The Second Duchess

Mar 20, 2011 Misfit rated it 4 of 5 stars

Barbara of Austria is the second duchess of Alfonso II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara - his first duchess, Lucrezia de' Medici having died mysteriously several years before. Barbara may not be the great beauty that wife #1 was, but she's got brains and breeding and goes into the marriage with her eyes wide open and accepts her lot in life. Well sort of, because she's soon hearing unsettling rumors that Lucrezia may have met an untimely end and Barbara decides to investigate for herself, which is no eas...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, france-italy-spain, read-in-2012

Rating: 3.5 stars

An intriguing mystery, and an imaginative and entertaining read...slightly spoilt by the madcap reveal. The author has a thoughtful style, and I expected the reveal to be handled in a similar vein, so was surprised and disappointed when she took the OTT route of a more sensationalist writer instead. An otherwise easy and enjoyable read though.

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Nov 16, 2011 Parvathy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: historical literature

Recommended to Parvathy by: good reads

Shelves: historicals, conspiracy-theories

Historical fiction seems to be my cup of tea now a days. I am constantly on the hunt for books such as this one. Now where should I start with this review.

Lets see now, What did I expect when I started this book??

A murder mystery with some history lessons

Guess What??

That is exactly what this book is. Nothing more nothing less

The story begins with the wedding of Barbara of Austria to the Duke of Ferrara. Far less beautiful and older than the first duchess of Ferrara Lucrezia De Medici, Barbara...more

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Mar 06, 2011 Monica rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I won this book on firstreads. I like that it wasn't focused on being a romance. It wasn't corny like so many historical pieces can be, either. It focused on the historical occurrences of the character's lives while stringing a mystery along through the pages. It was an enjoyable, very easy read.

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Dec 16, 2011 Lyn M (readinghearts) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: medieval

Let me just say, Historical Fiction is perhaps my favorite genre of all, especially historical fiction about Royalty. I have been in love with it ever since I read Jean Plaidy back in the 70s (when not many people were writing HF about Royalty at all). As a result, I was really excited to get my hands on a copy of this book. I love finding new authors in this genre and have found several lately that are really good. Elizabeth Loupas certainly falls into that category.

In The Second Duchess she t...more

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Apr 13, 2011 Kate Quinn rated it 5 of 5 stars

"She had a heart too soon made glad." Browning's immortal line from his poem "The Last Duchess," said by Renaissance Duke Alfonso of Este about his first wife Lucrezia whom he has murdered. Elizabeth Loupas takes the poem and the history and spins a fabulous tale about Alfonso's second wife Barbara of Austria, a plain but sharp-witted girl who follows in the murdered Lucrezia's footsteps. We know right away that Lucrezia was murdered, since her ghost hangs around commenting on the fact unseen by...more

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Mar 01, 2011 Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker rated it 5 of 5 stars

Me at the end of this book- Absolutely loved it. Fantastic. Candidate for favorite book of 2011.

Me at the beginning of this book- I don’t like Barbara. I don’t get what is going on.

Obviously, I went through quite a transformation from the beginning of this book to the end. Why am I telling you this? Because if you do decide to pick it up, DO NOT SET IT BACK DOWN! Seriously, I’m so happy I continued to read this book.

Ok, enough of my ranting.

The characters-

Barbara- She is the daughter of an Emper...more

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Apr 18, 2011 rebellyell666 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Die erste Herzogin:

Lucrezia d’Este ist tot. Doch damit ist es nicht genug. Sie ist imobila, das heißt, sie ist ein Geist, der mit anschauen muss, wie das Leben ohne sie am Hofe der Este in Italien, genauer Ferrara, weitergeht.

Die zweite Herzogin:

Barbara von Habsburg, nicht mehr ganz so jung – genauer sechsundzwanzig – ist zwar eine gute, aber keine besonders hübsche Partie: Mit der Habsburger Lippe sieht sie eher aus wie ein Pferdegesicht. Ein Grund, warum Lucrezia d’Estes Geist Barbara auch la...more Die erste Herzogin:

Lucrezia d’Este ist tot. Doch damit ist es nicht genug. Sie ist imobila, das heißt, sie ist ein Geist, der mit anschauen muss, wie das Leben ohne sie am Hofe der Este in Italien, genauer Ferrara, weitergeht.

