Mini Book Review: The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark

 
The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark

Publisher: Washington Square Press

Publish Date: November 3, 2009

Paperback, 400 pages


Confession time:  I was fully planning on having this book done today for  my tour date even though I received the book last week.  I couldn't wait to dig into this one.  What I didn't realize is this isn't a book you just rush through, this is a book to savor and savor it I will, so today you get a mini-review with a full review to follow when I finish the book.

Mini Review:
Why I read this: I have been wanting to read this one since it came out - the cover it's beautiful, the description sounds exciting.  So when I was offered a chance through Pump Up Your Book Promotion, I said yes.

How is the novel driven:  From what I have read so far, primarily character, though there is action, there is murder, mayhem and suspense, but mainly this is about Luciano.


My thoughts:  I did start this book with my usual reading mentality - blow through it quickly, enjoy it enough and be done with it.  However, this is not what The Book of Unholy Mischief allows you to do.  I got sucked into the descriptions and would daydream and picture Venice at the time of the book.  I created the looks of Luciano and his friends in my mind.  I envisioned the kitchen Luciano works in and the streets he runs through.  The chefs house and so much more.  The book takes you from the seedy side to the wealthy and Luciano straddles both worlds by working in the kitchen of a wealthy and important man.  The intrigue is just starting to build, but I have a feeling it will be great.  If the rest of the book is half as good as the beginning, then it will still be a wonderful book and I know it will exceed my expectations.

Beautifully written, The Book of Unholy Mischief takes you back to Venice and the beginning of the Renaissance and tells a tale of intrigue and suspense. 



About the Book:
It is 1498, the dawn of the Renaissance, and Venice teems with rumors of an ancient book that holds the secret to unimaginable power. It is an alchemist's dream, with recipes for gold, immortality, and undying love. Everyone, rich and poor alike, speculates about the long-buried secrets scrawled in its pages and where it could possibly be hidden within the labyrinthine city. But while those who seek the book will stop at nothing to get it, those who know will die to protect it.
As a storm of intrigue and desire circles the republic that grew from the sea, Luciano, a penniless orphan with a quick wit and an even faster hand, is plucked up by an illustrious chef and hired, for reasons he cannot yet begin to understand, as an apprentice in the palace kitchen. There, in the lavish home of the most powerful man in Venice, he is initiated into the chef's rich and aromatic world, with all its seductive ingredients and secrets.

Luciano's loyalty to his street friends and the passion he holds for a convent girl named Francesca remain, but it is not long before he, too, is caught up in the madness. After he witnesses a shocking murder in the Palace dining room, he realizes that nothing is as it seems and that no one, not even those he's come to rely on most, can be trusted. Armed with a precocious mind and an insatiable curiosity, Luciano embarks on a perilous journey to uncover the truth. What he discovers will swing open the shutters of his mind, inflame his deepest desires, and leave an indelible mark on his soul.

Rich with the luxurious colors and textures of Venice, The Book of Unholy Mischief delights the senses and breathes fresh life into an age defined by intellectual revival and artistic vibrancy. A luminous and seductive novel, it is, at its heart, a high-spirited tribute to the fruits of knowledge and the extraordinary power of those who hold its key. In a world of violence and intrigue, who guards the truth?

About the Author:
Elle Newmark is an award-winning writer whose books are inspired by her travels. She and her husband, a retired physician, have two grown children and five grandchildren. They live in the hills north of San Diego.

Her Website

FTC Information: I received this book through Pump Up Your Book Promotion for review.  I have Amazon links on my review pages but I do not make any money from these because of NC laws.  I put them solely for people to check out the books on a retail site.