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The Botticelli Secret (Reading Group Gold), by Marina Fiorato
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In this exhilarating cross between The Da Vinci Code and The Birth of Venus, an irrepressible young woman in 15th-century Italy must flee for her life after stumbling upon a deadly secret when she serves as a model for Botticelli...
When part-time model and full-time prostitute Luciana Vetra is asked by one of her most exalted clients to pose for a painter friend, she doesn't mind serving as the model for the central figure of Flora in Sandro Botticelli's masterpiece "Primavera." But when the artist dismisses her without payment, Luciana impulsively steals an unfinished version of the painting--only to find that somone is ready to kill her to get it back.
What could possibly be so valuable about the picture? As friends and clients are slaughtered around her, Luciana turns to the one man who has never desired her beauty, novice librarian Brother Guido. Fleeing Venice together, Luciana and Guido race through the nine cities of Renaissance Italy, pursued by ruthless foes who are determined to keep them from decoding the painting's secrets.
Gloriously fresh and vivid, with a deliciously irreverent heroine, The Botticelli Secret is an irresistible blend of history, wit, and suspense.
- Sales Rank: #189265 in Books
- Published on: 2010-03-30
- Released on: 2010-03-30
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.26" h x 1.48" w x 5.46" l,
- Binding: Paperback
- 544 pages
From Publishers Weekly
The city-states of Renaissance Italy serve as the vibrant backdrop for this less than successful homage to The Da Vinci Code from Fiorato (TheGlassblower of Murano). In 1482 Florence, while prostitute Luciana Vetra is posing for Botticelli's Primavera, she makes a casual comment that terrifies the artist. Sent away unpaid, Luciana steals a miniature of the painting in revenge. When she discovers that an assassin is on her trail, she flees Florence with the most trustworthy companion she can find, handsome and cultured monk Brother Guido della Torre. As the two decode the secrets hidden in the painting (and fall in love), its meanings send them on a quest through Italy to save their own lives and avert a conspiracy involving the greatest powers of the day. Luciana's energetic narrative voice keeps the pages turning, but lengthy passages deconstructing La Primavera yield secrets, unlike those in Dan Brown's bestseller, with little resonance for modern readers. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Luciana Vetra, revered prostitute of Florence, earns the chance to pose for Botticelli as Flora in Primavera, but the session goes awry when her innocent words anger the artist. Not one to endure an insult, she retaliates by stealing a smaller version of the painting. Her roommate and patron are killed when the artist sends agents to reclaim the painting, leaving Luciana with only one ally to turn to, the comely novice Brother Guido who has tried to convert her. They flee Florence for their lives and to solve the deadly secret hidden within the artwork. Following her debut, The Glassblower of Murano (2009), Fiorato creates her own masterpiece set at the height of Medici power. Renaissance Italy comes alive in brilliant sights and sounds from marbled halls to filthy sewers. Luciana is irrepressible, unabashed, and an absolute hoot while Guido foils her nicely as the learned, noble Holmes to her Watson. Political intrigue is deftly woven throughout, allowing readers to try their best sleuthing. Fiorato even layers in a charming love story for good measure. --Nina C. Davis
Review
“Fiorato creates her own masterpiece set at the height of Medici power. Renaissance Italy comes alive in brilliant sights and sounds from marbled halls to filthy sewers. Luciana is irrepressible, unabashed, and an absolute hoot while Guido foils her nicely as the learned, noble Holmes to her Watson.” ―Booklist
“Marina Fiorato has fashioned a double tale of artistry, love, and intrigue, plotted as cunningly as her characters commit treachery....It took my breath away.” ―Susan Vreeland, author of Girl in Hyacinth Blue, on THE GLASSBLOWER OF MURANO
“An intriguing mix of history, mystery, art, music, poetry, romance, and politics....Gripping....Writing with charm and authenticity, Fiorato produces a blend of historical mystery and modern romance that is thoroughly entertaining.” ―Booklist on THE GLASSBLOWER OF MURANO
“Those who enjoy intrigue and European history will be easily drawn into this romantic story.” ―Publishers Weekly on THE GLASSBLOWER OF MURANO
“Fiorato captivates her reader as surely and intricately as the beautiful city of Venice enchants her characters. A fascinating tale of mystery and dedication, of love and betrayal.” ―Kate Furnivall, author of The Russian Concubine, on THE GLASSBLOWER OF MURANO
“The Glassblower of Murano is a compelling story, richly detailed, with wonderful, memorably drawn characters.” ―Diane Haeger, author of The Ruby Ring, on THE GLASSBLOWER OF MURANO
“Marina Fiorato has beautifully recreated the bright, glittering world of the seventeenth-century glassblower, and nestled it surely within a compelling contemporary romance.” ―Jeanne Kalogrides, author of The Borgia Bride, on THE GLASSBLOWER OF MURANO
Most helpful customer reviews
30 of 32 people found the following review helpful.
As Good As Dan Brown? This Is Better Than Dan Brown!
By Robert J. Newell
The hype on the back cover of this novel reads, "Dan Brown meets Sarah Dunant." I've read much of Dan Brown's work, and though I'm only familiar with Sarah Dunant by reference, it seems that for once the hype is right. This extraordinary novel will both frustrate and delight, but it will keep your attention and interest from beginning to end.
