At the tender age of twenty-one, Pico’s world is one of linguistic puzzles and academic pursuits. A student at the University of Copenhagen, she is thrilled to get a summer job working for enigmatic antique dealer Antonio Bartram. When Antonio suddenly disappears leaving behind nothing but a series of cryptic messages, Pico decides to use her linguistic prowess to decode the clues – with fateful consequences.
As Pico investigates, she uncovers a labyrinthine plot that stretches back decades to the theft of a priceless Caravaggio from a church in Sicily. Caught in the crosshairs of an obsessive art collector, a police murder investigation and a Mafia-sanctioned vendetta, her quest takes her across Europe: from the shadows behind the veneer of Copenhagen’s Nordic serenity, down the sun-kissed streets of the Italian Riviera, and even along the secretive corridors of the Vatican.
As she fights to uncover the truth and witnesses the lengths one will go to protect the secrets of the past, Pico confronts the moral quandaries that emerge when the pursuit of art eclipses the bounds of right and wrong.
I don't have an interest in art so I nearly didn't pick up The Less Unkind and what a travesty that would have been as I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's like a cross between The Sopranos and The Da Vinci Code with a Mafia boss trying to locate a stolen work of art and a student who may hold the key to its location.
The pacing is quite gentle at first as Rosaria Giorgi paints a vivid scene of Copenhagen with her beautiful words. Pico is an Italian who is studying at the University of Copenhagen and her friend Leo recommends her for a summer job at A. Bartram Antiques. Pico doesn't have any experience in art or antique dealing but she speaks several languages so she is a very useful assistant for Antonio Bartram.
When Antonio goes missing, Pico must use both her language and problem-solving skills to uncover Antonio's hidden past, which will give her the clues to discover his current destination. I was completely drawn into the web of intrigue that the author had cast around me and the pacing rose to a crescendo as I raced towards the breathtaking conclusion.
Based on a true story, Rosaria Giorgi weaves fact with fiction to create an intelligent, intriguing and multi-layered mystery in her breathtaking debut novel. A recommended read for crime fiction fans and unmissable for anyone with a love of art.
I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
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