Book 5 of the Nico Argenti series

    Rumors of insurrection in Renaissance Pisa spur Florentine authorities to send young lawyer Nico Argenti to investigate. He and his team uncover more than expected: smuggling, abduction, and murder.

Renaissance Italy 1465: After six decades of domination by Florence, agitators in Pisa are taking action. They remember the past when Pisa was an independent State and they are impatient to regain that freedom. Rumors of an impending insurrection reach officials in Florence who dispatch Nico Argenti and his team to find and stop the troublemakers before they resort to violence.

Nico and his colleagues conceal their identities as Florentine Security Commissioners to gain the confidence of Pisan loyalists. The ploy lets them unearth clues, some valuable and some red herrings, that point to the rebel leader, but it also sets Nico as a target.

The hunt turns urgent when the rebels show their resolve by abducting the provincial governor. Nico’s  team intensify their efforts to discover the source of the rebels’ weapons which, surprisingly, leads them back to Florence. In Florence’s highest court, Nico uses his legal skills to bring the traitorous arms dealer to justice.

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Praise for Rebels in Pisa

- Book Excellence Award Finalist -

Attention to building atmosphere and presenting historical facts makes for an especially compelling work that needs no prior introduction to Nico’s life and position from previous books in order to prove completely accessible to newcomers.

As Nico experiences courtroom victories that are accompanied by disturbing revelations and ongoing puzzles, readers will find his story engrossing and packed with unexpected twists and turns.

                                                                                                                             ~ Midwest Book Review

The Blackest Time discussion questions

 

How did the book change your assumptions about the time of the Black Plague?

Which aspects of the story relate to our time? Which don’t?

Was there a specific decision made by a character in the book that struck you as particularly admirable or foolish?

Which turning points in the story were under the control of characters? Which were unavoidable?

Of those who escaped the disease itself, how were people in the various classes of Florentine society affected by the plague?

What were Gino’s impressions of Florence when he first arrived in the city and how did they change over time?

What measures did Florentines use to protect themselves from the plague? How do they compare to the steps we took to protect ourselves from Covid?

Florentines were devout Christians who believed in the mythical goddess Fortuna and in witchcraft. How did those beliefs lead to various explanations of the plague? Do we have dual beliefs today?

Does Professor Vianello’s prediction based on planetary conjuctions differ from today’s belief in astrology?

Who cared for the poor in medieval times? How does that differ from our practices today?