Review: Ritual of Fire by D.V. Bishop

Ritual of Fire (Cesare Aldo, Book #3)

by D.V. Bishop

Release Date: May 14, 2024 (Hardcover released August 15, 2023)

2024 Pan

Paperback ARC; 432 Pages

ISBN: 978-1529096502

ASIN: B0BD4XRQDW

Audiobook: B0BPD89TNP

Genre: Fiction / Historical / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

4 / 5 Stars

Summary

A night patrol finds a rich merchant hanged and set ablaze in the city’s main piazza. More than mere murder, this killing is intended to put the fear of God into Florence. Forty years earlier on this date, puritanical monk Girolamo Savonarola was executed the same way in the same place. Does this new killing mean Savonarola’s vengeful spirit has risen again?

Or are his fanatical disciples plotting to revive the monk’s regime of holy terror? Cesare Aldo has his suspicions but is hunting thieves and fugitives in the Tuscan countryside, leaving Constable Carlo Strocchi to investigate the ritual killing. When another important merchant is slain even more publicly than the first, those rich enough to escape the summer heat are fleeing to their country estates. But the Tuscan hills can also be dangerous places.

 

My Thoughts

Ritual of Fire is the third book in the Cesare Aldo series, and I thought the author continued to do an excellent job describing the difficulties of the time period.  Because I love historical fiction and also mysteries, it is always great when I find a series that combines the two and does it really well. Very atmospheric, with great character development, the descriptions were definitely the highlight, and while I enjoyed the mystery, I did find this one a bit more predictable than the previous installments, if still highly enjoyable.

 

Cesare Aldo and Carlo Strocchi are the two main characters at the heart of this series. In this book, theie relationship is at the breaking point (for reasons I won't disclose here), but it has caused a huge rift in their friendship and I also feel it has caused Strocchi some pain as he is now realizing there is more to the people he loves than he at first perceives. Unable to cope with his discoveries, he decides to ignore his friendship, but what he knows could be very dangerous for Aldo. Because of this, Aldo works the Tuscan countryside instead of Florence, something I thought was very well done as the mystery in this book takes place in both the countryside as well as Florence.  I really enjoyed the characters, their day-to-day struggles during the early reign of Duke Cosimo, and how they dealt with the ups and downs of living during this time period. Each character had its own unique voice and it was easy to get into their heads and feel empathy for what they were going through. 

 

The author does a great job demonstrating the political situation of the time period, including the turmoil and tension that existed when these murders started happening. I could feel the madness of the crowds, the injustice of the earlier burnings rearing their heads, and the edge of something horrible happening throughout the story. There was so much political corruption during this time period, and I thought the author did a lot of research to show the difficulties of detective work during this period as well as the way they needed to work around Duke Cosimo's faction.  Because Strocchi and Aldo were in two separate areas, the story was told in multiple POV, but this didn't detract from the story line and I waited with anticipation wondering how the dual story lines would eventually connect.  While I did find this one a bit more predictable and easier to figure out, the descriptions were so well done that it didn't matter and I pretty much read it in one sitting.

 

Verdict

Ritual of Fire is another great historical murder mystery that blends political intrigue, murder, mayhen, religious fervour, and historical figures and facts into one excellent plot.  With rich details and excellent character development, I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves historical fiction with an interesting mystery.  I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series, A Divine Fury.