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Tito Amato #2
Painted Veil
Venice, 1734. Castrato soprano Tito Amato has let fame go to his head. Neglecting his vocal practice for dubious pleasures, Tito finds himself demoted to secondary roles and overshadowed by a visiting star. When the murder of scene painter Luca Cavalieri threatens to close the opera house, Tito jumps at the chance to regain his chance to reclaim his status by finding the killer.
The hunt for the person who wears the mask of Palantinus carries Tito and Augustus ""Gussie"" Rumbolt, an Englishman making his Grand Tour, into the treacherous depths of the city dedicated to masquerade and pleasure and reveals many facets of its multiple religious faiths.
The hunt for the person who wears the mask of Palantinus carries Tito and Augustus ""Gussie"" Rumbolt, an Englishman making his Grand Tour, into the treacherous depths of the city dedicated to masquerade and pleasure and reveals many facets of its multiple religious faiths.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
5 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
Beverle Graves Myers
9 books24 followersBeverle Graves Myers made a mid-life career switch from practicing psychiatry to full-time writing. She's happy to report that her personal mental health is the better for it. A love for Italy, opera, and traditionally written mysteries combine in her Tito Amato novels featuring an 18th-century singer/sleuth. The latest title is WHISPERS OF VIVALDI.
Bev also writes stories that often stray from mystery to creepy. These have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Woman's World, Spinetingler, and Crime City Central (audio). She's earned nominations for the Macavity Award, Kentucky Literary Award, and Derringer Award. Bev, husband Lawrence, and Carlo, the world's laziest beagle-basset hound, have recently relocated to south Florida.
Series:
* Tito Amato
Bev also writes stories that often stray from mystery to creepy. These have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Woman's World, Spinetingler, and Crime City Central (audio). She's earned nominations for the Macavity Award, Kentucky Literary Award, and Derringer Award. Bev, husband Lawrence, and Carlo, the world's laziest beagle-basset hound, have recently relocated to south Florida.
Series:
* Tito Amato
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 11, 2012
Painted Veil is a mild little mystery, fun to read because of its setting, its period detail, and its glimpse into the Baroque world of opera. Hystrionic divas, hysterical directors, a castrato who rested too long on his laurels, down-at-the-heels aristocrats - the book is peppered with colorful characters. Myers' treatment of the Jewish people in Venice is also quite authentic. The pace of the action is less than breathless, but Painted Veil does make a good summer read.
July 21, 2015
Painted Veil is actually a re-read. I read in 2006 and liked it and have occasionally thought about it without remembering much about it except that it involved a castrato singer with a Venetian opera house.
Tito Amati has been accustomed to being the male lead, receiving plum roles with the Teatro San Marco, but he let success goes to his head, indulged himself and neglected his voice. When another celebrated singer is brought in to play the lead in the next opera, Tito is humiliated, but recognizes his own role in his demotion.
Tito is eager to get back in form and to regain the good graces he once enjoyed with the theater's director. When asked to locate Luca Cavalieri, the scene designer who has gone missing, Tito willing agrees.
Luca Cavalieri's body washes ashore at an inopportune moment, and now, Tito needs to discover the reason for Luca's murder...and the culprit.
The 18th century Venetian setting, the details concerning the theater and production of an opera, the role of the castrati (what a sad tradition), and political machinations all combine to make interesting reading.
Tito is a charming character who resents his demotion and his replacement, but takes responsibility for his behavior and acknowledges his rival's skill and genuine talent. He has come to terms with his own situation as a castrato--his prized role as a singer is a result-- but still feels some bitterness about the price. (Boys were castrated for singing in church choirs and on stage; at the height of the demand for these singers it is estimated that as many as 4,000 boys a year underwent this mutilation--often as in Tito's case--sold by their families in that hopes that their sons' voices would lift them from poverty.)
"The first openly castrated singers were enthusiastically admitted to the Vatican chapel by Pope Clement XIII in 1599 and by 1625 had completely replaced the soprano falsettists. Taking their example from Rome, the other major Italian chapels quickly sought out and admitted castrati among their ranks and their use openly spread throughout the first half of the century." via Origin of the Castrati
Beverle Graves Myers has created interesting and well-drawn characters, placed them in a unique historic setting, and provided them with an absorbing murder mystery.
Purchased.
Historical Mystery. 2005. Print version: 315 pages.
Tito Amati has been accustomed to being the male lead, receiving plum roles with the Teatro San Marco, but he let success goes to his head, indulged himself and neglected his voice. When another celebrated singer is brought in to play the lead in the next opera, Tito is humiliated, but recognizes his own role in his demotion.
Tito is eager to get back in form and to regain the good graces he once enjoyed with the theater's director. When asked to locate Luca Cavalieri, the scene designer who has gone missing, Tito willing agrees.
Luca Cavalieri's body washes ashore at an inopportune moment, and now, Tito needs to discover the reason for Luca's murder...and the culprit.
The 18th century Venetian setting, the details concerning the theater and production of an opera, the role of the castrati (what a sad tradition), and political machinations all combine to make interesting reading.
