Carnival of Lies (Cesare Aldo Book 5) by D. V. Bishop

Book Blurb
Venice. Winter, 1539.

When Cesare Aldo learns of a conspiracy to assassinate Duke Cosimo de’ Medici, he is hired to protect the ruler of Florence – with his life, if necessary. The deadly attack that follows leads to bodies, bloodshed . . . and something far more dangerous.

Those behind the plot obtain a journal of the duke’s containing explosive secrets that – in the wrong hands – could destroy all of Florence. Aldo must hunt down those responsible and reclaim the journal, or face banishment from the city and everyone he loves.

The trail leads him towards the one place Aldo has sworn to never return, a city of masks and lies where he has no allies and far too many enemies: Venice.

The fate of a dynasty rests on his shoulders – if he can make it out alive . . .

My Review
Every year around this time I get excited for the new Cesare Aldo book by D. V. Bishop, and am always appreciative to Pan Macmillian who send me an advanced copy. Regular readers of my blog know that I have a love affair with Italy, and in particular Florence especially of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and these books have captured that era perfectly. In Carnival of Lies as the title hints D.V.Bishop takes us for a visit to Venice, and shows a very different side to Aldo, a more vunerable side.

I really can’t believe that these books get better every time, but they do and Carnival of Lies is the best so far. In the previous books we have seen Aldo as a servant of the Otto, working to capture criminals and bring them to justice, but now he has left the Otto and is working for Cosimo de’Medici, Duke of Florence. Employed to help protect the Duke from a death threat, he finds himself on a quest to find and return a personal diary of Cosimo de’ Medici’s that could have catastrophic consequences if in the wrong hands. Aldo finds himself on a journey of discovery, both metaphorical and literal, that helps him lay some of the ghosts of his past to rest.

Seeing a different side of Aldo was fascinating. Venice is a place he never wanted to return to and the time he spends there offers some intrigue and understanding of who he is today. Aldo finds himself in some dangerous and precarious situations in Venice, and with only the Contessa Coletto, a Venetian spy from the previous books, for help. There are plenty of heart stopping moments including breaking into a Palazzo and breaking out of the famous Venetian prison. Without help from those he knows and without weapons there is a more vunerable side to Aldo that I loved, he had to use his wit and charm a bit more and face his fears.

I liked that D.V. Bishop set this book in Venice, it gave a different feel to the book, a new take on the characters, seeing them out of their natural habitat so to say. The author captures the essence of Venice in this period, the busyness of the canals and the markets, the political machinations and the social and cultural side of the salons where allegiances were made and lost. As with the books set in Florence D.V.Bishop grounds the story with the inclusion of historical characters who were there at the time, including writer Pietro Arentino who was known for blackmailing important people, and the artist Titian.

There is so much going on in the Carnival of Lies, from chasing thieves, saving the Duke, a kidnapping, attempted murder, sexual tension and a few brushes with death along the way that kept me turning the pages wondering what was going to happen next. As a break for the suspense, intrigue and tension there are plenty of witty one liners, quite often from the Contessa, to lighten the mood and bring a wry smile to the face. I also like the fact that D.V. Bishop includes the odd Italian word or phrase, frequently a rude one, which I feel adds an authenticity to the book.

As you can probably tell I absolutely loved reading Carnival of Lies. D.V.Bishop is a masterful storyteller and I have enjoyed the development of Aldo and the other characters over the books, always coming back with something new that keeps me get invested in these books. The setting of Venice was a brilliant idea, seeing the characters in a different context, as was the more personal side of Aldo, his history and background making me feel I knew him better by the end of the book. If you like your historical fiction then I highly recommend these books, and even if you haven’t read this genre before these are a great way to start as they are brilliantly written. I can’t wait to see what Cesare Aldo does next!! You can read my reviews of the previous books by searching on my blog.