Masters of Florence
3 primary works
Book 1
Florence, 1429
Giovanni de' Medici is dead.
A lifetime of shrewd investment, strategic alliance and sly manipulation saw Giovanni climb from mere money-lender to the top echelon of Florentine society. But success has left a slew of bitter enemies in his wake – and there are whispers his untimely demise wasn't accidental.
Florence is a nest of vipers, and with the Medici family's wealth in the hands of Giovanni's untested sons, Cosimo and Lorenzo, there are those who feel that now is the time to strike, to destroy the upstarts and seize their holdings.
First in an award-winning, bestselling quartet charting ten generations of rise to power.
Praise for Matteo Strukul:
'Strukul has a brilliant style and a rare imagination' TIM WILLOCKS
'One of the most important new voices in Italian crime fiction' JOE R. LANSDALE
Giovanni de' Medici is dead.
A lifetime of shrewd investment, strategic alliance and sly manipulation saw Giovanni climb from mere money-lender to the top echelon of Florentine society. But success has left a slew of bitter enemies in his wake – and there are whispers his untimely demise wasn't accidental.
Florence is a nest of vipers, and with the Medici family's wealth in the hands of Giovanni's untested sons, Cosimo and Lorenzo, there are those who feel that now is the time to strike, to destroy the upstarts and seize their holdings.
First in an award-winning, bestselling quartet charting ten generations of rise to power.
Praise for Matteo Strukul:
'Strukul has a brilliant style and a rare imagination' TIM WILLOCKS
'One of the most important new voices in Italian crime fiction' JOE R. LANSDALE
Book 2
Winner of the Premio Bancarella, 2017
The second instalment in a prize-winning series charting the rise of the House of Medici as they become Masters of Florence and progenitors of the Renaissance.
Florence, 1469.
Lorenzo de' Medici is to be wed.
The marriage will cement a powerful alliance for his family.
But his heart belongs to another. Torn between love and power, he has become complacent. He has forgotten the bloody path he forged on his ascent to power, and the enemies left in his wake.
When the family's historical enemies and shadowy new conspirators put their bloody plot into action, the consequences will be terrible. In order to protect their supremacy, the Medici will enact a violent vengeance from which few will be spared.
The second instalment in a prize-winning series charting the rise of the House of Medici as they become Masters of Florence and progenitors of the Renaissance.
Florence, 1469.
Lorenzo de' Medici is to be wed.
The marriage will cement a powerful alliance for his family.
But his heart belongs to another. Torn between love and power, he has become complacent. He has forgotten the bloody path he forged on his ascent to power, and the enemies left in his wake.
When the family's historical enemies and shadowy new conspirators put their bloody plot into action, the consequences will be terrible. In order to protect their supremacy, the Medici will enact a violent vengeance from which few will be spared.
Book 3
The third instalment in a prize-winning series charting the rise of the House of Medici as they become Masters of Florence and progenitors of the Renaissance.
Fontainebleau, 1536. Francis II, Dauphin and heir to the French throne, is dead. Poisoned. And the royal court believe Catherine de' Medici to be the murderer. Catherine's husband Henry will now be the next King of France – and the Medici are known to stop at nothing in the pursuit of power.
But not yet queen and without an heir of her own, seventeen-year-old Catherine cannot be sure of securing her family's legacy. To ensure the conception of an heir, she will need to seek help from an unexpected ally: Nostradamus, the reclusive astronomer and purported seer. Dismissed by most as a charlatan and a heretic, Catherine knows he will be her only hope in becoming a mother to the future king.
Amid court intrigues, betrayals, and humiliations, Catherine waits. She awaits the death of her father-in-law, King Francis, and the birth of a son to carry her name. For once she is queen, Catherine de' Medici's power will only grow.
But that power comes at a heavy cost, one she might ever regret.
'Strukul has a brilliant style and a rare imagination' Tim Willocks
'Matteo Strukul has arrived with a bang. His historical saga, Medici, is a worldwide success' Il Venerdì
Fontainebleau, 1536. Francis II, Dauphin and heir to the French throne, is dead. Poisoned. And the royal court believe Catherine de' Medici to be the murderer. Catherine's husband Henry will now be the next King of France – and the Medici are known to stop at nothing in the pursuit of power.
But not yet queen and without an heir of her own, seventeen-year-old Catherine cannot be sure of securing her family's legacy. To ensure the conception of an heir, she will need to seek help from an unexpected ally: Nostradamus, the reclusive astronomer and purported seer. Dismissed by most as a charlatan and a heretic, Catherine knows he will be her only hope in becoming a mother to the future king.
Amid court intrigues, betrayals, and humiliations, Catherine waits. She awaits the death of her father-in-law, King Francis, and the birth of a son to carry her name. For once she is queen, Catherine de' Medici's power will only grow.
But that power comes at a heavy cost, one she might ever regret.
'Strukul has a brilliant style and a rare imagination' Tim Willocks
'Matteo Strukul has arrived with a bang. His historical saga, Medici, is a worldwide success' Il Venerdì