Die zweite Herzogin:

Barbara von Habsburg, nicht mehr ganz so jung – genauer sechsundzwanzig – ist zwar eine gute, aber keine besonders hübsche Partie: Mit der Habsburger Lippe sieht sie eher aus wie ein Pferdegesicht. Ein Grund, warum Lucrezia d’Estes Geist Barbara auch la Cavalla (Pferdegesicht) nennt.

Der Fall:

Es gilt das gesamte Buch über, den wahren Mörder Lucrezias zu finden. Ist sie doch eine naive, junge Schönheit gewesen, so hat sich trotzdem Alfonso d’Este – ihr Ehemann, der nun Barbara angetraut ist – nicht mit ihr vergnügt. Stattdessen hatte sie unzählige Liebhaber, die sie sich nur aufgrund des Liebesspiels hielt.

Meine Meinung:

Loupas gelingt vor einer ausgereiften und schön beschriebenen, italienischen Kulisse mal etwas Neues im Genre des Historienromans: Sie lässt eine intelligente, neugierige Frau in einer Art Kriminalroman den Mörder ihrer Vorgängerin ermitteln und dies erstaunlich gut. Zwar dachte ich, das Buch erstreckt sich zu lang, doch haben alle Szenen wirkliche Kraft und machen den Leser neugierig, welcher Anschlag als nächstes auf Barbara verübt wird. Der Leser ist schnell im Geschehen und freundet sich mit Barbara an. Auch wenn Alfonso zunächst wie ein typisch historischer und aristokratischer Tyrann wirkt, beginnt auch er, sich plötzlich mit „dem Fall“ auseinanderzusetzen und verfolgt mehr oder minder angespannt die Ermittlungsarbeit seiner neuen Angetrauten.

Hier hat Loupas gerne mit den Charakteren im Gesamten gespielt und ließ sich in ihrer durchdachten und gradlinigen Geschichte auf keinerlei Kompromisse ein. So findet das Ende auch beim Leser einen nicht sehr überraschten, aber dennoch guten Abschluss. Hier steigen Spannung und die Brutalität doch noch einmal und raubt einem kurzzeitig doch den Atem.

Besonders raffiniert ist die Geschichte erzählt aus den Perspektiven des Geistes der ersten Herzogin sowie den Gedanken und Ängsten der zweiten Herzogin.

Ein Roman, der sich deutlich von den historischen Dramen abgrenzt und neue Maßstäbe setzt!
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Jul 10, 2011 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

It's reading books like this that make me glad I joined Goodreads. As far as I am aware the book has no UK publisher, I have never seen it in a UK bookshop, and to be perfectly honest I am not a huge fan of the sixteenth century so may have skipped it anyway. However I was persuaded by the positive reviews from my Goodreads friends and others on the site. Ultimately, The Second Duchess has been one of my favourite "new" reads this year.

So what is it about? Barbara of Austria, sister of the Emper...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Indie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, personal-rating-5-stars, romance, favourite-author, would-like-to-eventually-reread, italian-setting, p-t, would-like-to-own

I loved this book!! The suspense, the mystery, the history!! It's everything I could want from a book and more! There was some speech I couldn't quite understand but it's 16th century talk and I'm 14 and having no knowledge of anything it was understandable. And the amazing characters made up for it anyway. Duke Alfonso was the mysterious man that kept you guessing throughout the book. But Duchess Babara was the real jewel. She guided the story and it couldn't have been done any better. Even tho...more

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May 18, 2011 Amanda J rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Amanda J by: Won this book on goodreads

Shelves: first-reads, historical-fiction, mystery, ghosts

Inspired by Robert Browning's poem "My Last Duchess," The Second Duchess combines historical fiction, romance and mystery as it explores the mysterious death of the duke's first wife, Lucrezia De' Medici. Filled with courtly intrigue, love and murderous hate - there is much here to keep the reader entertained and hungry for more.

Won this book as part of the goodreads first-reads program.

