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The Mascherari: A Novel of Venice
In this late medieval tale of mystery and witchcraft, Laura Rahme breathes life into a Venice long forgotten. From the dark sottoporticos of the Arsenal, to the wealthy mansions of Castello, and deep within the secret passages of the Ducal Palace, The Mascherari is an occult tale rich with history.
VENEZIA, 1422. Doge Tommaso Mocenigo lies on his death bed. An evil has come to Venice. An evil that will set the course for the future of La Serenissima.
On the eve of Carnivale, five wealthy Venetian merchants set upon a mask maker in the ancient district of Santa Croce. They are led by Giacomo Contarini, a ruthless patrician. The following day, the Venice Republic's security council, the most feared Council of Ten, summons Florentine inquisitor, Antonio da Parma, to hold an inquest on a most baffling case. During a sumptuous banquet, Giacomo Contarini and his partners have met a chilling death. Newly widowed and fresh from Florence,
Antonio da Parma's reputation precedes him. He is known for his susceptibility to the occult and is sternly warned that The Council of Ten want none of that. Yet in the throes of this macabre investigation Antonio is lured by his dreams and visions and by the mysterious silver pendant that he discovers on one of the dead merchants.
Enter the dashing Esteban del Valle, a formidable swordmaster of Nubian origins. Esteban grieves his stolen inheritance and the death of his Catalan adopted father. He survives, mysteriously, through the influence of high ranking patricians. He never removes his mask and has sworn to reclaim his wealth.
Noble Catarina Contarini has a sad tale to tell. Her husband's death weighs upon her and so too, do the scandalous accusations that have been raised against him. In her grief, she confides in Antonio and reveals her shocking secrets. But Catarina's darkest secret concerns a witch; a Napoletana named Magdalena.
Antonio is drawn ever closer to the magnetic Magdalena. He unveils the truth behind the merchants' murders and comes face to face with a machination of monstrous evil. Through this fascinating Magdalena, an enchanter of admirals and merchants alike, Antonio begins to realize that his true quest is one he could never have imagined.
Weaving historical mystery and the supernatural, The Mascherari evokes a Venice that will leave your breathless.
VENEZIA, 1422. Doge Tommaso Mocenigo lies on his death bed. An evil has come to Venice. An evil that will set the course for the future of La Serenissima.
On the eve of Carnivale, five wealthy Venetian merchants set upon a mask maker in the ancient district of Santa Croce. They are led by Giacomo Contarini, a ruthless patrician. The following day, the Venice Republic's security council, the most feared Council of Ten, summons Florentine inquisitor, Antonio da Parma, to hold an inquest on a most baffling case. During a sumptuous banquet, Giacomo Contarini and his partners have met a chilling death. Newly widowed and fresh from Florence,
Antonio da Parma's reputation precedes him. He is known for his susceptibility to the occult and is sternly warned that The Council of Ten want none of that. Yet in the throes of this macabre investigation Antonio is lured by his dreams and visions and by the mysterious silver pendant that he discovers on one of the dead merchants.
Enter the dashing Esteban del Valle, a formidable swordmaster of Nubian origins. Esteban grieves his stolen inheritance and the death of his Catalan adopted father. He survives, mysteriously, through the influence of high ranking patricians. He never removes his mask and has sworn to reclaim his wealth.
Noble Catarina Contarini has a sad tale to tell. Her husband's death weighs upon her and so too, do the scandalous accusations that have been raised against him. In her grief, she confides in Antonio and reveals her shocking secrets. But Catarina's darkest secret concerns a witch; a Napoletana named Magdalena.
Antonio is drawn ever closer to the magnetic Magdalena. He unveils the truth behind the merchants' murders and comes face to face with a machination of monstrous evil. Through this fascinating Magdalena, an enchanter of admirals and merchants alike, Antonio begins to realize that his true quest is one he could never have imagined.
Weaving historical mystery and the supernatural, The Mascherari evokes a Venice that will leave your breathless.
