who has secrets of his own.

In addition to the people in the book one of the things that the writer did well was the setting, putting us as readers into a world which we are unable to enter, with the sites and sounds of the town, along with the attitudes of the day.

While the murder of Levi, was not the most intresting crime of in any book of this type, it did lead into a novel full of political intrigue, as well as each individuasl on the make meaning that the investigation may not run as smoothly as it should.

One thing I must add is that this is the first in a new series of historical crime fiction, which means has the book done the job of wanting to read more of the series?

The simple answer is yes while the crime may not be the most complicated, the novel has introduced a wide range of characters in a setting that has me intrigued, in wanting me to read more about Florence in the 1530’s.

So who should read City of Vengeance? This novel crosses two genres, the first is crime and the second is historical fiction, so if either are the type of books you like then this one is definitely for you.

Disappointing. . . Set in Renaissance Florence.

When I started reading 'City Of Vengeance' I was excited because I've been to Florence and I certainly enjoy historical thrillers.

Unfortunately, despite giving this a fair chance, I just couldn't feel the love. Maybe it was just a slow burner, but I like to be drawn in from the outset with so much brilliant literature out there. Sadly, this didn't happen. I agree with another reviewer who pointed out there was too much confusion with a vast number of characters. . . Also, too many Latin phrases.

Cesare Aldo must investigate the death of an important Jewish moneylender, with only a short period in which to solve the crime, so it seemed promising. There were plenty of references to Florence's bawdy side, but I had to keep stopping to put everything into context.

I just lost interest so sadly I couldn't finish the book. I wish that it could have been more engaging.

Galadriel.

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of this book to review.

(Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an Advanced Review Copy)

The city is Florence in 1536 and that setting enlivens what is really a stock-standard plot. Cesare Aldo is a former soldier, now an officer of the Otto, the Criminal Court, investigating the murder of a male prostitute and subsequently a Jewish money-lender whose life he saved when guarding him on a journey from Bologna to Florence a few days before. These events connect with the real-life historical plot against Florentine ruler, Alessandro de Medici, and Aldo journeys in and out of danger (and prison) in Florence and Bologna. Aldo is pretty indestructible, several times bashed or otherwise injured, and his chief antagonist sneers and leers a little too often but the discreetly gay Aldo is a tough upholder of justice in an always interesting read

Set in Florence in the winter of 1536, Cesare Aldo, an officer with the Otto, a specialist investigating squad is given the job of protecting a Jewish money lender on journey home from Bologne. Cesare successfully completes the mission only to have the money lender die in his own home shortly after their return. Who murdered him and why?
Cesare also uncovers a plot to assassinate Duke Allessandro, head of the Medici family and the leader of Florence. He thinks he knows who is behind the plot and how the two crimes are connected - he just has to prove it.
There is also the matter of the courtesan brutally murdered, Where does that fit into things?
I loved this book right from the first paragraph. The writing just pulls you into the pages and you feel like you are there. When I was only a few pages from the end I had a problem because I wanted to read them so that I could find out what happened but I also didn't it to end.
Highly recommend.

This is one of the best debut novels I have ever read. The writing style absorbs the reader and you really feel like you in the story with the characters.

A wonderful historical novel of De Medici Florence using the plot against Duke Alessandro by his cousin Lorenzino as part of the central theme. The main character is a gay investigator who after protecting a moneylender between Bologna and Florence in which an attempt is made on his life only to be murdered after arriving home. The subsequent investigation and plot against the Duke are cleverly described with several interesting characters woven into the plot. Medieval Florence is beautifully shown all building to a clever climax and ending with the possibility of maybe more adventures for agent Aldo. Recommended!

<b><I>Cesare Aldo took no pleasure from killing, but sometimes it was necessary. </I></b>

So, starts and ends this book. It's 1536 and Duke Alessandro de Medici is the ruler of the Florentine Republic. Cesare Aldo, a former soldier and now an officer of the criminal court of Florence, the Otto di Guardia e Balia, has been charged with finding the killer of Samuele Levi, a Jewish money lender. Levi had recently been fearful that his life was in danger and narrowly escaped an attack on a trip to Bologna but now his fears have been realised. Despite Levi being an argumentative and unpopular man, Aldo has his work cut out with Levi's daughter Rachel having no idea who would want to murder her difficult father. However, his investigations into Levi's death lead Aldo into uncovering a conspiracy against Duke Alessandro, but without hard evidence he has trouble getting his superiors to believe him.