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Nov 01, 2012 ~M~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 29, 2012 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: conspiracy, historical-fiction, mystery

I like the fact that this is a historical novel with elements of non-fiction. The characters existed in the 16th century, and according to the writer, she has tried to stay true to their personalities. It's interesting to follow the married, but not at first lovingly attached, couple, Barbara and Alfonso. Barbara is of course a product of her time, but at the same time she stands her ground surprisingly well, and is rather witty and headstrong. Alfonso II d'Este, duke of Ferrara, is used to peop...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Kathryn Wilson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: it-was-ok

Barbara of Austria has come to Ferrarra Italy to marry a duke. She's an imperial princess, and he's a prince of the Renaissance with a nine hundred year old name. He's the old money to the Medici's nouveau riche, and she's the proud, if not Medici-beautiful, daughter of the Habsburgs, determined to do well in Italy as the new duchess. Thing is, the word on what happened to his first wife is that she died, and that the duke just might have been involved.

This was probably a 3.5 star actual rating...more

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Feb 05, 2012 lia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

A wonderful read! i couldn't put it down!

It's a historical fiction of the real Alfonso d'Este, his second duchess Barbara of Austria and his first wife Lucrezia de Medici.

Barbara married Alfonso d'este when she was 26. She is the daughter of emperor and sister of emperor, a coup for Alfonso d'este. Her social standing and bloodline is unquestionable. Unlike his first wife Lucrezia de Medici who comes from the upstart family of Medici who comes from common ancestors of bankers.

Upon first coming...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I reviewed this book for Romance Reader At Heart website.

THE SECOND DUCHESS is set in the beautiful northern Italian province of Ferrara, and revolves around Barbara of Austria who marries Alphonso, the Duke of Ferrara. The Duke's first marriage to Lucrezia de' Medici ended with an untimely death, and rumors abound that he might have been responsible for it.

Barbara, at twenty-six and not known for her beauty but for her independence and intelligence, is determined to find out what happened to...more I reviewed this book for Romance Reader At Heart website.

THE SECOND DUCHESS is set in the beautiful northern Italian province of Ferrara, and revolves around Barbara of Austria who marries Alphonso, the Duke of Ferrara. The Duke's first marriage to Lucrezia de' Medici ended with an untimely death, and rumors abound that he might have been responsible for it.

Barbara, at twenty-six and not known for her beauty but for her independence and intelligence, is determined to find out what happened to the first Duchess. From that point on, her life is threatened, and she can't trust anyone.

Alfonso is ambitious, proud, and arrogant. The passionate, sensitive side of this man is well hidden and not readily revealed. He's not happy to discover Barbara's snooping about (which he expresses in a most cruel way), but still allows her to continue with it, only if she'll let him be a part of it.

Every character in this book is painstakingly developed. We feel the Duke's occasional cruelty as much as Barbara, and the duke's woman-hating best friend and his spiteful sister are characters we just want to slap around. The author is in no rush to reveal the mystery. She slowly unravels each character, and with it, she helps us in unraveling the mystery. As for the romance part of the book, she's written a very realistic and believable romance between Barbara and Alfonso d'Este. Their love story is given time to grow, flawlessly woven with plenty of intrigue to keep you guessing until the end as to who killed Lucrezia de Medici.

This is a well researched and executed mystery, rather than a romance novel, filled with intrigue, suspense, danger and passion, exactly in that order. Ms. Loupas' vivid description of the era made me feel a part of this impeccably written, character driven, complex, intriguing and totally engaging story.

I'm truly impressed with this author's description of the Renaissance Era, to a point that I've gone to the local library and checked some books out so that I could learn more of this era, which was full of art, poetry, and architecture, especially the Italian Renaissance.

*SPOILER ALLERT*
Ms. Loupas added the first Duchess' narrative to the story and let her voice come through loud and clear. I thought it a pure stroke of genius!

Melanie
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Jul 09, 2011 Hsudonym rated it 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyed this book thoroughly. Received it as an early review. I liked how the author brought together the mystery element, with the lavish descriptions of 16th century Italian Court. The author also uses the voice of the first duchess as an Immobili or "still one". Her voice provides an interesting part of the back story: she originally starts off as a spoiled, vengeful spirit who insists on providing the reader with her own version of her sordid tale. She starts out as a morally bereft person,...more

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Jun 16, 2011 Erika Robuck rated it 5 of 5 stars

Set in the Italian Renaissance court of Ferrara, THE SECOND DUCHESS is an historical mystery with a memorable cast of characters that I absolutely could not put it down.

