La taverna degli assassini

La Taverna degli Assassini by Marcello Simoni is the last case of one of the most emblematic modern author for historical/mystery genres. I have to admit that I had never read anything of the creator of this case inside the Tuscany of the French Revolution, and this first experiment was really intriguing with little struggles mainly in the development of narrative. We have to say that Marcello Simoni is an expert of those kinds of adventures you could find inside the publications of Glenn Cooper or Dan Brown, with intricate enigmas leading to the successive proof, into huge ambiences and great atmospheres (or at least this is something I have discovered talking with people who have read other productions of this prolific writer). For the first time, however, we are captivated by a whodunit all set inside a castle suspended beyond time, in which his inhabitants have a sight toward the future while the place reminds of the ancient medieval secrets scattered through the entirety of Italian country. The story is focused on a couple of detectives, the private Vitale Federici and its little learner Bernardo. They are both invited to the court of the count Calendimarca, of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, in order to solve the mystery linked with the death of a wine seller whose activities seem more dangerous than the ones suggested by his role. We are immersed, in this way, into a magnetic representation of an original setting, because of the lack of perspectives onto Italy during the quoted period and, most importantly, of crimes narrated in contemporary times with the assault on the Bastille. In this sense all the core events of the seizure of power in the Grand Nation are mutated through the curious eyes of a country in which all the little news arrived only after months and in which the little dimension of the whole territories granted the birth of personal ideas and legends from those unknown lands. As soon as the rumors go over the edge, making people think about their condition, it is time to start a scheme of intrigues and mysterious deaths, in a way which reminded me of The Name of The Rose. A development which is possible only for the incredible writing style, simple but not superficial, and thanks to the great cast of characters, in which the two main protagonists seek for a truth no one would ever like to discover. The main issue of La Taverna degli Assassini is linked with the construction of the whole investigation. The entire story seemed like one of those adventures through open spaces, as the ones quoted in the introduction, but yet the limitative rooms and locations are put side by side with omissions which didn't give the right time to permit the readers of understanding the whole plot, forcing them to follow the deductions of Vitale and making the acquaintance with all the little problems of the personalities involved. Obviously the majestic artistic feature, in which animals and humans are well-mixed up, with a resolution among the most iconic possibles for the bond with Agatha Christie's masterpieces, is something which elevates this short tale.

STYLE: 4,5
STORY: 3,5
WORLDBUILDING: 3
RHYTHM: 4
PROTAGONISTS: 4
ANTAGONISTS: 4
ARTISTIC FEATURE: 4
ATMOSPHERE 5
EMOTIONAL IMPACT: 3

FINAL VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐⭐