Snipped Soprano Sleuthing in Venice

Beverle Graves Myers has hit upon a perfect formula with her Tito Amato mysteries: great location, fascinating hero, and clever plots. She recreates the fabulous setting of Venice in the mid-eighteenth century, using historically accurate depictions of the city as a hot spot of decadence, opulence and greed, and as an important center of beautiful, beautiful music, played in churches and celebrated in opera houses. Her hero, Tito Amato, is unique in the company of literary sleuths: no macho man, he is instead a soprano castrato. He is also smart, charming, and brave — and did I mention, a castrato? Myers artfully casts Amato into plots of murder, corruption, and deceit that are suspenseful, interesting, and historically-plausible. I’ve read a number of the mysteries by now and all have entertained me, along with dosing me — oh so pleasantly — in history and music. I love Venice and opera, mysteries and music — and I love these books.

Just this weekend, I finally read the first in the series, Interrupted Aria. Interrupted Aria introduces Tito Amato just as he is being brought back to Venice after years away at the conservatorio (a childhood lost and a vocal talent gained) and explains how he became castrato, along with other interesting background information about our Venetian hero. Interrupted Aria is therefore a good place to begin if you have not already read any of these baroque mysteries but any of the five Tito Amato stories will please and satisfy. No interruptions, please. I’m reading more Amato.