It opens in December of 1565 on the wedding day of Alfonso d’Este, Duke of Ferrara, and Barbara of Austria. Barbara is full of excitement about life in the beautiful Italian court full of painters, musicians, and religious men and women, and is more intrigued than threatened by rumors that her new husband murdered his first wife....more

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May 17, 2011 Shannan/GirlsInTheStacks.com rated it 3 of 5 stars

A good historical mystery full of ducal charm and decadence.

The Second Duchess by Elizabeth Loupas
publisher: New American Library (penguin)
release date: March 2011
book info: goodreads author

from Amazon… In a city-state known for magnificence, where love affairs and conspiracies play out amidst brilliant painters, poets and musicians, the powerful and ambitious Alfonso d’Este, duke of Ferrara, takes a new bride. Half of Europe is certain he murdered his first wife, Lucrezia, the luminous child of...more A good historical mystery full of ducal charm and decadence.

The Second Duchess by Elizabeth Loupas
publisher: New American Library (penguin)
release date: March 2011
book info: goodreads author

from Amazon… In a city-state known for magnificence, where love affairs and conspiracies play out amidst brilliant painters, poets and musicians, the powerful and ambitious Alfonso d’Este, duke of Ferrara, takes a new bride. Half of Europe is certain he murdered his first wife, Lucrezia, the luminous child of the Medici. But no one dares accuse him, and no one has proof-least of all his second duchess, the far less beautiful but delightfully clever Barbara of Austria…

I’ve read my fair share of historical (romance type) fiction, most have been about falling in love with someone above/below your station, about a soft and gentle hero…this is not one of those books. Alfonso is all about preserving and advancing his ducal standing, which means he is hard, brutal and unrelenting. He very carefully selected his second wife, and it was not for love. AND he is very much a husband of the 16th century, he rules the household. Period. Through the course of the book and while piecing together the mystery, you quickly learn why Alfonso is harsh – one is not powerful without enemies.

As for Barbara, she was ready to be free of her country life and highly anticipating a life of courtly living, adventure. While she was unprepared for the harshness of Alonso and his court, she quickly learned how to play the game. She was surprising, daring, clever and sympathetic.

The mystery is probably one of the best aspects of the story; it’s intriguing and leaves the reader constantly guessing. It’s like the game CLUE, trying to figure out who was the killer and what “weapon” was used.

While I enjoyed the mystery and the angst understanding (love?) between Alfonso and Barbara, I didn’t like the immobili, the ghost aspect. I felt it cheated the reader; it shared too much and gave too much reasoning, too much insight.

I give this book 3 STACKS

See you in the STACKS,
Stacy, who very much liked the ginger heroine!

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May 16, 2011 Stacy/GirlsInTheStacks.com rated it 3 of 5 stars

I’ve read my fair share of historical (romance type) fiction, most have been about falling in love with someone above/below your station, about a soft and gentle hero…this is not one of those books. Alfonso is all about preserving and advancing his ducal standing, which means he is hard, brutal and unrelenting. He very carefully selected his second wife, and it was not for love. AND he is very much a husband of the 16th century, he rules the household. Period. Through the course of the book and...more

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Mar 31, 2011 Deborah Gray rated it 5 of 5 stars

It's been a long time since I've read historical fiction, but I was drawn to the idea of mystery and a strong female protagonist is this novel. What a gift this book is to the senses! I felt immersed in the court of Ferrara, the intrigue, the clothing and the food of 15th Century Italy. Barbara, Austrian royalty who married the Duke d'Este has entered their world at a disadvantage. She follows the young, beautiful, vibrant first wife and Barbara is none of these things. But she soon finds out th...more

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Mar 23, 2011 Violet Yates rated it 5 of 5 stars

