Lucrezia Borgia and the Mother of Poisons
by Roberta Gellis
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Description
Poisoner The bellowed accusation strikes into silence all those in Lucrezia Borgia's audience chamber. Lucrezia has fled Rome to a loveless marriage with Alfonso, heir to the duke of Ferrara, to escape the rumors that she is utterly depraved---incestuous, a lecher, a poisoner. To her delight she is warmly welcomed in Ferrara, by the duke, by his court, by the people, indeed by everyone except her husband. And then, after only six weeks of basking in the warmth of general approval, Alfonso show more rushes into her apartment and accuses her of poisoning Bianca Tedaldo, one of her ladies in waiting and mistress to Alfonso. Immediately, Lucrezia sees the nightmare of her life in Rome recurring. The whispers behind her back, the signs to ward off evil, people making out their wills when she invites them to share a meal. To deny the charge is useless. Lucrezia knows all too well the futility of claiming innocence even when the claim is clearly and plainly true. The only way for her to retrieve her reputation is to discover who committed the crime and expose the true murderer. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
A murder mystery set in the Italian Renaissance. Lucretia Borgia is now married to her third (and final) husband, Alfonso d'Este and is pregnant with her first child. One of her ladies in waiting dies from poison and Lucretia is accused of the crime. To clear her name, she must find the real perpetrator.
An interesting book, and well-plotted. However, it helps to know a little of the political background involved, especially of Florence (although the story is set in Ferrara) as the motive for the crime revolves around that. I didn't notice any glaring anachronisms (something that destroys immersion for me).
Recommended.
An interesting book, and well-plotted. However, it helps to know a little of the political background involved, especially of Florence (although the story is set in Ferrara) as the motive for the crime revolves around that. I didn't notice any glaring anachronisms (something that destroys immersion for me).
Recommended.
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Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 2003-09-01
- People/Characters
- Lucrezia Borgia; Alfonso I d'Este; Bianca Tedaldo; Alexander VI, Pope (Rodrigo de Borja or Borgia)
- Important places
- Rome, Italy
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 138
- Popularity
- 236,256
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.50)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 3
- ASINs
- 1
