Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1733590 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Library Binding
• 303 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Myers's third mystery to feature soprano Tito Amato, a renowned castrato in 18th-century Italy, gets off to a slow start, but the pace soon picks up. Tito finds himself in Rome, singing in the house of Cardinal Lorenzo Fabiani. Chez Fabiani is abuzz with papal politics—Pope Clement XII's on his deathbed, and the two men most likely to replace him need Fabiani's support if they are to prevail. When Fabiani's mother's maid turns up strangled in Fabiani's garden, Fabiani covers up the crime, but Tito, worried he'll be falsely implicated should the corpse come to light, decides to get to the bottom of things. His investigation leads him into fascinating Roman subcultures—communities of goddess worshipers, who practice ancient paganism right under the church's nose, and church leaders who are more interested in natural science than theology. Myers (Interrupted Aria) litters the book with coy references to the castrato's surprising sex life, but leaves the details to the reader's imagination. (Sept.)
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From Booklist
Eighteenth-century Rome provides a lush yet sinister atmosphere for a mystery that draws together two parallel worlds within the Eternal City: the castrati, the male opera singers who were physically altered in boyhood to preserve their heavenly singing power, and the Holy See, which, as this story opens, is experiencing political shifting as the old pope is soon to expire and candidates vie to succeed him. Tito Amato, a famous Venetian opera singer, is forced by a powerful Venetian senator to decamp to Rome to become the house singer to a highly influential cardinal, Lorenzo Fabiana, who can pretty much control the choice of who is to be the next pope. But Tito's real mission is to spy on the goings-on in the Holy See and help advance a Venetian candidate for the papal throne. Naturally, murder happens, and the result is a rich, full story even non-mystery-reading opera lovers will respond to. Interesting to read alongside Anne Rice's compelling nonmystery novel about the castrati, Cry to Heaven (1982). Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"Eighteenth-century Rome provides a lush yet sinister atmosphere for a mystery that draws together two parallel worlds within the Eternal City: the castrati, the male opera singers who were physically altered in boyhood to preserve their heavenly singing power, and the Holy See, which, as this story opens, is experiencing political shifting as the old pope is soon to expire and candidates vie to succeed him. Tito Amato, a famous Venetian opera singer, is forced by a powerful Venetian senator to decamp to Rome to become the house singer to a highly influential cardinal, Lorenzo Fabiana, who can pretty much control the choice of who is to be the next pope. But Tito's real mission is to spy on the goings-on in the Holy See and help advance a Venetian candidate for the papal throne. Naturally, murder happens, and the result is a rich, full story even non-mystery-reading opera lovers will respond to. Interesting to read alongside Anne Rice's compelling nonmystery novel about the castrati, Cry to Heaven (1982)." --Booklist

"Myers's third mystery to feature soprano Tito Amato, a renowned castrato in 18th-century Italy, gets off to a slow start, but the pace soon picks up. Tito finds himself in Rome, singing in the house of Cardinal Lorenzo Fabiani. Chez Fabiani is abuzz with papal politics-Pope Clement XII's on his deathbed, and the two men most likely to replace him need Fabiani's support if they are to prevail. When Fabiani's mother's maid turns up strangled in Fabiani's garden, Fabiani covers up the crime, but Tito, worried he'll be falsely implicated should the corpse come to light, decides to get to the bottom of things. His investigation leads him into fascinating Roman subcultures-communities of goddess worshipers, who practice ancient paganism right under the church's nose, and church leaders who are more interested in natural science than theology. Myers (Interrupted Aria ) litters the book with coy references to the castrato's surprising sex life, but leaves the details to the reader's imagination.(Sept.)"--Publishers Weekly

Customer Reviews

Good book for a reader's group
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (8/06)


"Cruel Music" is the third mystery in a series written by this author. Castrati, Tito Amato, is planning on relaxing at home with his family upon his return from an operatic tour. His plans are cut short when his brother is arrested on false charges. Tito is blackmailed into going to Rome to sing for a cardinal who has great influence on the next election for the pope. Tito is supposed to spy on the cardinal and find out where his interests lean. Along the way there is a murder of a young woman who is assigned to care for the cardinal's insane mother. Tito is implicated in her death. In addition to needing to save his brother, he now has to find out who the real killer is to save himself.