Tito is a charming character who resents his demotion and his replacement, but takes responsibility for his behavior and acknowledges his rival's skill and genuine talent. He has come to terms with his own situation as a castrato--his prized role as a singer is a result-- but still feels some bitterness about the price. (Boys were castrated for singing in church choirs and on stage; at the height of the demand for these singers it is estimated that as many as 4,000 boys a year underwent this mutilation--often as in Tito's case--sold by their families in that hopes that their sons' voices would lift them from poverty.)
"The first openly castrated singers were enthusiastically admitted to the Vatican chapel by Pope Clement XIII in 1599 and by 1625 had completely replaced the soprano falsettists. Taking their example from Rome, the other major Italian chapels quickly sought out and admitted castrati among their ranks and their use openly spread throughout the first half of the century." via Origin of the Castrati
Beverle Graves Myers has created interesting and well-drawn characters, placed them in a unique historic setting, and provided them with an absorbing murder mystery.
Purchased.
Historical Mystery. 2005. Print version: 315 pages.
September 3, 2007
THE PAINTED VEIL (Amateur Sleuth-Venice-1700s) – VG
Myers, Beverle Graves - 2nd in series
Poisoned Pen Press, 2005- ARC
Castrato soprano Tito Amato and the opera company are preparing to perform at the nuptials of the Doge's eldest daughter. The scene painter disappears, placing the opera in jeopardy, and Tito is asked to find him. The trail leads Tito to the painter's body, into the Jewish ghetto and on the trail of a masked figure who is the head of a mysterious cult.
*** Myers excels at providing us a view of Baroque Venice. Amato is a wonderful, realistic character, surrounded by the cast of the opera and his family. But we are also shown the dark and unpleasant side of this period and city and it's people. The story seems to start with a fairly simple mystery and lots of suspects, but soon turns into something much darker and more complex. This is a wonderful mix of music, mystery and history.
Myers, Beverle Graves - 2nd in series
Poisoned Pen Press, 2005- ARC
Castrato soprano Tito Amato and the opera company are preparing to perform at the nuptials of the Doge's eldest daughter. The scene painter disappears, placing the opera in jeopardy, and Tito is asked to find him. The trail leads Tito to the painter's body, into the Jewish ghetto and on the trail of a masked figure who is the head of a mysterious cult.
*** Myers excels at providing us a view of Baroque Venice. Amato is a wonderful, realistic character, surrounded by the cast of the opera and his family. But we are also shown the dark and unpleasant side of this period and city and it's people. The story seems to start with a fairly simple mystery and lots of suspects, but soon turns into something much darker and more complex. This is a wonderful mix of music, mystery and history.
July 20, 2017
Tito Amato has gotten cocky. His talent is enormous, but he has not been giving his best and his delivery has gotten sloppy. Suddenly an guest Castrati appears and Tito is forced to take supporting roles. This is especially galling because the young man is something of a "sacred monster" and lives up to the Diva reputation of the profession.
When the talented scene painter of the company is found dead, Tito is only too glad to do some sleuthing himself and hopefully to get back into the good graces of the Opera owner and producer. Why does a man with the mask of the Plague Raven keep showing up and who is he? Tito and his English friend Augustus "Gussie" Rumbolt are determined to get to the bottom of the mystery.
When the talented scene painter of the company is found dead, Tito is only too glad to do some sleuthing himself and hopefully to get back into the good graces of the Opera owner and producer. Why does a man with the mask of the Plague Raven keep showing up and who is he? Tito and his English friend Augustus "Gussie" Rumbolt are determined to get to the bottom of the mystery.
August 9, 2019
I liked it nearly as much as the first one, loved the audio version and I really wish there was an audio version of Cruel Music. However, I found the amount of disconnection with the first book a little disappointing. Benito and Annetta were the only real characters held over from the previous novel, and I would have liked updates on Caterina, Crevelli, and Felipe--they weren't even mentioned! But excellent treatment of the opera culture and it makes me want to see Venice again-- lovely work by Ms. Myers!
November 5, 2012
Interesting premise: An 18th c Venice opera singing castrato solves a murder that threatens his livelihood because the crime adds to pressure that is threatening to close down the opera house where he sings. The puzzle is well drawn, as are the characters. A reader will learn a lot about the historical milieu with the politics of opera of the time. This mystery is adult in that it deals with sexuality of the castrato (not explicit, quite tasteful, but still adult) and other adult themes.
August 15, 2012
This book, second in the series, has gotten me ever more deeply addicted to the story of Tito and his personal and operatic adventures. Beyond that, the aura of setting, history and people - all combine to leave you in shock when you look up and find yourself in 21st Century America.
August 15, 2007
Second installment of this womderful series finds Tito embroilled in murder and romance and family intrigue in 1730s Venice. Wonderful!!
November 11, 2008
Enjoying learning about the Venician world of opera and castrati with a mystery for added spice! A little slow at times.
May 18, 2011
A book that can't be kept until it is finished! Full of suspense!
November 15, 2011
A historical mystery set in Venice. It's the second book in a series and I would absolutely go back and read the first one. Fun and entertaining, plus I didn't realize who done it until the end.
September 9, 2013
Interesting and distressing.
February 22, 2016
Enjoyed this book - likable characters, interesting setting and well paced action
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews