The Dark Heart of Florence by Tasha Alexander

The Dark Heart of Florence by Tasha Alexander ISBN-13: 9781250622068 Hardcover: 304 pages Publisher: Minotaur Books Released: March 9th 2021

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
In 1903, tensions between Britain and Germany are starting to loom over Europe, something that has not gone unnoticed by Lady Emily and her husband, Colin Hargreaves. An agent of the Crown, Colin carries the weight of the Empire, but his focus is drawn to Italy by a series of burglaries at his daughter's palazzo in Florence--burglaries that have caught the attention of his superiors. He and Emily travel to Tuscany, where they are greeted by a shocking death. Undaunted, they investigate, discovering that the house hides ominous secrets dating back to the days of the Medici--secrets unexpectedly pertinent in the troubled days of the early twentieth century, an uneasy time full of intrigue, duplicity, and warring ideologies.

With the assistance of Darius Benton-Stone, Colin's trusted colleague and fellow agent, they race to untangle the cryptic clues leading them through the Renaissance city. But an unimagined danger follows closely behind, and much more than a family home is at stake...


My Review:
The Dark Heart of Florence is a mystery set in 1903 in England and in Florence, Italy. There's also a secondary story going on in 1480-1498 in Florence. This book is the 15th in a series. You can understand this book without reading the previous ones, and the story didn't spoil the mysteries or major events of the previous books.

The author alternated between the murder mystery and a story about a women who hid the treasure that interested Emily in the 1903 timeline. The author clearly did a lot of research for both time periods and wove these details into the story. Emily asked questions, followed up clues, and considered possible scenarios until she figured out what was going on and whodunit. She was intelligent, competent, likable, and reacted realistically to events. The other characters were also interesting. I guessed whodunit at the same time as Lady Emily (based on a new clue).

There were no sex scenes. There was one use of (British) bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.