(Steeplechase + BWF) Loyalty by Lisa Scottoline - 3 stars

[Ellen]

This novel set in Sicily in the early 1800's tells the story of several different people whose storylines converge by the end of the book. Franco Fiorvanti is a ambitious young man who oversees the lemon groves of a rich baron. He is enticed to kidnap a young boy thus beginning his criminal career that eventually leads to the birth of the mafia. The young boy, Dante, is thrown into the madhouse where he is treated inhumanely along with the other inmates. Gaetano Catalano is a young and idealistic lawyer who belongs to a secret society known as the Beati Paoli, a group of like-minded men who investigate crimes in Palermo due to the inefficiency of the local police. Gaetano is determined to find the kidnapped child but his obsession with the case will nearly ruin his own life. Lucia is a beautiful young woman, born an albino which causes her to be blamed for tragedies in her home town, who lives on her own since the death of her mother. She has learned to live off the land and to protect herself from every danger. Alfredo is a widowed goatherd who produces magnificent cheeses that the women in town swear have magical powers. He has been living with a deep secret for years and is afraid for his very life if it should become known.

The characters are interesting and the history of Sicily and the beginnings of the mafia are intriguing. I have always enjoyed Scottoline's writing but this one seemed just a bit off to me at times. The themes are dark and complicated but the prose was somewhat simplistic, I thought. The concepts of loyalty and justice are the stars of the story.