356 pages, Paperback
First published August 13, 2014
29 people are currently reading
1042 people want to read
About the author
Laura Rahme
8 books160 followersA recipient of the Best International Author prize from the 2023 Biblioteca Suore Montevergine book fair, Laura Rahme is an award-winning French-Australian novelist. Born in Senegal and inspired by her rich family heritage (Lebanese, French and Vietnamese), she writes fiction informed by historical and cultural research.
With Bachelor degrees in Psychology and Aerospace Engineering, she balances a long career in Tech with her great love of telling stories.
She has written,
𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓢𝓽𝓸𝓻𝔂𝓽𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓻𝓼 (2012) - a historical novel set in China's Early Ming Dynasty.
𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓜𝓪𝓼𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓻𝓲 (2014) - a historical mystery with supernatural themes set in 15th century Venice.
𝓙𝓾𝓵𝓲𝓮𝓷'𝓼 𝓣𝓮𝓻𝓻𝓸𝓻 (2017) - a French Revolution psychological thriller/mystery which pays homage to her Breton origins.
𝓒𝓪𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓪 (2021) - a Victorian gothic horror mystery set in 19th century England and Greece.
𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓢𝓮𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓵𝓵𝔂 (2021) — a real life 19th century fairy tale set in France, featuring first celebrity chef, Antonin Carême (1784 - 1833) and one of France's most mysterious figures, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord.
𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓢𝓲𝓰𝓷𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓖𝓸𝓻é𝓮 (2024) — a historical mystery set in 1840s Gorée, reprising the French detective Maurice Leroux from the novel, Calista. Where Calista drew on elements of the fantastique, this mystery blends magic realism with Senegalese folklore.
𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓕𝓸𝓻𝓽𝓾𝓷𝓮 𝓣𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓻 𝓸𝓯 𝓝𝓲𝓬𝓮 - the third Maurice Leroux mystery set in 1854 Nice. Expected publication in late 2027.
In 2020, Laura announced that she was working on a historical crime novel set in her birth country, Senegal. The Silence of the Pirogue will explore 70s and 80s Senegal. The roman à clef will be published in 2027.
With Bachelor degrees in Psychology and Aerospace Engineering, she balances a long career in Tech with her great love of telling stories.
She has written,
𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓢𝓽𝓸𝓻𝔂𝓽𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓻𝓼 (2012) - a historical novel set in China's Early Ming Dynasty.
𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓜𝓪𝓼𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓻𝓲 (2014) - a historical mystery with supernatural themes set in 15th century Venice.
𝓙𝓾𝓵𝓲𝓮𝓷'𝓼 𝓣𝓮𝓻𝓻𝓸𝓻 (2017) - a French Revolution psychological thriller/mystery which pays homage to her Breton origins.
𝓒𝓪𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓪 (2021) - a Victorian gothic horror mystery set in 19th century England and Greece.
𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓢𝓮𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓵𝓵𝔂 (2021) — a real life 19th century fairy tale set in France, featuring first celebrity chef, Antonin Carême (1784 - 1833) and one of France's most mysterious figures, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord.
𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓢𝓲𝓰𝓷𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓖𝓸𝓻é𝓮 (2024) — a historical mystery set in 1840s Gorée, reprising the French detective Maurice Leroux from the novel, Calista. Where Calista drew on elements of the fantastique, this mystery blends magic realism with Senegalese folklore.
𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓕𝓸𝓻𝓽𝓾𝓷𝓮 𝓣𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓻 𝓸𝓯 𝓝𝓲𝓬𝓮 - the third Maurice Leroux mystery set in 1854 Nice. Expected publication in late 2027.
In 2020, Laura announced that she was working on a historical crime novel set in her birth country, Senegal. The Silence of the Pirogue will explore 70s and 80s Senegal. The roman à clef will be published in 2027.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 18, 2014
Venice didn’t invent the mask, but no society in history ever wore them more frequently.