First and foremost, I must say, “BRAVO!” I absolutely loved this book. Elizabeth Loupas did a brilliant job knitting all of the pieces of this story together, accomplishing something a lot of authors only dream of being capable of doing.
The story, set in the 16th century Italian city-state of Ferrara, surrounds the mystery behind the death of the stunningly beautiful and youthful first Duchess of Ferrara, Lucrezia Medici; the Duke, Alfonso d’Este, was rumored to have murdered her. The Duke has...more First and foremost, I must say, “BRAVO!” I absolutely loved this book. Elizabeth Loupas did a brilliant job knitting all of the pieces of this story together, accomplishing something a lot of authors only dream of being capable of doing.
The story, set in the 16th century Italian city-state of Ferrara, surrounds the mystery behind the death of the stunningly beautiful and youthful first Duchess of Ferrara, Lucrezia Medici; the Duke, Alfonso d’Este, was rumored to have murdered her. The Duke has married again, this time taking to wife Barbara of Austria, a twenty-six year old woman who is not known for her beauty. From the moment of her wedding, Barbara is subjected to the intrigue of the court- there seems to be no end to the gossip of the Duke’s first duchess, and she is the target of not only that, but veiled threats as well. Spurred at first by curiosity, then by necessity, Barbara takes it upon herself to discover what actually happened to Lucrezia Medici and therefore vouchsafe her own safety. Her husband the Duke is at first kept in the dark about his wife’s sleuthing, and treats her rather cruelly for her disobedience when he discovers her secret investigation. As the story progresses, however, we begin to see a change in his demeanor and he becomes redeemable. Throughout the story, we are given insight into the character of the first duchess, Lucrezia, in the form of an inner monologue from the woman’s ghost.
This story is rich and full of life, true to the Renaissance Era. The mention of the English legend of Tristan and Isolde (Barbara receives beagle puppies from Queen Elizabeth and names them Tristram and Iseult), endeared me further to the story. Loupas put a lot of work into this novel; her knowledge of the Italian Renaissance Era is apparent. Her ability to use that knowledge to create such a wonderful historical mystery puts her on par with the likes of Alison Weir and Philippa Gregory. I hope to read more novels by Elizabeth Loupas.
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Mar 20, 2011 Bookaholics rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Second Duchess by Elizabeth Loupas
Historical Romance -March 1st, 2011
5 stars

Barbara is part of Austria’s illustrious Hapsburg family. She is the sister of the Emperor and selected as the bride of the Duke of Ferrara, Alfonso d’Este. But when she arrives at the duke’s court, she is dazzled by the sumptuous elegance and blinding magnificence. But all that glitters is not gold. Beneath all the beauty, terrible secrets and ugly power struggles lay wait to trap Barbara and to doom her marriage....more The Second Duchess by Elizabeth Loupas
Historical Romance -March 1st, 2011
5 stars

Barbara is part of Austria’s illustrious Hapsburg family. She is the sister of the Emperor and selected as the bride of the Duke of Ferrara, Alfonso d’Este. But when she arrives at the duke’s court, she is dazzled by the sumptuous elegance and blinding magnificence. But all that glitters is not gold. Beneath all the beauty, terrible secrets and ugly power struggles lay wait to trap Barbara and to doom her marriage. There is a hideous rumor that the Duke had killed his first wife, Lucrezia de’ Medici. Her death has exacerbated the intense rivalry between the Medicis and the d’Este. However, Alfonso had forbidden his new wife ever to mention Lucrezia or ask any questions. But Barbara decides to launch a secret investigation into the death of Lucrezia.

Did Alfonso kill Lucrezia? Will Barbara learn to trust her husband and discover who are her allies and foes before it is too late?

Strictly speaking, this book is 90% historical mystery and 10% paranomal. If you are looking for a pure historical romance, you may be disappointed. The romance part was mostly about how Alfonso and Barbara slowly grew to respect and adjust to each other and their marriage. Over time, you sense that they grow to love and cherish each other, but let’s face it, the who-done-it mystery aspect is the main star of the show.

The Second Duchess is such an intriguing and suspenseful read that I could not put it down at all. Loupas is a masterful writer who draws out the tension in the book and keeps the reader guessing at every page. I could not figure out who’s the murderer until it was revealed in the end. Needless to say, the answer was very satisfying and the story a wild, wild ride.

