Book Feature: Deadly Rivalries by Ken Tentarelli
Deadly Rivalries by Ken Tentarelli is a mystery in the classic style of an Agatha Christie story. A tragic death at a betrothal ceremony embroils protagonist Nico Argenti, and readers, in the precarious world of Renaissance Florence’s elite.
Guests are gathered at a villa in the Tuscan countryside to celebrate a betrothal that would unite two powerful Florentine families. The joyful atmosphere is shattered when the groom-to-be is discovered murdered.
Nico Argenti, a member of the Florentine Security Commission and himself a guest at the villa, is charged with finding the killer. He enlists the help of his colleagues: Massimo, a decorated army officer with a knack for charming women, and Vittorio, an experienced no-nonsense police investigator. The team benefits from the aid of two resolute women who reject the limitations of Florentine society.
While everyone claims the victim had no enemies, his father had created many adversaries while building his thriving sugar importing business. Questioning of the invited guests and members of the villa staff reveals the jealous motives of guests and a chain of interconnected crimes. Each discovery, ranging from bribery and theft to tax fraud and assault, adds complexity and threatens to lead Nico’s team astray.
Hints to the culprit interspersed with false leads create a suspenseful journey for both the reader and Nico as they try to unravel the mystery, ultimately raising the question: Is simply identifying the killer enough to guarantee that he will face the consequences of his action?
Deadly Rivalries is the sixth book in the award-winning Nico Argenti Renaissance mystery series. It may be read standalone and is available for pre-order now at Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D1MSWFV2),
Apple, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble (https://books2read.com/u/bagzg8).
Exceptional Women
Two exceptional women shape Nico’s actions in Deadly Rivalries. Bianca is the woman who makes Nico’s heart beat faster. She operates her own dress design business to create elegant garments and sells them directly to private clients, but, as a woman, Bianca can’t rent the loft where she operates her dress-making business. Fortunately, her supportive father helps her circumvent that barrier by renting the loft and the room where she lives. She isn’t allowed to join a guild and therefore can’t open a shop to sell her creations publicly. Bianca’s loft is in Siena, and whenever she travels to Florence to meet with clients, she must be accompanied by her uncle, as it is not proper for an unmarried woman to travel alone.
Francesca Pitti, another remarkable woman in Deadly Rivalries, has consistently influenced Nico since the first book of the series. Francesca is the daughter of wealthy banker Luca Pitti. If you’ve visited Florence, Italy, you may have toured her home, Palazzo Pitti.
Francesca’s forceful character shows when Nico’s friend Massimo compliments Francesca’s skill as an archer, saying she would do well in competitions. Always aware of the limitations imposed on women, she responds with an icy glance and the retort, “Women are never allowed a place in competitions; we’re only permitted to watch and applaud the men.” In a conversation about betrothals, she declares, “My father knows I would flee to a convent or a brothel, were he to pledge me to a man other than one of my choosing.”
Books in the Nico Argenti series have earned an eLit Silver Book Award, the Indie Reader Discovery Award, a Book Excellence Award finalist, a Publishers Weekly starred review, 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Award mystery winner, and 2024 Independent Press Award favorite.
About the Author
Ken Tentarellli was born into an Italian-American family, so, as you might expect, his first introduction to anything Italian was food. As a youngster, food was the only tangible connection to his Italian heritage.
Many years later Ken and his wife Liz made their first trip to Italy as part of a tour. Standing in the Roman Forum and seeing the magnificent sculptures and art in Florence triggered his interest in Italian history and culture. They returned to Italy many times over the next two decades visiting all regions of the country from the Alps to the southern coast of Sicily. They studied Italian culture and language in Rome and Perugia. Those travels and study led to the writing of his first novel, 'The Laureate.'
In its starred review of 'The Laureate', Publishers Weekly said, "Tentarelli makes the setting accessible to neophytes in the service of a page-turning and suspenseful plot. Readers will eagerly await the sequel." Readers loved not only the sequel, but all the books in the Nico Argenti series. The newest book in the series, 'Rebels in Pisa,' has Nico confronting insurrection, smuggling, kidnapping, and murder.
Learn more about Ken and his novels at https://kententarelli.com/bio/
