The Assassin of Venice: A Novel

(Hardback)

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Description

Valentina Riccardi is many things- beautiful, cultured, deadly. As one of Venice's famous courtesans, she's perfectly positioned to seduce powerful men, get them alone, and assassinate them. Spies. Traitors. Who they are doesn't matter-only that they made an enemy of the Council of Ten, the shadowy and seemingly omniscient power from which Valentina takes her orders without question. Venice is her home, and after losing everything once before to an invading army, there is nothing she won't do to protect her city, for there is nothing she loves more. Almost nothing. She vowed to never fall in love again, but Valentina can't help but give her heart to Bastiano Bragadin, a fellow assassin. But when Bastiano starts asking the wrong questions, Valentina receives a new assignment- kill him. Yet the more Valentina learns about the Council of Ten, the more she wonders if they are truly acting in the interest of the Venetian state, or using her for their own dark ambitions. If Valentina is to save Bastiano, she must untangle their conspiracy-with the help of her fellow courtesans-before it's too late. The Assassin of Venice is a captivating, sensual, high stakes read that brings 16th-century Venice to life, and draws on the fascinating real history of both Venetian cortigiane oneste-"honest courtesans"-and Renaissance Venice's sprawling intelligence service. A Renaissance courtesan must choose between love and duty in this high stakes 16th-century mystery, perfect for fans of Madeline Hunter and Rhys Bowen. Valentina Riccardi is many things- beautiful, cultured, deadly. As one of Venice's famous courtesans, she's perfectly positioned to seduce powerful men, get them alone, and assassinate them. Spies. Traitors. Who they are doesn't matter-only that they made an enemy of the Council of Ten, the shadowy and seemingly omniscient power from which Valentina takes her orders without question. Venice is her home, and after losing everything once before to an invading army, there is nothing she won't do to protect her city, for there is nothing she loves more. Almost nothing. She vowed to never fall in love again, but Valentina can't help but give her heart to Bastiano Bragadin, a fellow assassin. But when Bastiano starts asking the wrong questions, Valentina receives a new assignment- kill him. Yet the more Valentina learns about the Council of Ten, the more she wonders if they are truly acting in the interest of the Venetian state, or using her for their own dark ambitions. If Valentina is to save Bastiano, she must untangle their conspiracy-with the help of her fellow courtesans-before it's too late. The Assassin of Venice is a captivating, sensual, high stakes read that brings 16th-century Venice to life, and draws on the fascinating real history of both Venetian cortigiane oneste-"honest courtesans"-and Renaissance Venice's sprawling intelligence service.

Reviews

Praise The Assassin of Venice:
Alyssa Palombo brings the Renaissance to life in this mesmerizing story of a courtesan turned assassin. The beautiful but deadly Valentina entertains powerful men by day and moonlights for the shadowy Council of Ten by night, removing Venice's enemies by poison or blade as requiredbut when the latest directive demands she eliminate the only man she has ever loved, Valentina is thrown into a desperate quandary. The Assassin of Venice is a lush, sumptuous tale to savor.
Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye

Surprising, sexy, and sharp as a dagger's blade, The Assassin of Venice plunges deep into the shadows of Venice's Council of Ten and imagines a blood-drenched world where professional courtesans did its biddingbut only on their own terms. Valentina's fearsome cleverness took my breath away.
Allison Epstein, author of Let the Dead Bury the Dead

Author Bio

Alyssa Palombo is the author of five previous novels- The Violinist of Venice, The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence, The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel, and The Borgia Confessions, as well as the contemporary novel Heavy Metal Symphony, published as A.K. Palombo. Born and raised in Buffalo, NY, she graduated from Canisius College with degrees in English and creative writing, respectively, and now works as a marketing copywriter for a software company. When not writing, she enjoys reading, traveling, spending time with her dog, planning for next Halloween, listening to music and going to concerts, and adding to her record collection.