Renowned art historian Dr. Edna Silvera is not your typical detective. In fact, she's not a detective at all. But when she stumbles across an apparently impossible medieval painting in the suddenly-deceased Nando Folli's junk shop, her curiosity lands her in trouble with the police and on the trail of a shadowy world no one wants to admit exists.
What transforms Pentimento Mori from a great mystery to a must-read is Corciolani's adept use of solidly-researched and uniformly-fascinating art history, ranging from the significance of colors and pigments in medieval art to why the Pope blesses people with three fingers. If you're interested in art history, you'll want to read this book. If you're not interested in art history, read this book and you will be.
Apart from being surreptitiously educational, Pentimento Mori is a fun read. Corciolani's style hits the sweet spot between cozy mysteries and more gritty fare. While there's a colorful and engaging cast of characters, lots of laughter, and limited violence, there's real tension and solid action that drives the plot. With something for everyone, Pentimento Mori has "book club choice" written all over it.
"This means that the blue triangle in the lower right..."
"...was probably a piece of clothing, likely a robe. And a robe painted with extravagantly-expensive ultramarine blue was typically reserved for just one person," Edna explains. "A young woman who emerged from obscurity, seemingly without a past, yet is widely known in every corner of the world. Someone who has influenced the behavior and choices of people around the world."
"Taylor Swift?"
"Close. Mary, God's influencer."