The story is about "secrets" embedded in Botticelli's famous painting, La Primavera; the painting tells, in allegory, the story of a sinister high-level conspiracy among the rulers of the Italian city-states at the end of the 15th century. What is fascinating is that the story is told in the first person by a protagonist who makes a living as a common prostitute. If you are offended by graphic descriptions and coarse language, this is not the book for you, and that would be a shame indeed, for the profanity and explicitness are anything but gratuitous, being an essential part of what is best about this book: the characters.
Indeed, although Dan Brown creates tighter and more credible plots (more about that later), Marina Fiorato creates multi-dimensional, well-crafted, believable characters. Furthermore, she handles character development through the course of the story in a way that Dan Brown can't touch. The protagonist, in particular, grows and develops in a compelling and meaningful manner; the lesser characters are also well-drawn and real. The story is good, even great, but the characters are the glory of this book, and will keep you involved until the very end. In fact, this may be a book to read twice; you surely won't be able to put it down the first time, so you might want to go back again to savor the subtleties and nuances that are found on nearly every page.
The downside is, unfortunately, the plotting. Although the plot is clever and fascinating, there are a few holes, including one gigantic lapse which, in topsy-turvy fashion, the author recognizes and then makes into a turning point in the middle of the novel! It's a bit too much and if everything else were not so good, it would have spoiled the story. I won't spoil it here, but you can't miss it and it will leave you scratching your head in puzzlement.
The main driver for the book--- the painting containing the secrets--- lacks motivation. If a group of Italian city-state rulers were to plot together, they would all know what's going on, and they would have neither the need, nor the willingness to risk, encoding these dire secrets in a famous artist's painting. While this mechanism makes the plot go and certainly holds our interest (again a la Dan Brown), it simply doesn't add up.
But this, after all, is adventure fiction, and we should make some allowances and overlook some errors. On the flip side, the author's research is meticulous, detailed, scholarly, and engaging all at once. She manages to avoid the dryness of, say, Umberto Eco, while still imparting huge amounts of historical and cultural information.
This is a book to read, and reread, to enjoy and ponder. It's a winner, pure and simple.
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful.
(3.5 stars) A map of murder.....
By Misfit
Or is it something else altogether? The basis of the novel and the mystery is Boticelli's famous painting Primavera. Asked to sit as "Flora" prostitute Luciana Vetra unknowingly says something that sends the artist into a fit of anger, and sent off without pay she decides to steal a smaller version of the painting (the artist would use this to *map out* his larger painting), but it doesn't take long before people are dropping dead left and right around her. Luciana eventually hooks up with a very good looking monk who goes by Brother Guido (who of course has not taken final vows yet) and the game is on to solve the pieces of the puzzle in the Primavera and stop "The Seven" before.......
Well, you know I can't tell you that don't you? This was a lot of fun and I enjoyed watching Luciana and Guido unraveling the clues that abound in every portion of this painting, as well as their own secret pasts (both are doozies). The story takes the pair from Florence to Pisa, Rome, Venice, Milan, Naples, near death on the high seas, a massive earthquake and even a spooky castle in the high mountains with a secret underground as they are chased by the ever-so-creepy leper with a talent for murder.
While I did enjoy the pairing of Luciana and Guido, I really would have liked to see less banter and more sexual chemistry between the two - this book is definitely heavy on the mystery and light on the romance. I also didn't care for the way Luciana was written, prostitute or no her language was extremely course and filled with potty words and I didn't warm to her as much as I should have. I also found her a tad bit too modern - using phrases like "get a move on" that just felt out of place - and for those reasons I'm knocking this one down a half star to 3.5/5. It was fascinating reading the minor bits and pieces that make up the whole painting (do read up on it), I'd love to see it in real life although most of those details would have gone right over my ignorant head. A very enjoyable and fast read and a nice mystery that keeps you guessing, but not quite up to four star material.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful.
Entertaining, But Flawed
By Gene Spears
The set-up: Botticelli's Primavera contains a code that will set in motion a plan to unite Italy under Medici rule. The heroine (a prostitute) and hero (a priest) are inadvertantly swept up in these events, and in the process of deciphering the code, thwart the ambitions of some powerful actors. It's a great concept, and the execution is fairly entertaining. But the book has its problems, too.
The history isn't just bent to accomodate the plot. Its warped beyond recognition. In 1482, Genoa wasn't independent (as depicted); it was ruled by Milan. And there's no way in Hell that the Pope of the time (Sixtus IV) would have had anything to do with Lorenzo de Medici. A few years earlier, his assassins had struck Lorenzo in Florence's cathedral, injuring him and killing his brother. The Repulic went to war against the Papal States and Venice in the aftermath. Other issues abound.
Some reviewers have commented on the crude language and scenes that open the piece. I didn't have a problem with the vulgarity. I did have a problem, a big problem, with the fact that it was written in first person past tense, and by a narrator who, at the time of the narration, was anything but the potty-mouthed prostitute who inhabits the first half of the book.
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