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Elit Book Award Winner

Book Excellence Award finalist

                   Book 1 of the Nico Argenti series

When the death of Cosimo de Medici spurs power-hungry aristocrats into action, can a young Florentine stop his birthplace from plunging into chaos?

Florence, 1464. Nico Argenti is glad to be home. Returning with a Doctor of Law degree, he eagerly awaits his introduction to the guild so he can start a promising career. Surprised to be summoned to the Chancellor, he’s even more shocked when the erudite official asks for his assistance in defeating a violent plot to topple the government.

Recruited for his innate astuteness and reputation as a superior scholar, Nico compensates for his inexperience by going undercover to collect information. But he must rely on more than his quick wits when his proximity to shadowy villains puts him in life-threatening danger.

Can the idealistic lawyer prove he’s the man to save an entire city?

The Laureate is the intriguing first book in the Nico Argenti historical mystery series. If you like driven characters, suspenseful plots, and accurately portrayed Italian society, then you’ll love Ken Tentarelli’s award-winning page-turner.

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What was life like at a Renaissance university?

Find out in Nico’s Story,  memories from Nico’s youth and his time at the University of Bologna in his own words. Just sign up for our newsletter and download Nico’s Story today.

Praise for The Laureate

Set in Renaissance Florence, Tentarelli’s impressive debut, a series launch, makes effective use of the period’s intrigues.    Tentarelli makes the setting accessible to neophytes in the service of a page-turning and suspenseful plot. Readers will eagerly await the sequel.
                   – Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The author’s knowledge of the Italian Renaissance is impressive, and the story is rich with information about Italy during the 1400’s….     The author is clearly an expert in Italian history, and he uses it to create a thorough, well-rounded setting and group of characters for his story.
                                 –Online Book Club

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?