The Falconer's Knot
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- 7,49 €
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- 7,49 €
Descrizione dell’editore
Silvano and Chiara are two teenagers with a difference. Silvano has been accused of a murder he did not commit. Chiara has been ousted from her family as a young woman with no marriage prospects. For these two very different reasons they are forced to seek refuge in a neighbouring convent and friary. And when they meet they are instantly aware that they are both outsiders, ill at ease with monastic life.
Then a grisly murder - followed by another, and then another - strikes fear into the close-knit community. Chiara and Silvano cling together within the terrifying spiral of murder as they, and the friends they have made, attempt to solve the deadly mystery.
This remarkably rich mystery thriller, with all the pace and action of a 'whodunnit', is set in the incredibly atmospheric environs of a friary in 14th-century Italy. Amidst all the action of the murder mystery, the author depicts in fascinating and intricate detail the lives and tasks of the friars and nuns, whether it be crushing pigments to create paints for the fresco artists in nearby Assisi, or the daily and nightly ritual of the religious services. All the historical detail is carefully researched.
A huge cast of characters with romantic teen heroes, combined with the thriller-murder element, ensure a pacy, richly enjoyable read.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Hoffman (the Stravaganza series) once again whisks readers off to Italy, this time in the 14th century, for this highly entertaining mystery-farce hybrid. Readers can pick up clues from the third-person narrative that alternates among the four main characters. Sixteen-year-old Silvano, a noble, is in love with flirtatious young Angelica, the wife of a wealthy middle-aged sheep farmer named Tommaso. When Tommaso is murdered, Silvano becomes the prime suspect (especially since his dagger was the murder weapon). Silvano, along with his falcon (hence the title), seeks refuge at Giardinetto, a Franciscan friary, where he works for Brother Anselmo, mixing pigments for the frescoes in nearby Assisi. Meanwhile, Angelica is secretly thrilled her odious husband is dead; she gains control of her husband's profitable business and keeps an eye out for a socially well-positioned husband. Isabella, wife of 20 years to the cold, wealthy merchant Ubaldo, fantasizes about her first love, Domenico. Chiara, despite being sent by her brother to live in the abbey at Giardinetto (next door to the friary), dreams of falling in love and raising a family. After several murders occur at the friary, including that of a visiting Ubaldo, Silvano, Brother Anselmo (who turns out to be Domenico) and Chiara uncover the identity of the murderer. As the solution surfaces, so do the true loves of the main characters. Even though many readers will guess where the plot is headed, the pleasure is in the journey. Ages 12-up.