The other part I really liked about this book was Lucrezia’s narrative. In this book, there are two narrators - Barbara and Lucrezia. Lucrezia’s ghost lingered in the castle, unable to go to either hell or purgatory. At the end of every chapter, Lucrezia tells her side of the story. While unconventional, Lucrezia’s voice is very powerful and packs a lot of punch. She doesn’t tell you who killed her, but drops tantalizing hints. As the book progresses, you felt sorrier and sorrier for her.

An outstanding historical thriller, this is a must read for all those who are searching for a GREAT read. The romance may be light, but the Second Duchess is bursting at its seams with danger and excitement.

Reviewed by Pauline from the Bookaholics Romance book Club
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Mar 06, 2011 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

"The Second Duchess" is a historical novel set in December of 1565 in Ferrara, Italy. The story revolved around an intriguing "true life" mystery about how the first duchess died, and the author wrote about one possibility. The writing was rich with historical details, from the politics to details about Barbara's wedding dress, wedding supper, and even the steps of the dances. While not uninteresting, this level of detail in the first half of the book slowed the pacing enough that the story had...more

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Mar 24, 2011 CoffeeBook Chick rated it 5 of 5 stars

Let me first start off by saying that I will most assuredly be gushing about this book. And it will be a lengthy post because there is so much to share. Debut author Elizabeth Loupas has hooked me in with The Second Duchess, which was just released this month. Go to the store, flip through the pages...

I was traveling to Portland, Oregon for a business meeting, so I had plenty of time to read while traveling from one coast to the other. Since I was only there for Monday's meeting, I had to make t...more Let me first start off by saying that I will most assuredly be gushing about this book. And it will be a lengthy post because there is so much to share. Debut author Elizabeth Loupas has hooked me in with The Second Duchess, which was just released this month. Go to the store, flip through the pages...

I was traveling to Portland, Oregon for a business meeting, so I had plenty of time to read while traveling from one coast to the other. Since I was only there for Monday's meeting, I had to make the most out of my air travel, which I was dreading. I brought along The Second Duchess although I had promised myself that the reason why I got my Nook Color was because it made traveling so much easier for my back (no hardcover or thick books to carry with my briefcase). But I just had to bring this one with me - I was emotionally invested in the storyline already and I craved more.

Scandal and murder... this was life in 16th century Italy, and more specifically, Barbara of Austria and her marriage to Alphonso. Thus, the Duke and second Duchess of Ferrara begin their marriage with a whispering servant in Barbara's ear...did you know that his first wife was murdered, and that he murdered her...

When Barbara of Austria marries Alphonso, the Duke of Ferrara, rumors wind their way around the Duke's previous marriage to Lucrezia de' Medici, a young fifteen-year-old girl from Florence. That marriage ended with an untimely death after the Duke confined her to a monastery. Barbara, intelligent and independent for a woman of her time, begins to secretly ask questions about what happened to Lucrezia, but as she begins her investigation, she herself becomes the victim of attempts on her own life.

With an intriguing character introduced into the story that I cannot give away, I found I was absolutely captivated. Elizabeth Loupas has developed an elegant whodunit wrapped in Italy in the 16th century. Detailed descriptions carry the reader into a comprehensive and enthralling story that I couldn't put down. While Barbara of Austria was compelling and engaging, and I enjoyed her spirit and intelligence as she slowly began to piece the puzzle together, I found that I was also pulled into the Duke's conflicted emotions and mannerisms. He was both very much a man of his day, but at times, so much a modern man of our contemporary times. Now this... this was a book. A book that I loved.

I sat on my four hour flight to Portland, Oregon and barely noticed my growling stomach, the flight attendants' offers of something to drink, the horrible turbulence on the flight. I soaked in the descriptions of the food and the clothing in 16th century Italy, and as I turned each page I got more and more swept up in the mystery. I kept questioning every character that graced the pages - did the Duke do it? What about his nasty sisters? Or that diplomatic sneak I couldn't stand? Who killed the first duchess and is trying to kill the second?