The Renaissance has brought great luxury to Florence in the form of beautiful architecture, fashion, literature and art and by 1536 it has become the banking centre of Europe. However, while some families are prosperous and wealthy, many people still live in poverty struggling to earn enough to feed and house their families. Based of factual events, the sights, sounds and smells of daily life in Florence at that time has been well researched by the author adding atmosphere to the novel. Gossip and intrigue are rife on the streets, as are bribery, extra-marital affairs and prostitution. Homosexuality is taboo and considered a crime and another of the Otto's cases involves the death of a beautiful young man beaten to death while dressed as a woman.

The murder mystery is complex and complicated by political intrigue and the factions of the court and the church. Aldo is a skilled investigator and a great character. He has a secret of his own he must preserve or his life will be in danger. Honest with his own sense of justice, he is tough and not adverse to killing when he is attacked or protecting someone. This promises to be the first of a series and I'm very much looking forward to a sequel.

I really enjoyed this, a crime thriller set in Medici Florence. There's enough historical detail about the different communities and political intrigue to lift it above a straightforward procedural novel, with a lead character who is occasionally morally ambivalent. I hope this becomes a series, as I look forward to reading more about Aldo Cesare.

An historical thriller set in 1536 Florence. This is D. V. Bishop's debut novel and it is very well-written.
There are a number of mysteries to solve that become intertwined. The task of solving these mysteries falls primarily to Cesare Aldo, an officer of the city court. Given a strict deadline in which to solve the crimes, Aldo finds himself battling on numerous fronts to fulfil his duty and also to protect himself.
The historical detail is excellent and very descriptive. Aldo proves to be an interesting character who I warmed to as the novel progressed. The story is fast paced with many twists and surprises. The injustices of the time are firmly brought home to the reader with the level.of threats and violence against the characters.
It took me a little while to settle into the story but I soon became hooked. Thoroughly enjoyable.

This new writer D V Bishop brings to life Renaissance Florence of 1536 with his main character Cesare Aldo, an ex-soldier who is now working as an officer for Otto, the city’s most feared criminal court. It is time of Duke Alessandro de Medicci. After escorted a Jewish Moneylender Samuel Levi home to Florence after an attack by bandits he learns that the man has been murdered. Also a young gay man dressed in a beautifully crafted dress is attacked in front of a new officer, Carlo Strocchi and later dies as a result. How the two men seek to find answers in city where the rich get away with all sorts of crimes and the poor live in dreadful conditions and their lives are not valued. Add in to mix another officer Cerchi who is seeking to disclose Cesare’s secret to the world, he is brutal and always corrupt in his dealings. I loved the way the novel brought to life the city and the Jewish community that existed there. Well paced and definitely would enjoy another book in this series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this from DV Bishop - a new historical crime writer to add to a list of favourites.

Set in Renaissance Florence, the main character Aldo is charged with investigating a murder - the killing of a Jewish money lender who Aldo had recently guarded on a trip outside of Florence and who is killed shortly after his return.

Packed with a cast of intriguing characters, plenty of grisly events and plots, this twists and turns from beginning to end - through love, honour, politics and religion, what a cracker! I've seen this compared to Sansom's Shardlake - and it's fair to say that if you enjoy the Shardlake series, you'll like this too.

First of all I loved the detective and his wile and professional enforcement techniques - the author describes his moves very well - and his secret ‘failing’ is played out well (I won’t give it away) - telling of the times (and perhaps ours too) - set in a vicious time in Italy - before it was a full nation - the Medici of Florence - ruthless and grabbing for power, all were in their hands as weapons to those ends. The money-lender is not all he seems, and his daughter is more powerful that a female has a right to be in those times - and she suffers for it. It more or less comes out in the end in this rich historical (that makes the place feel awfully like Tudor England at the same time ...familiar) - very impressive and despite its being sometimes hard to follow, engaging like crazy. Highly recommend

City of Vengeance introduces Cesare Aldo who, like all the best protagonists, is competent and compassionate but has a chequered past and things he would rather keep secret. David Bishop whisks us into a really well-drawn Florence of 1536 – mere decades after the paranoia brought by the Pazzi conspiracy and Savonarola’s preaching. I felt the oppression of narrow dark streets and the omnipresence of walls with ears.
Aldo investigates matters for the criminal court under a backside-covering boss and alongside the contemptible Cerchi who seems to put more effort into catching Aldo out, inflicting violence and extorting money than doing any effectual work. I enjoyed the story, based around the real events of an attempt on the life of Alessandro de’ Medici, Duke of Florence. The characters were interesting and realistic and I know which ones I would hope to see in the next instalment.
One thing I didn’t like was what felt to me over-use of Italian words in italics. Fair enough when a word has a specific meaning, e.g. denunzia, but it felt a bit twee to use palle and cazzo, and surely officio should be ufficio?
Overall, a good read and a good set-up for the Cesare Aldo series.

