A Divine Fury (Cesare Aldo Series Book 4) by D.V. Bishop

Book Blurb
Florence. Autumn, 1539.

Cesare Aldo was once an officer for the city’s most feared criminal court. Following a period of exile, he is back – but demoted to night patrol, when only the drunk and the dangerous roam the streets.

Chasing a suspect in the rain, Aldo discovers a horrifying scene beneath Michelangelo’s statue of David. Lifeless eyes gaze from the face of a man whose body has been posed as if crucified. It’s clear the killer had religious motives.

When more bodies appear, Aldo believes an unholy murderer is stalking the citizens of Florence. Watching. Hunting. Waiting for the perfect moment to strike again . . .

My Review
I was really excited when Pan MacMillan got in touch to offer me a copy of A Divine Fury, the new Cesare Aldi to review. This is the fourth book in the series and Aldo is now back in Florence working for the Otto di Guardia e Bali, the criminal court. He finds himself demoted to constable and on permanent night patrol, that is until he finds a body in the Piazza della Signoria, posed in a crucafix position. Aldo finds himself working with friend, and newly promoted Officer Strocchi, to find the killer after another body is found.

I love, love, love this series, it feeds my obsession of historical fiction, Italy and Florence. We mainly see sixteenth century Florence, Renaissance Florence, as a city of beauty, large palazzo, art and the Medici, but D.V. Bishop shows another side, the darker underbelly of this famous city. Like most cities there are the poorer parts with families living in one room, the thieves waiting in shadows, the bordellos and sex workers and those shunned by society. I love this juxtaposition of rich and poor where Aldo finds himself in a meeting with Cosimo de Medici one moment then going down to the tanneries by the river, with their foul smells, the next.

D.V. Bishop’s writing is evocative, capturing the sights and smells that jump from the page, making you feel you are part of Florence at this time. The historical detail is remarkable, the politics of the era, the working of the guilds, the different areas of the city and the criminal system. The church was always important in the sixteenth century, especially after the Savonarola period at the beginning of the century, and in A Divine Fury, as the name suggests the church plays an important part in this book. D.V. Bishop focuses on the churches use of Exorcism, how it was perceived, the act itself and the priest who performs this, Father Negri, a very unlikeable character.

I am loving the development of the regular characters, especially Aldo and Strocchi. Aldo as always has his own way of doing things, and Strocchi now doesn’t complain as they usually result in capturing their culprit. I did have a wry smile in his interactions with the beautiful Contessa Coltello, a spy for Venice who uses her feminine whiles to gain information. Aldo is gay, but the Contessa does have an effect on him that he is not use to; I’m hoping we see her in future books. The characters in all these books are representive of this period in Florence’s history, and all are well drawn and develop their own back stories.

I cannot recommend this series highly enough, and for me I think this is the best book yet. A Divine Fury is a compelling historical thriller, that twist and turns like the river Arno. The characters are wonderfully written, and D.V. Bishop brings sixteenth century Florence to life. This is another atmospheric, dark and utterly immersive read that I highly recommend to everyone, and can’t wait for the next in the series.

You can read my reviews of the previous books in this series by searching on my blog.