In most societies, they’re merely worn for an evening masquerade, or a Mardi gras parade. In Venice, from the 1200s clear up until Napoleon conquered the Italian Republic in 1797, citizens of every class routinely spent three months (or more) in disguise, donning their Carnival masks the day after Christmas and sporting them until Shrove Tuesday and the start of Lent in early March – an understandable invitation to trouble. An anonymous populace could get involved in a lot of mischief in three months, from illicit sex and spying to assassination and murder.
What more could a writer wish for?
In her new, supernatural thriller “The Mascherari,” author Laura Rahme turns her imagination loose, inventing a delicious, dark tale of witchcraft, byzantine political intrigue, and bacchanalian mayhem played out between the feasts of Natale (Dec. 25) and Epiphany (Jan. 6).
It’s the winter solstice, 1422. Tuscan widower and retired crime investigator Antonio da Parma has just returned to Venice following the death of his wife. He’s been re-hired as an inquisitor by Almoro Donato and the secretive, Consiglio dei Dieci, a group of ten powerful men which oversees the Republic’s internal security, coinage and morality. Heading for the Ducal Palace, he comes across a wealthy masked merchant, Giacomo Contarini, and his aristocratic friends, roughing up an elderly Milanese mascheraro (mask maker) fallen behind on his loan. When da Parma tries to intervene, he’s dragged into an alley and beaten up himself. Two days later, Donato informs him the Signori di Notte (secret police) have discovered the cadavers of Contarini, three of his partners, and his daughter. Contarini appears to be an easily explainable murder; the other four deaths are more troubling, coincidentally odd, even bizarre. Donato hands da Parma the police file – quietly investigate, and report back to the nervous Council. Da Parma quickly discovers that Contarini on the morning he was murdered received a mysterious delivery of five, unordered but exquisitely-crafted Carnival masks. Who sent the phantasmagorical creations is unclear, but their magical workmanship was too exceptional and tempting to not wear them to a party that night.
Deadly mistake.
Rahme employs letters, diaries, journal entries and sworn testimonies to deliver the account of da Parma’s unsettling investigation and horrific discoveries, as various characters disclose their secrets, and the sinister, witching power of the masks is revealed.
Along the way, we’re educated about the sex life of medieval Venice. The Republic encouraged unmarried men to visit the bordellos in Carampane in order to discourage homosexuality (sodomy and cross-dressing merit capital punishment); puttana (prostitutes) wore yellow shawls, and flaunted their wares on the Ponte delle Tette (Bridge of Tits); some convents were de facto whorehouses, warehousing superfluous daughters discarded by their families – rebellious girls bereft of any religious vocation or interest in a celibate life.
Fifteenth-century Venetian cuisine pops up frequently, and sounds intriguing: leek and goat cheese pie; garlic and bean soup (whew!); pork and quail on skewers; eel pie, squid pie, Sarde in Saor (Rahme’s handy Glossary at the end of the book defines a half-dozen, different Carnival masks, but I had to Google this dish, which turns out to be sweet and sour sardines).
Historical curiosities constantly entertain: Parchment is slowly being replaced by paper – “a Mohammedan invention” denounced by the Church. The government kept prisoners in the “Wells,” a subterranean jail beneath the Doge’s palace, where they applied the euphemistic “Question” (were tortured). Fiore dei Liberi was the era’s reigning master of fencing (swordsmanship features large in the novel). Venetians used cinnamon mouthwash (bet you didn’t know that).
The author’s personal life is as exotic as her fiction. Rahme was born in Dakar, Senegal, of Lebanese, French and Vietnamese heritage; grew up speaking French; holds degrees in Psychology and Engineering (Aerospace Avionics); lives Down Under; idolizes Khalil Gibran; and set her first novel in early Ming China.
If you’re a book buyer looking for an entertaining tale, or a book blogger looking for an entertaining interview, you’ve just found it.
October 30, 2014
Set in 15th century Italy, The Mascherari is the story of Antonio da Parma, a Tuscan lawyer summoned to Venice to investigate the strangely entwined but seemingly unconnected deaths of four of its leading citizens. The further he digs, the more shocking the revelations. The reader is led deeper into the mystery conjured by the occult and enabled by the designs of the ruling council and its thorough control of the glittering merchant city. As the many layers of this darkly atmospheric and intricately woven tale unfold, the truth turns out to be far more sinister than even the reader—privy to all of the characters' innermost thoughts—can fathom.
