Caitlin Schneiderhan
Hachette
13 August 2024
432
eBook - PDF
Historical Fantasy
ARC via NetGalley
Welcome to Florence, 1517, a world of intrigue, opulence, secrets, and murder. The Medici family rules the city from their seat of wealth, but the people of Florence remember the few decades they spent as a Republic, free from the Medicis and their puppet Pope, Leo X.
Sharp-witted seventeen-year-old con-woman Rosa Cellini has plans for the Pope and the Medicis - and, more specifically, the mountain of indulgence money they've been extorting from the people of Tuscany. To pull off the Renaissance's greatest robbery, she'll recruit a team of capable Sarra the tinkerer, Khalid the fighter, and Giacomo, the irrepressible master of disguise. To top it all off, and to smooth their entrance into the fortress-like Palazzo Medici, Rosa even enlists the reluctant help of famed artist and local misanthrope, Michelangelo.
Old secrets resurface and tensions in the gang flare as the authorities draw closer and the Medicis' noose pulls tighter around Tuscany itself. What began as a robbery becomes a bid to save Florence from certain destruction - if Rosa and company don't destroy each other first.
The Medici Heist was a book with an interesting premise, blending the found-family-gang-heist trope with a quasi-historical setting. I say quasi because it was not, and did not purport to be, an accurate historical representation; however, it drew on historical figures and events for the background of the story and some of the characters. For the most part this worked well. The idea behind the heist appealed to me, and I liked the action and adventure aspects. At times, though, I would have liked to have connected a little more with the characters. The story was told through multiple POVs, which worked fine, but I found myself drawn more to certain characters and their backstories while being less engaged by some of the others. Overall, though, it was an entertaining and easy read, and I would recommend it to those who enjoy tales of misfit found families and daring escapades. I am giving it four stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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