Death of the Duchess

'Death of the Duchess' is the first novel by Elizabeth Eyre, which is the pen name of two London-based authors, Jill Staynes and Margaret Storey, who also write under the pseudonym of Susannah Stacey for another mystery series. This novel is the first of a series, and it introduces the main detective character, Sigismondo, a shadowy, moral character of the early Renaissance in Italy. Sigismondo has an unknown background, high in mystery, travel, education, and experience. Equally at home among the street urchins and the courtiers, the politicos and the clerics, he seems to move with ease to find the information he's seeking, and acts with skill (both physical and intellectual) to avoid or, when avoidance doesn't work, escape problematic situations. Sigismondo is joined by Benno, a character reminiscent of Sancho in Don Quixote. Benno provides support, a 'talking point' (much like Dr. Watson in Sherlock Holmes), and a bit of comic relief. The story begins with a kidnapping. There is a long-standing feud between the di Torres family and the Bandini family, both noble families whose continuing feud threatens to destabilise the region. The handmaiden of the kidnapped daughter is discovered dead. As the story progresses, the duchess herself is discovered stabbed to death during a wedding feast, and accusations fly back and forth between di Torres and Bandini family members. Sigismondo, not one to take anything presented at face value, searches neighbouring villages, monastic centres, and noble houses to search for the truth behind the kidnapping (which seems odd, given the state of preparedness of the house, which seemed set up to be ripe for a kidnapping) and the murder of the duchess, a bold act to take place in the midst of a crowded house during a banquet by a member of the Bandini clan who was bound to be recognised and caught. During the course of his investigation, in which Sigismondo shows himself witty, skillful, a master of disguise and of discerning subtrefuge and double-dealing, he discovers cracks in the supposedly loyal internal family structures, which serves to heighten the mystery and intrigue. Is the kidnapper also a murderer? To what end was the daughter really kidnapped? Was the marriage between the duke and duchess of Rocca as faithful and happy as had been publicly presented? In the end, Sigismondo puts together a strange alliance of enemies who had been set against each other to uphold an unlikely ruler and thus solve the mystery, which impacts on the larger ambitions of foreign princes--but, I get ahead of myself here. I mustn't give everything away. One of the things that makes Eyre's story so appealling is the attention to detail, both in physical description and in political and psychological motivation. Great care has been taken to thoroughly immerse the reader in Renaissance Italy, and Eyre's research has been very good to discover details of menu, house operation, church and monastic life, city life, and minor f

'Death of the Duchess' is the first novel by Elizabeth Eyre, which is the pen name of two London-based authors, Jill Staynes and Margaret Storey, who also write under the pseudonym of Susannah Stacey for another mystery series. This novel is the first of a series, and it introduces the main detective character, Sigismondo, a shadowy, moral character of the early Renaissance in Italy. Sigismondo has an unknown background, high in mystery, travel, education, and experience. Equally at home among the street urchins and the courtiers, the politicos and the clerics, he seems to move with ease to find the information he's seeking, and acts with skill (both physical and intellectual) to avoid or, when avoidance doesn't work, escape problematic situations.Sigismondo is joined by Benno, a character reminiscent of Sancho in Don Quixote. Benno provides support, a 'talking point' (much like Dr. Watson in Sherlock Holmes), and a bit of comic relief.The story begins with a kidnapping. There is a long-standing feud between the di Torres family and the Bandini family, both noble families whose continuing feud threatens to destabilise the region. The handmaiden of the kidnapped daughter is discovered dead. As the story progresses, the duchess herself is discovered stabbed to death during a wedding feast, and accusations fly back and forth between di Torres and Bandini family members. Sigismondo, not one to take anything presented at face value, searches neighbouring villages, monastic centres, and noble houses to search for the truth behind the kidnapping (which seems odd, given the state of preparedness of the house, which seemed set up to be ripe for a kidnapping) and the murder of the duchess, a bold act to take place in the midst of a crowded house during a banquet by a member of the Bandini clan who was bound to be recognised and caught.During the course of his investigation, in which Sigismondo shows himself witty, skillful, a master of disguise and of discerning subtrefuge and double-dealing, he discovers cracks in the supposedly loyal internal family structures, which serves to heighten the mystery and intrigue. Is the kidnapper also a murderer? To what end was the daughter really kidnapped? Was the marriage between the duke and duchess of Rocca as faithful and happy as had been publicly presented?In the end, Sigismondo puts together a strange alliance of enemies who had been set against each other to uphold an unlikely ruler and thus solve the mystery, which impacts on the larger ambitions of foreign princes--but, I get ahead of myself here. I mustn't give everything away. One of the things that makes Eyre's story so appealling is the attention to detail, both in physical description and in political and psychological motivation. Great care has been taken to thoroughly immerse the reader in Renaissance Italy, and Eyre's research has been very good to discover details of menu, house operation, church and monastic life, city life, and minor family politica

Historical mysteries have seemed to appear with a leap and a bound over the past several years, due to the amazing fascination that readers have with this genre. And Elizabeth Eyre's contribution in 1991 with "Death of the Duchess" is a welcomed--and respected--inclusion. The first of the series, "Duchess" introduces us to Sigismondo, an independent solver of crimes. Set during the Italian Renaissance, the book quickly captivates the reader as the daring Sigismondo is commissioned to find out where an abducted daughter of a local aristocrat. The daughter is from one of the leading families of duchy (a di Torre) and it is suspected she is the victim of a plot by the other leading family, the Bandini, due to an ages-old hatred. Earlier, the daughter, Lady Cosima, had been betrothed to young Leandro Bandini, as per the Duke's command so that the feud could be ended once and for all. Not that it is so easy, however, for the Duke's own wife is found murdered in her chamber. Young Leandro is found unconscious in her chamber and it appears that he is guilty of the crime. Thus, the plot unravels at an alarming rate from this point on. The authors introduces us to all kinds of people, and red herrings and other points of confusion abound. It is left up to Sigismondo to solve the mystery and to restore peace once more to the duchy. A man of mystery himself, the muscular (and handsome) Sigismondo is also quite intelligent, witty, and capable of taking care of himself in the martial arts (a true 'Renaissance Man'). He early on picks up Benno, a slow-witted ragamuffin, as his assistant and servant. Benno proves to be more than his appearance allows, however. The two, and Benno's dog Biondello, will appear in the next Eyre novels. This book, while taking on some very recognizable traits from another Renaissance mystery of "two houses divided," is a delight to read, no matter how familiar the plot. The author (actually a pseudonym of Jill Staynes and Margaret Storey) seems well versed in the period and there is no problem of verisimilitude!The storyline moves quickly and the characters are convincing. There is enough action, romance, and, yes, even murder to propel the book to its exciting finish, naturally with a surprise or two in its conclusion. It's worth one's time!