Unapologetically artistic and cerebral, this beautifully written story successfully meshes history with the supernatural and held me enthralled from start to finish. Full of sorcery and political intrigue, and populated with full-bodied characters—each with his own tale of woe—this work is so skillfully crafted that it leaves one contemplating which is the lesser evil: witchcraft or the enforced protection from it. With careful attention to pacing and an adept hand for suspense, the author weaves a spell as effectively as the enchantress whose tale she tells. The final pages had this reader devouring them at such a feverish pace that it seemed impossible for the end to live up to my heightened anticipation, but Ms. Rahme did not fail to deliver a thrilling climax that left me both satisfied and begging for more. I am a firm believer in her talent and her newest fan.
In closing, I would like to thank Ms. Rahme’s uncle for encouraging her passion for writing and helping birth this brilliant work. I heartily recommend The Mascherari to anyone desiring an artful and intelligent story that will leave you gasping for breath and keep you guessing up to the very end.
Unapologetically artistic and cerebral, this beautifully written story successfully meshes history with the supernatural and held me enthralled from start to finish. Full of sorcery and political intrigue, and populated with full-bodied characters—each with his own tale of woe—this work is so skillfully crafted that it leaves one contemplating which is the lesser evil: witchcraft or the enforced protection from it. With careful attention to pacing and an adept hand for suspense, the author weaves a spell as effectively as the enchantress whose tale she tells. The final pages had this reader devouring them at such a feverish pace that it seemed impossible for the end to live up to my heightened anticipation, but Ms. Rahme did not fail to deliver a thrilling climax that left me both satisfied and begging for more. I am a firm believer in her talent and her newest fan.
In closing, I would like to thank Ms. Rahme’s uncle for encouraging her passion for writing and helping birth this brilliant work. I heartily recommend The Mascherari to anyone desiring an artful and intelligent story that will leave you gasping for breath and keep you guessing up to the very end.
July 7, 2017
This book is not for everyone! If you take that statement to indicate that that I am an arrogant, self-important, elitist, you would be quite correct.
The Mascherari is a murder mystery set in fifteenth century Venice. A number of highly respected and very successful merchants have died as Carnival began. The small group of leaders who govern the city-state employ an investigator-lawyer from Florence to look into the case.
Since I don't know a damn thing about fifteenth century Venice, I will assume that Rahme paints an accurate picture but I can say that it is detailed, colorful, threatening and dynamic. I feel that I learned a good deal of the history of Venice in addition to enjoying a very well constructed story.
The primary characters were beautifully crafted, the secondary characters served their roles nicely and the setting emerged as a painting might if one viewed it as darkness slowly turned to daylight, turning from very murky to elegantly detailed.
I have looked and will continue to look for Rahm's other works as I view her as a great talent.
The Mascherari is a murder mystery set in fifteenth century Venice. A number of highly respected and very successful merchants have died as Carnival began. The small group of leaders who govern the city-state employ an investigator-lawyer from Florence to look into the case.
Since I don't know a damn thing about fifteenth century Venice, I will assume that Rahme paints an accurate picture but I can say that it is detailed, colorful, threatening and dynamic. I feel that I learned a good deal of the history of Venice in addition to enjoying a very well constructed story.
The primary characters were beautifully crafted, the secondary characters served their roles nicely and the setting emerged as a painting might if one viewed it as darkness slowly turned to daylight, turning from very murky to elegantly detailed.
I have looked and will continue to look for Rahm's other works as I view her as a great talent.
February 26, 2018
I gave myself a thrill writing this one. This is actually the first book in a historical mystery trilogy I am working on which will see Antonio da Parma and his consort as key protagonists. MALEFICA is the second book. There will be masks there too, but this time Antonio is off to Cologne.
I can't wait.
I can't wait.