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, mysteries, and Italy... I loved this book!(less)

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Jan 06, 2013 Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites

I am... indescribably impressed by this novel! And, I will confess, genuinely surprised. When I picked it up I thought it would be a fairly run-of-the-mill historical, elevated a little by the fact that it's based around my FAVOURITE poem ever, Browning's "My Last Duchess", but nothing to write home about. But it's actually a brilliantly subtle, wonderfully characterised page-turner of a mystery with a really original and brave interpretation of the historical and literary record, and I can't re

...more

I am... indescribably impressed by this novel! And, I will confess, genuinely surprised. When I picked it up I thought it would be a fairly run-of-the-mill historical, elevated a little by the fact that it's based around my FAVOURITE poem ever, Browning's "My Last Duchess", but nothing to write home about. But it's actually a brilliantly subtle, wonderfully characterised page-turner of a mystery with a really original and brave interpretation of the historical and literary record, and I can't recommend it highly enough. The rest shall go under a cut because I really don't want to spoil it!

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Oct 09, 2012 HÜLYA YILMAZ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Düşesin Zaferi Elzabeth Loupas

İlk defa okuduğum bir yazardı.Düşesin Zaferi Goodreads puanı 5/3,91 Benim puanım 5/4 Başlarda biraz sıkıldım itiraf edeyim..Ama sayfalar ilerleyip ben hikayeye ısınınca benim nazarımda kitap açıldı..
Roman daha çok Tarihsel Kurgu ve polisiye üzerine kurgulanmıştı..Gerçekçi bir uslupla yazılmıştı..Rönesans İtalya'sında geçiyordu..Geçtiği dönemi de pek sevmesem de hikaye içine çekiverdi beni...Buda çevirinin de büyük bir payı vardı..Çeviri de problem hissetmedim..^

Hika...more Düşesin Zaferi Elzabeth Loupas

İlk defa okuduğum bir yazardı.Düşesin Zaferi Goodreads puanı 5/3,91 Benim puanım 5/4 Başlarda biraz sıkıldım itiraf edeyim..Ama sayfalar ilerleyip ben hikayeye ısınınca benim nazarımda kitap açıldı..
Roman daha çok Tarihsel Kurgu ve polisiye üzerine kurgulanmıştı..Gerçekçi bir uslupla yazılmıştı..Rönesans İtalya'sında geçiyordu..Geçtiği dönemi de pek sevmesem de hikaye içine çekiverdi beni...Buda çevirinin de büyük bir payı vardı..Çeviri de problem hissetmedim..^

Hikaye Ferrara Dükü Alfonsa d'Este ile evlenen Avusturya Prensesi Barbara ve öldürülen ilk eşi ama ruhu Arafta olan ilk eşi Lucrezia de'Medici'nin tarafından anlatılıyor...
Çok çarpıcı bir anlatımı da vardı..

Barbara ve Alfonso'nun evliliği protokoller ile düzenlenmiş bir evlilikti..Öyle aşk vs.yoktu..Sözleşmeler ile düzenlenmişti..Hikaye bu iki insanın düğün gününden başlıyor..
Barbara Alfonso'nun ilk ölen eşi gibi çok güzel bri kadın değildir..Ama akıllı ve politik anlamda başarılı bilgili bir kişi idi....İnsan ilişkilerinde çok başarılı idi..
Lucrezia yani Alfonsonun ilk eşi çok güzel şımarık ve çok genç bir kadındı..Ölümünün üzerindeki esrar perdesi hala daha çözülememişti...Ruhu hala bir yerlerde dolanıp olayları izliyor ve o da olayları kendi penceresinden anlatıyordu...

Barbara'nın ise kulağına kadar gelen dedikodular nedeniyle ilk eşin ölümündeki sırrı merak ediyordu..Çünkü kocası karısının ölümünden sorumlu tutuluyor..Kimine göre de o öldürmüştü...
Kocası ile arasının bozulması hatta evliliğinin iptal edilmesi uğruna bu araştırmayı yaptı..Başta kendisine karşı olan hatta ,iki günlük gelin iken döven kocasını araştırmaya ikna etti..
Birlikte araştırmaya başladılar...Bu birliktelik olumlu olarak evliliklerine de yansımaya başlar...Araştıma devam ettikçe ilk düşesin kocasını önünle gelen ile aldatan şımarık karakterli bir kadın olduğunu anlar...Güzeldi...Ben beğendim..Okumak isteyen arkadaşlara keyifli okumalar...
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Aug 30, 2012 Kristin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, quick-easy-entertaining-reads

I picked this book up at a used book store a while ago and it sat on my shelf for much too long before I decided to pick it up on a whim the other day. I’m so glad that I did though because I really, really enjoyed the story of Barbara, Second Duchess of Ferrara.

