The Birth of Venus: A Novel
by Sarah Dunant

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Book Reviews of The Birth of Venus: A Novel

Book Review: compelling erotic thriller set in Renaissance Florence
Summary: 4 Stars

Alessandra is the younger daughter of a rich textile merchant in Renaissance Florence. Her mother is much clever than her father, and Alessandra has inherited her intellectual curiosity - plus a passion for painting that receives unexpected resistance from the young Dutch painter her father has brought back to fresco the family chapel. With marriage or the convent the only alternatives for young women, and the French king's army approaching daily, ALessandra is married off to a much older man - as witty and cultured as she is, in the hope of begetting an heir. In Florence, her curiosity is whetted by the discovery of the victims of a serial killer, and she suspects the young painter, to whom she is increasingly attracted, could be the perpetrator. Yet more is at work in the city than murder and politics however, for Savanarola the fanatic is waxing in power, and his speech calling for a bonfire of the vanities will change Florence out of all recognition.

Dunant's love of Florence and considerable research into this fascinating period are worn lightly, and Alessandra is as captivating as she is mysterious. What I didn't like was the ending, which was far too contrived and spiritless for such a bold heroine.

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