Death in the Palazzo

Urbino McIntyre Mystery #5

by Edward Sklepowich

American expatriate Urbino Macintyre finds himself involved in a long-time family feud when the unveiling of a portrait of the Contessa da Capo-Zendrini and the reunion of two estranged families results in murder

Genres: Mystery, Italy

250 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1997

About the author

EDWARD SKLEPOWICH has been an expatriate American for many years. He has been a Fullbright scholar of American literature in Egypt, Algeria, and Tunisia. He divides his time between Tunisia, where he is a university lecturer, Venice, New York, and a former Phoenician town on the Tunisian Mediterranean called Sousse. His deep feeling for Venice is one expression of his maternal Italian heritage.
Interview with Edward Sklepowich

Series:
* Urbino McIntyre Mystery

Reviews

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I raced through this book and couldn't put it down. This is the 5th book in Edward Sklepowich's mystery series set in Venice, starring Urbino McIntyre and the Contessa da Capo-Zendrini...and it's certainly the best book yet. A November storm traps the Contessa and her guests in her palazzo for a few days, leading to what can only be described as an Agatha Christie "Ten Little Indians" type of novel, one that catches your attention right from the start and doesn't let up even when you think you know which one of the guests "did it" and who just might be next.

Sklepowich's talent lies in his ability to weave a subtle mystery among the historical history of Venice, the Contessa, and Urbino. Every novel gives more insight into what makes Urbino tick and this 5th book in the series doesn't disappoint.

[Antoinette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death in the Palazzo, #5 in the Venetian Mystery series, features ex-pat Urbino Macintyre. He is attending a house party at the home of this friend, the Countessa da Capo-Zendrini. A storm isolates the 13 members of the house party. A guest is found dead in her room, possibly an accident. When another guest falls down stairs, Urbino intensifies his investigation. Fascinating characters, an intricate plot with lots of twists and turns, and a satisfying ending. The storm plays a role as well, heightening the suspense. Recommended to any mystery reader.

[Alger Smythe-Hopkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entirely predictable, from the moment it opens to the final pages there is not a single red herring or unnecessary plot development. If there is a mystery aside from why these books sell, it exists only for those readers unable to pay attention to the purple prose closely enough to catch on.

Another in the apparently limitless genre of murders happening among the fabled wealthy. Blah.

[Annette Hamm · Rating 5 out of 5]

His best one of the series -- so far!

[VS · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pompous, inconsistent, snobbish, with two dimensional shallow characters lacking any complexity, plain irritating, waist of time, blah

[Writerlibrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fifth novel in Sklepowich's Venetian mystery series. We have a death in a somewhat close room inside a cut off the world palazzo during a very violent storm in Venice. Urbino takes up the task of figuring out why, how and who did it. He gets tangled up in an old family vendetta. Bad blood, jealousy, envy and mischief are all there to mess up one's mind and one's reasoning.

Sklepowich has always been somewhat vague about Urbino's taste in companion. Previously married and attracted somewhat to needy damsel in distress, it never seems to go anywhere. So that he reacts to Sebastian's advances is not out of the blue and it's treated like by the Comtessa like something usual. Strange not the bad strange but the wow I didn't think the author would go there strange. So good mystery, good characters, most of them have depth and are interesting and an unexpected surprise twist at the end.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect "closed room" mystery and an excellent 5th installment in this wonderful series. Character-driven and full of atmosphere, this novel made me feel like I was in Venice, in the palazzo, and interacting with Urbino Macintyre, the Contessa Barabara and all the guests. Without a doubt, this is the best series among the many set in the captivating city of Venice, and Edward Sklepowich is a master of his craft.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was great! It kind of had the feel of an Agatha Christie, but it was a million times better. It wasn't just a hundred interrogations and then the murderer is uncovered. It was an actual mystery. Something that had been going on for decades. It was genuinely interesting and suspenseful and I really enjoyed it!

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Storm, palazzo, old murder, new murder. Okay, worth another try.