February 3, 2016
The Mascherari: A novel of Venice by Laura Rahme
“It bore her face, the face of a ghost that had long vanished and yet its presence seemed so near, so near I had only to reach out, to reach out and grasp it”.
To write a novel is to dream a story and write it down on the page. That’s why the power of a really good story is one of true magic. Good stories engage the reader utterly in the writer’s dream so the dream becomes theirs, too.
Lyrically written, The Mascherari is a wonderful, rich and utterly imaginative dream of a novel. Brutal murder, revenge, pagan witchcraft, conspiracy, corruption, betrayal, sacrifice, all form part of this gothic, epistolary detective novel that takes place in Venice, in the year 1422. Use of letters not only lead the reader through the story but also give voice to strong, well drawn characters. Reading The Mascherari, a long, very long, memory echoed of my first introduction to Dracula, a work that opened wide the door to my lifelong fascination with the supernatural as a teenager. Like Dracula, The Mascherari also soaked into my psyche and left me with disturbing dreams.
The beautiful city of Venice is an immensely important character in this work, too. The Grand canal, the traffic of gondolas, dark alleyways, the glitter of gold and the sheen of silk, seediness alongside luxury, all the colour of Carnevale di Venezia, in Rahme’s capable hands, we are there, in Venice of so long ago.
The Mascherari is also an extremely original love story – a love story that haunts Antonio da Parma, the main character of this work and a man determined to find truth, no matter the cost. His love story also haunts the reader. It is a story of loss; a story of finding; a story of confronting and then claiming your true self.
Magic drives the core of this work; it throbs and sings and creates a sense of wonderment, until it bursts apart like an exploding star, bringing all the elements of the story together to reach an ending that intermixes both grief and joy.
The Mascherari offers a tale that feels like a labyrinth in its execution. But the author never lets the reader feel lost, rather intrigued, tantalised, and determined to follow Antonio in his quest of discovery. We hold onto the threads of the story until we reach its heart – and the dream has ended. Or has it? The ending suggests we will one day be invited to revisit Antonio da Parma for more adventures. I hope so.
“It bore her face, the face of a ghost that had long vanished and yet its presence seemed so near, so near I had only to reach out, to reach out and grasp it”.
To write a novel is to dream a story and write it down on the page. That’s why the power of a really good story is one of true magic. Good stories engage the reader utterly in the writer’s dream so the dream becomes theirs, too.
Lyrically written, The Mascherari is a wonderful, rich and utterly imaginative dream of a novel. Brutal murder, revenge, pagan witchcraft, conspiracy, corruption, betrayal, sacrifice, all form part of this gothic, epistolary detective novel that takes place in Venice, in the year 1422. Use of letters not only lead the reader through the story but also give voice to strong, well drawn characters. Reading The Mascherari, a long, very long, memory echoed of my first introduction to Dracula, a work that opened wide the door to my lifelong fascination with the supernatural as a teenager. Like Dracula, The Mascherari also soaked into my psyche and left me with disturbing dreams.
The beautiful city of Venice is an immensely important character in this work, too. The Grand canal, the traffic of gondolas, dark alleyways, the glitter of gold and the sheen of silk, seediness alongside luxury, all the colour of Carnevale di Venezia, in Rahme’s capable hands, we are there, in Venice of so long ago.
The Mascherari is also an extremely original love story – a love story that haunts Antonio da Parma, the main character of this work and a man determined to find truth, no matter the cost. His love story also haunts the reader. It is a story of loss; a story of finding; a story of confronting and then claiming your true self.
Magic drives the core of this work; it throbs and sings and creates a sense of wonderment, until it bursts apart like an exploding star, bringing all the elements of the story together to reach an ending that intermixes both grief and joy.
The Mascherari offers a tale that feels like a labyrinth in its execution. But the author never lets the reader feel lost, rather intrigued, tantalised, and determined to follow Antonio in his quest of discovery. We hold onto the threads of the story until we reach its heart – and the dream has ended. Or has it? The ending suggests we will one day be invited to revisit Antonio da Parma for more adventures. I hope so.