This is an excellent mystery written in the Baroque era. Graves easily portrays the richness of the culture of the era to the reader. I really felt like I was back in this time. In addition to enjoying the mystery and the suspense that goes with Tito's experiences, I also enjoyed the way she writes about the corruption of the church.

The plot is excellent and the characters are well developed. It was really interesting to see how paganism and the study of science were both not accepted by the church, yet still practiced by some of the people. Paganism was pretty much on its way out and science was working its way in.

This book stood well on its own, but because I enjoyed it so much, I plan to go back and read the first two in the series. It would be a great book for a reader's group to discuss and also for fans of music of the Baroque era.

Another good mystery from Ms. Myers.
Pope Clement XII is slowly dying. The behind-the-scenes wheeling and dealing at the Vatican is intense. State Inquisitor of Venice Senator Montorio wants someone he can trust on the scene, spying for him and actively promoting the candidacy of his choice. To get this trusted spy, he hauls Alessandro Amato in on false charges of salt smuggling. If convicted, Alessandro will be killed. This is enough to convince his brother, castrato Tito Amato, to make the trip. Not willingly, mind you.

When Tito gets to Rome, there is one pleasant surprise. His love from INTERRUPTED ARIA, Liya, is in Rome. They renew their friendship, which Tito would like to see become far more than that. While doing the bidding of Senator Montorio, Tito becomes an unwilling (again) accomplice to the murder of Gemma, a maidservant. In order to keep from being arrested for that murder, Tito is coerced by the head of another faction to spy and promote a different candidate. Life is very complicated for Tito, who just wants to make lovely music and have a lovely wife.

CRUEL MUSIC, while set in the baroque period in Rome, deals with emotions that know no time. Greed, power, lust . . . the Vatican has never had a monopoly on those things. While this is definitely a historical mystery, the issues addressed are as current as any election, the politicking just as intense then as now. CRUEL MUSIC is a testament to Graves' talent as a writer; she makes "then" interesting, educational, and entertaining.

fascinating third Baroque mystery
Early in 1740 following an exhausting tour of the continent, famous castrato Tito Amato returns to Venice to relax with his family. However his respite is short as Chief of Constabulary Messer Grande arrests Tito. Soon afterward Senator Antonio Montorio explains that with Pope Clement XII near death, the Cardinals will select a replacement between his brother Cardinal Stefano and Cardinal Di Noce. Whomever Cardinal Lorenzo Fabiani supports will become the next pope. Tito is to sing for the music loving Fabiani and learn who he backs or his family will suffer.

Tito heads to Rome where he provides performances while staying at the home of Cardinal Fabiani. The singer quickly learns that the only topic amidst the residents and servants of the house is the next pope. However, someone strangles to death a beautiful maid. While Fabiani assumes a family member is the killer and decides to cover up the homicide, houseguest Tito and his two person entourage fear that they will be left singing confessions to the murder. They investigate which leads them to some underground Roman groups.

The third Baroque mystery contains an interesting whodunit, but that takes a back seat to the insightful look at Papal politics in the middle of the eighteenth century. What is fascinating is the senator's explanation that a Venetian needs to sit on the throne so that patronage can be earmarked for his city. Also appealing are the underground cultures that thrive within walking distance of the Vatican as sects of ancient pagan worshipping is prevalent and biologists, physicists and chemists abound. Though the plot takes its time to set the stage, it is worth the wait as the audience will gain a grasp on the political patronage swapping and once in Rome Tito does not do what the Romans do as he investigates.

Harriet Klausner