Having enjoyed quite a number of books that use the plot device of transplanting a diluted twentieth/twenty first crime and detection approach into a mediaeval setting I looked forward to reading City of Vengeance, which places theft, murder and treachery in Florence during the time of Medici rule. In many ways, the plot works and there is an engaging tale based on bloody events from Florence’s history in the 16th century. The lead character, an officer of the Otto - the organisation having jurisdiction over some aspects of criminal law and various matters related to the police in the Medici period - finds himself unwittingly involved in attempting to prevent an assassination whilst also investigating several murders. The narrative is fluent and conveys an authentic sense of many aspects of life in 16th century Florence. Some readers may find the lead character seems to possess inordinately effective powers of recovery from beatings and attempts on his life, but the plot does lean heavily on his semi superhero abilities, so the fair minded reader may allow this in order to preserve the fluency of the storytelling. This reader wanted to see how the plot strands were resolved and found the denouement tolerably satisfying, if - possibly - a little too well signalled much earlier in the book. All in all, an enjoyable read.

Meeting Cesare Aldo was a great pleasure and I’m very happy there will be more books in his series. Although at first the story goes a bit slow because we have to get to know a lot of people and learn about the history, soon after reading the first chapters it’s impossible to put this book down. Aldo is an unusual man for his times with a sharp brain and a sharp wit that helps him unravel the secrets in this book. I just love the historical facts and the way the author used them to write this entertaining story. There are several very bad persons in this book and it’s good to see that they get what they deserve – and this goes for the good people too. You can almost smell the city and hear the beautiful Italian language through the words.
Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for this review copy.

Murder and intrigue in the 16th century Florence of the Medicis in this thoroughly enjoyable historical detective novel which will appeal to fans of the Shardlake series. Aldo is one of the few good guys in what was the police force of the time which makes his job particularly difficult. Danger is just a step away as the rich and well connected conspire to keep him from achieving justice and to make matters even more complicated he has a secret which could lead to his own imprisonment and death if it became known. Especially if it became know to people like his corrupt fellow law officer Cerchi who will twist it for his own gain. Sent to guard a Jewish money lender travelling back to Florence from Bologna, Aldo isn’t sure why the man is in danger but he’s about to be launched into a case that will put himself in danger just as he starts to uncover a conspiracy against the ruling Duke Alessandro de Medici. The only person powerful enough to help him is the envoy fro the Holy Roman Emperor who has his own reasons for not putting himself forward to help. Excellent fast-paced historical crime drama which lends itself to a new series, I look forward to reading more by this author.

Though fictional, historical thriller, ‘City of Vengeance’, is based partly on real incidents and people.

Medieval Florence, in the icy cold winter of 1536, Cesare Aldo (former soldier, and now serving as an officer of the criminal court) has successfully escorted Jewish moneylender Samuele Levi safely back to his hometown, though it wasn’t without incident, with the pair of them barely escaping with their lives. However, shortly after arriving back, Levi is brutally murdered in his own home.

Aldo is given four days to find out who killed him and why, or suffer the consequences. This isn’t the only problem facing Aldo, as he discovers a plot to overthrow Duke Allesandro de’ Medici, ruler of Florence. Yet another murder also occupies his very limited time, the murder of a young man who dressed as a woman. Although the authorities have no interest in this particular murder, Aldo thinks it may be connected with Levi’s.

The plot progressed at a steady pace – some moments saw the tension increase dramatically before it eased back, only to flare up again.
I instantly liked Aldo as a character. He’s not in a particularly powerful position, however, it is a position where he could easily be bought, but Aldo’s not susceptible to bribery, despite the fact that he has a huge secret of his own, which could bring about his downfall, and that in itself added extra tension to the storyline.

Tense, and atmospheric, with murder, political intrigue, secrets, and old rivalries, all simmering away in the background, just waiting for their moment in history, to grasp what some of them believe, is rightfully theirs. A great read!