November 6, 2014
Laura Rahme makes skilful use of an epistolary narrative—journals, depositions and letters—in her Gothic mystery set in early 15th century Venice. This style, reminiscent of classics of the genre, provides the perfect medium for recounting a complex tale of murder, intrigue and horror from multiple points of view.
A gang of wealthy merchants, led by Giacomo Contarini, attack an elderly mask maker, ostensibly for not paying his debts. A Florentine investigator, Antonio da Parma, is beat up when he tries to intervene on the old man's behalf. Shortly thereafter, the sinister Council of Ten summons da Parma and charges him with the investigation of the mysterious deaths of four of the merchants, including Contarini, and the equally suspicious death of Contarini's daughter. The action takes place during the Carnival, and the deaths occur during or shortly after a banquet in which the victims wore masks that were delivered under suspicious circumstances.
The investigation leads da Parma down a twisted trail of evidence that includes accusations of sodomy, intimations of witchcraft, the intervention of a mysterious masked swordsman, a widow's secrets and the shady machinations of a byzantine police state.
At the time of the story, masks were worn by Venetian nobles on a daily basis, not just at Carnival. In a practical sense, hiding one's identity behind a mask creates opportunities for all sorts of bad behavior, up to and including murder. However, the use of masks in the context of a story such as this can take on a symbolic meaning as well. After all, everyone has their guilty secrets that they mask, in one way or another.
I highly recommend this well-written, well-researched novel to fans of Gothic mystery and horror and to those who are fascinated by the history of La Serenissima.
A gang of wealthy merchants, led by Giacomo Contarini, attack an elderly mask maker, ostensibly for not paying his debts. A Florentine investigator, Antonio da Parma, is beat up when he tries to intervene on the old man's behalf. Shortly thereafter, the sinister Council of Ten summons da Parma and charges him with the investigation of the mysterious deaths of four of the merchants, including Contarini, and the equally suspicious death of Contarini's daughter. The action takes place during the Carnival, and the deaths occur during or shortly after a banquet in which the victims wore masks that were delivered under suspicious circumstances.
The investigation leads da Parma down a twisted trail of evidence that includes accusations of sodomy, intimations of witchcraft, the intervention of a mysterious masked swordsman, a widow's secrets and the shady machinations of a byzantine police state.
At the time of the story, masks were worn by Venetian nobles on a daily basis, not just at Carnival. In a practical sense, hiding one's identity behind a mask creates opportunities for all sorts of bad behavior, up to and including murder. However, the use of masks in the context of a story such as this can take on a symbolic meaning as well. After all, everyone has their guilty secrets that they mask, in one way or another.
I highly recommend this well-written, well-researched novel to fans of Gothic mystery and horror and to those who are fascinated by the history of La Serenissima.
February 26, 2015
Mascherari was well researched and written. I found the Cult of Diane interesting. However, it is not my kind of book. It took me awhile to get into it and I think I finished it for spite, if nothing else. For those who enjoy murder mysteries set in historical times and the occult, you'll have fun with this book.
September 9, 2014
A Suspenseful Masked Mystery!
I was completely immersed into this powerful novel and thoroughly enjoyed reading The Mascherari: A Novel of Venice, late into the night.
The story begins with Antonio da Parma, the “avogadore”, a lawyer summoned by Almoro Donato, a member of the Council of Ten to investigate a series of gruesome murders. It is Carnivale season in the Republic of Venice, and the masks are out in force, hiding the real faces beneath the frills of satin and velvet. And to find the murderer becomes a more difficult task for the avogadore.
From the moment that the avogadore begins to intervene for a wretched man about to be beaten near the Canal Grande in San Marco, the pace picks up in the book and doesn’t let go. Ms. Rahme’s elegant prose describes this period in 15th century Venice when the decadence of wealth in the patrician republic was at its zenith of maritime power and on the cusp of the Reformation.