The story is a fictional account of an investigation by the new Duchess into the mysterious death of the first Duchess. From the moment Barbara arrives in Ferrara as the Duke’s new bride, she is besieged by rumors that her new husband k...more I picked this book up at a used book store a while ago and it sat on my shelf for much too long before I decided to pick it up on a whim the other day. I’m so glad that I did though because I really, really enjoyed the story of Barbara, Second Duchess of Ferrara.

The story is a fictional account of an investigation by the new Duchess into the mysterious death of the first Duchess. From the moment Barbara arrives in Ferrara as the Duke’s new bride, she is besieged by rumors that her new husband killed his first wife. Though he is handsome, his cold demeanor does nothing to convince her that he is not capable of such a thing, and despite his threats and warnings to stay out of it, Barbara begins her search for the truth.

There is a subtle love story here because even despite Barbara’s misgivings, it’s clear that the Duke has a soft spot for his new bride, and begrudgingly, even begins to indulge her in her investigations once he realizes that she’s not going to drop it. Actually, he does a complete 180 and goes from forbidding her from even speaking his former bride’s name to helping her investigate. That was an unexpected and quite sudden turn on his part, but I decided to let it slide because the story moved much quicker, and in my opinion, was much more enjoyable once he got with the program.

I do have one MAJOR gripe about this book though – the second narrator, the ghost of the first Duchess aka the Medici Brat (which is how I started to think of her.)

To my horror, she appeared at the end of every single chapter to give her side of the story and as Barbara starts figuring things out on her own, she’s there to tell you whether Barbara is on the right track. As a literary device, it is such a cop out and an unnecessary one at that! The ghost did not shed any light on the story that could not have been explained in another way or that wasn’t eventually divined by Barbara in her search. In my opinion, that inclusion was a blight on an otherwise well told story and I wish the whole thing could be redone to remove any trace of it. I actually wonder if I would have missed anything legitimate by skipping those sections entirely, but because I was afraid, I might miss an important nugget of the story, I read each and everyone. Le sigh…

But oh well, what’s done is done. Regardless, I definitely do recommend this book. Though somewhat predictable, it’s a nice blend of historical fiction and mystery with just a dash of romance. Just try your best to ignore the Medici Brat’s add-ons and you’ve found yourself a quick, easy and very entertaining read.(less)

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Feb 06, 2012 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who like the poem, "My Last Duchess."

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery-and-crime-fiction

I could bump this to a 3.5 because the story kept me turning pages for two late nights. Loupas used the poem "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning as the launch pad for her story of Barbara, an Austrian woman who is married off to a duke in Renaissance Italy. A mysterious hairdresser warns her that the court of Ferrara looks beautiful but is poisoned at its heart, and Barbara is surrounded by clues about the death of the first duchess. Shades of "Rebecca."

Barbara tries to solve the mystery while...more

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Nov 04, 2011 Dija rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of unsolved historical mysteries

Shelves: 2011, wow, hr, surprisingly-good, my-reviews

The Second Duchess is entirely different from what I usually read; ergo, I had no idea what to expect from this book. Which is why it was surprising when it turned out to be an extremely interesting and thoroughly delightful read.

Barbara is an archduchess from Austria, betrothed to the duke of Ferrara. Said duke's first wife dies under very suspicious circumstances and everyone believes the duke to be the murderer. Despite her misgivings, Barbara is determined to be the ultimate wife and duches...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
With which one to start?	4	11	Aug 29, 2012 11:03am
Alfonso	3	23	May 05, 2012 02:56pm
ghost	2	13	Aug 22, 2011 08:55pm
New Publication Date	1	13	Sep 16, 2010 06:11am

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