“Garnished with sly wit and broad humor, the
novel is a late-Renaissance caper. Grover Gardner, veteran narrator of the
Montalbano series, delivers a marvelous performance, serving up the many
Spanish and Italian phrases con brio. Just listening to him uttering the names
of such characters as Don Angel de Guzmàn, marquis de Castel de Roderigo, is a
joy in itself.”

“Grover Gardner’s mastery of witty narration adds relish to this historical novel…Gardner lithely delivers the delightful contemporary vocabulary, which elevates the entertainment value of this age-old story of dirty politics. His effervescent voice becomes almost angelic as he recounts Dona Elenora’s elegant words, laced with Spanish phrases. The lush Italian names are delivered smoothly, allowing the listener to envision pompous, power-hungry men and the compassionate woman who called the shots for twenty-seven days.”

“Suspense, surprises, and courtly intrigues abound in this story of power that also doubles as a tribute to women and their sensibilities.”

“Eleonora, a woman forgotten by history, will come alive to the reader. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to discover a remarkable, forgotten woman.”

“[Camilleri’s] sly, wry approach to matters of morality, politics, crime, and sexual dynamics seasons a stew of facts and fiction to perfection.”

“A tragicomic parable of justice…Camilleri laces this true tale of exemplary leadership with humor that is sometimes farcical and slapstick, often simply wry. But underneath the geniality lies an all-too-plausible chronicle of entrenched financial misappropriation and sexual abuse…A novel which lightly but elegantly revives an obscure historical moment.”

“A marvelous historical drama based on a true but little-known episode of seventeenth-century Sicilian history…[An] excellent novel.”