While Antonio da Parma is investigating the murder of the prominent and wealthy patrician Giacomo Contarini and his partners, a fiend is praying on the weak and helpless, and Antonio now fears for his life. Masquerade begins to unfold and with it a sinister mood permeates the air. Shadows appear and silhouettes hide in darkness, ready to pounce. As evil gets closer, Antonio fights against time to save one who means the world to him.
A breathtaking mystery novel not to be missed!
I was completely immersed into this powerful novel and thoroughly enjoyed reading The Mascherari: A Novel of Venice, late into the night.
The story begins with Antonio da Parma, the “avogadore”, a lawyer summoned by Almoro Donato, a member of the Council of Ten to investigate a series of gruesome murders. It is Carnivale season in the Republic of Venice, and the masks are out in force, hiding the real faces beneath the frills of satin and velvet. And to find the murderer becomes a more difficult task for the avogadore.
From the moment that the avogadore begins to intervene for a wretched man about to be beaten near the Canal Grande in San Marco, the pace picks up in the book and doesn’t let go. Ms. Rahme’s elegant prose describes this period in 15th century Venice when the decadence of wealth in the patrician republic was at its zenith of maritime power and on the cusp of the Reformation.
While Antonio da Parma is investigating the murder of the prominent and wealthy patrician Giacomo Contarini and his partners, a fiend is praying on the weak and helpless, and Antonio now fears for his life. Masquerade begins to unfold and with it a sinister mood permeates the air. Shadows appear and silhouettes hide in darkness, ready to pounce. As evil gets closer, Antonio fights against time to save one who means the world to him.
A breathtaking mystery novel not to be missed!
December 16, 2014
The Mascherari is an epistolary gothic-occult mystery novel set in 15th century Venice, The story unfolds through the written testimony, journals, and letters of the main characters. This clever style allows the story to unfold, one exciting turn after another. This is a murder mystery with a luscious plot and a touch of the occult. Venice’s fame for mask making and disguises adds a magic touch to the grandiose vibrancy of the fascinating city known as La Serenissima. Page by page, as each character adds a new revelation to the story, a sinister truth is revealed. Author Laura Rahme is a talented writer who knows how to keep the suspense rising while unveiling a story so rich with atmosphere, decadence, political climate, and societal practices of this wealthy city. And boy what a climax! It is one that kept me flipping the pages so fast to devour every detail that culminated in great satisfaction. This is one author to keep an eye on, not only for her talent in writing style, but in her ability as a wonderful storyteller.
August 15, 2014
Loved it! Compelling and keeps you guessing. Made 15th Century Venice live and breathe on the page for me. Great fusion of crime and the supernatural. Antonio Da Parma is an exciting new addition to the long canon of fictional detectives. Would love to see him brought back again. A novel I already want to revisit again from a writer I’ll be watching closely.
March 11, 2016
Thoroughly enjoyable. Action, adventure, magic & mysticism are well blended in this heavily researched novel. There was a lot more use of occult & witchcraft history than I initially expected & it was such a brilliant surprise to have novel deliver on historic accuracy with none of the crass appropriation seen in a lot of recent books dealing with magic.
March 24, 2016
Owing more than its fair share to Eco's The Name of The Rose (a particular favourite of mine), in feel moreso than story, this was a wonderful and particularly well researched little delve into Venetian intrigue and magics of the 1400's.
May 17, 2020
Good Read
This is a tale of intrigue, family, love and mystical belief. Putting it all in a Venice with lots of historical facts makes it believable and very enjoyable. Once you start you do not want to stop reading.
This is a tale of intrigue, family, love and mystical belief. Putting it all in a Venice with lots of historical facts makes it believable and very enjoyable. Once you start you do not want to stop reading.
March 10, 2021
Murder and witchcraft in Renaissance era Venice. The setting is one I can never resist and the premise promising enough, but the book couldn't really keep my attention. I found it hard to keep track of what felt like at least a dozen disparate plot elements all jumbled up into a rather confusing tale. That a substantial part of the story is told through letters, reports and diary entries by a variety of characters between whose voices there is little if any discernible difference doesn't help.
