Book Review: Painted Veil

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Painted Veil     Amazon US TPB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada TPB Amazon Canada HC
Beverle Graves Myers
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Historical
Series: Baroque Mysteries # 2
Poisoned Pen, Mar 2005, $24.95, 314 pp.

After debuting as a castrati (male soprano) three years ago in Venice, Tito Amato’s career soared with plum roles at the state owned Teatro San Marco until now as he plays a significant but not the title role in a production of Cesare in Egitto. Tito allowed fame and the fawning of others to get to his head. He blames himself for his fall; failing to practice properly and allowing his conceited ego to enflame director Maestro Torani who chose vain Francisco Florio for the prime role.

Torani asks Tito to find head scene artist Luca Cavalieri who has failed to come to work; he trusts the castrati to be discrete as he was during the INTERRUPTED ARIA affair. Seeing an opportunity to regain favor, Tito searches for the missing painter; Tito’s acquaintance, visiting Englishman Gussie Rumboldt, joins him on the quest. They soon find their target dead, which leaves the opera house in jeopardy since the scenes will probably not be ready on time and the cloud of a homicide places everyone under suspicion, Tito and Gussie continue to investigate hoping to identify the killer in time to save the production.

The second Baroque mystery is a delightful historical mystery that provides incredible insight into early eighteenth century Venice from mostly the perspective of the artists involved in an opera production. The story line is cleverly developed around Tito’s attempts to recover from his fall from grace by sleuthing as he sees cooperating through detection as a means to regain favor with Torani. The who-done-it plays second banana to Beverle Graves Myers’ aria that looks deep into opera circa 1734 Venice.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner