Bella Donna

JACKET NOTES:  0n a summer morning in 1494, the wealthy Florentine Novella family is rocked by a murder when the body of Emilia, wife of Carlo Novella, the family scion, is found sprawled in the courtyard. Beside her lies a necklace belonging to Bella, the wife of Carlo's brother, Domenico. The two women were constantly at odds, and it seems obvious who the murderer is.
Obvious to all but the family's cook, Giuditta, one of few in the household to befriend Bella, and following a lavish public funeral Giuditta sets out to exonerate Bella. Going where only a servant can go and meeting Florentines rich and poor who would never speak to each other, Giuditta gathers clues that expose a tangled web of family jealousy, intrigue, and infidelity. She knows she's on the right track when she herself becomes the victim of an unknown assailant ...
(© Fithian Press)