January 14, 2025
This book works well as both a murder mystery and as historical fiction. The ending does require a certain suspension of disbelief to enjoy, though. Nevertheless, the writing style and pacing are engaging, the description of 15th-century Venice really brings the place to life, and the plot is anything but predictable.
September 6, 2015
At first I couldn't figure out why I was reading this book. The writing was ponderous and meandering. I checked back on Amazon and saw that it had an overall five star rating so decided to stay with it, assuming it would get better. It did, but not enough to warrant five stars in my estimation.
The majority, if not all, of the story is told by writings in journals or written correspondence by various characters. This was not a compelling way of conveying thoughts and emotions.
The story revolves around witchcraft and its use by members of Venetian authority who claim to to abhor it and want to eradicate it. The majority of its use in is when their captive witch manages to infuse masks worn by her father's murderers with witchcraft that causes them all to die in one evening. The authorities initially do not realize the cause of these deaths and request that the main character, Antonio, investigate. He subsequently starts unveiling the truth and when his superiors realize how it could implicate them, demand that he stop his investigation and sign a paper stating the deaths occurred in an entirely different manner. He, of course, refuses and continues to delve into their real cause, in turn causing him to become a wanted man. He eventually figures it all out, rescues the witch, gets away and settles down with her to live happily, if not uneasily, ever after.
The majority, if not all, of the story is told by writings in journals or written correspondence by various characters. This was not a compelling way of conveying thoughts and emotions.
The story revolves around witchcraft and its use by members of Venetian authority who claim to to abhor it and want to eradicate it. The majority of its use in is when their captive witch manages to infuse masks worn by her father's murderers with witchcraft that causes them all to die in one evening. The authorities initially do not realize the cause of these deaths and request that the main character, Antonio, investigate. He subsequently starts unveiling the truth and when his superiors realize how it could implicate them, demand that he stop his investigation and sign a paper stating the deaths occurred in an entirely different manner. He, of course, refuses and continues to delve into their real cause, in turn causing him to become a wanted man. He eventually figures it all out, rescues the witch, gets away and settles down with her to live happily, if not uneasily, ever after.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2015
I wish. I had some Italian
I found this book both enjoyable and confusing. I suppose that for one with more knowledge of Italy and its language would have found the very things which confused me gave them a greater sense of the book's authenticity. I made it to the end, saddened by the deaths of so many of my favorite characters.
I found this book both enjoyable and confusing. I suppose that for one with more knowledge of Italy and its language would have found the very things which confused me gave them a greater sense of the book's authenticity. I made it to the end, saddened by the deaths of so many of my favorite characters.
August 13, 2015
15th century murder mystery. I enjoyed the deep immersion into Italian vocabulary.
February 13, 2019
On the eve of Carnivale a mask maker is attacked by a gang of wealthy merchants and next day at a glorious banquet four of the merchants are found dead and Antonio da Parma is sought to investigate the case.
From here on in the narrative to me seems very confused with elements of the supernatural, witches, sex, homosexuality, murder, missing girls, night time visions to the point I don't even know what is the real story anymore.
Think the author threw so many things at this story it was hard to follow and seriously lost pace soon after the murders and the entrance of Antonio da Parma.
A real shame as I love historical novels and this sounded from the blurb to have a healthy dose of a good murder mystery too but sadly I found it disjointed at times, hard to make sense of and the ending well it's hard to explain what happened.
Not one of the best I have read and it started off with promise.
From here on in the narrative to me seems very confused with elements of the supernatural, witches, sex, homosexuality, murder, missing girls, night time visions to the point I don't even know what is the real story anymore.
Think the author threw so many things at this story it was hard to follow and seriously lost pace soon after the murders and the entrance of Antonio da Parma.
A real shame as I love historical novels and this sounded from the blurb to have a healthy dose of a good murder mystery too but sadly I found it disjointed at times, hard to make sense of and the ending well it's hard to explain what happened.
Not one of the best I have read and it started off with promise.
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