Murder in the Garden of God

by Eleanor Herman

On April 17, 1581, shots ring out in a Roman garden and a young man falls dead in an ambush. Within days, a powerful baron weds the lovely widow. Everyone knows the baron ordered the hit. But how much did the victim’s wife know? Vittoria Accoramboni, the most beautiful girl in Rome, chafed under the financial limitations of her husband’s family. She waited eight years for Pope Gregory XIII to die so that her husband’s uncle, Cardinal Montalto, could become the new pope and bring the family untold power and riches. But Pope Gregory seemed like he was never going to die. Had she grown tired of waiting? When the pope finally does die in 1585, Cardinal Montalto indeed becomes the new Vicar of Christ, Sixtus V. Within minutes of his election the mild-mannered, doddering old man becomes a wrathful spirit unleashing a torrent of revenge across Italy on all those involved in his nephew’s murder. Rich in the descriptions of contemporary sources, this riveting true story transports the readers into the beauty and brutality of a lost era and an intriguing tragedy of Shakespearean proportions.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Italy, Historical, Royalty

434 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2013

About the author

New York Times best-seller Eleanor Herman's new non-fiction book, The Royal Art of Poison: Filthy Palaces, Fatal Cosmetics, Deadly Medicine, and Murder Most Foul, is set to come out in June 2018. Think royal palaces were beautiful places to live? Think again!

Herman offers a rare combination of skills for a historian – her research is intensely scholarly, yet she writes the story in a colorful, witty manner. “History is so fascinating that it never has to be presented in a boring way,” she explains. “These were flesh and blood people, just like you and me, facing war and plague, falling in love, living among splendid art and gut-wrenching poverty. Sometimes people ask me if I plan to write novels. And I say, with all the things that really happened, who needs to make stuff up?”

Reviewers agree. The New York Times Book Review wrote that Eleanor writes “enlightening social history that is great fun to read.”

The Boston Globe wrote, “Herman’s writing sparkles off the pages.”

The Washington Post called Eleanor Herman “A lot more fun than Danielle Steel or Dan Brown.”

Eleanor, a New York Times bestseller, has also written Sex with Kings (a history of royal mistresses), Sex with the Queen (a look at queens' love affairs), Mistress of the Vatican (a biography of an influential papal mistress), and a four-part YA fantasy series on Alexander the Great, called The Blood of Gods and Royals.

Eleanor is a frequent commentator in the media about royal scandals, and has hosted episodes for The History Channel, the National Geographic Channel, and America: Fact vs. Fiction. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Eleanor graduated with a degree in journalism from Towson University, studied languages in Europe, and for thirteen years worked for NATO’S Nations & Partners for Peace magazine. She is married and lives in McLean, VA with four very demanding cats
.

Reviews

[Steve Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting history about Pope Sixtus V and the murder of his nephew. Sixtus V was pope for only 5 years, but had great accomplishments that we can still see today in Rome.

[Ghost of the Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a read, what a story!
Ms. Herman's previous works provided me with many hours of entertainment and some learning so i knew I wouldn't be 100% disappointed if i picked this one up...and I'm very glad I did!
For sure the story and characters themselves are more than half the reason why this is a great read - Madness, Passion, Greed, Love, Religion, Power, Money and ultimately Life and Death populate these pages in the same of a ....ahem...juicy story frankly way better than any modern day soap opera, taking the reader on some time travelling to Rome and Italy mid 16th century.
Eleanor Herman here is the story teller of old picking up the people whose deeds guaranteed them a (in)famous spot in history and made them absolutely larger than life, and weaving together all known facts and some degree of speculation to make this an engaging book and a thoroughly fascinating read!
I highly recommend this one to fans of Ms. Herman's work and any history buffs out there that like their facts with just the right modern day interference to make the read flow seamlessly and the enjoyment even greater.
Happy Readings!!

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so readable and so well-paced, I was so into the story the whole way through. The level of detail is great and I was interested in everything the author had to tell me. She really brings the subjects of the story to life, particularly Sixtus, I was laughing at so many of the passages describing his thirst for revenge and his duplicity in his quest to become pope.

I think my colleagues are sick of me telling them about the pope’s petty revenge, but that’s okay, I’ll find something else to tell them about soon.

[Lieke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tof boek, een soort biografie snapshot over het latere leven van een minder bekende paus. Vol met de gebruikelijke moorden, affaires, intriges, en wraak die je in de pauselijke staten wel vaker zag in die tijd.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a fan of Herman’s non fiction and I think that this might be her best yet. It’s well paced and well researched and the character of Pope Sixtus V is fascinating. It’s a period of history I didn’t know much about and this book brings it to life. I highly recommend.

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting, engaging nonfiction. Takes a while for the juicy bits to kick off but it goes hard after that.

[Sheila · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I appreciated this book for focusing on a period of the Italian Late Renaissance/Mannerist period that I don't usually focus on, and for providing a great look at Pope Sixtus V's intense 5-year reign. A lot of primary sources from that period still exist, and it's appreciated that Herman sourced and used as many as possible to flesh out the book. This reads like a pop history novel, meant to be easily digestible while also emphasizing the drama (not like that's a stretch with Italian history!).

Where this book fell flat for me was the author's frequent and, frankly, gauche irreverence for the people she focuses on, as well as insertions of personal opinions that I didn't appreciate. In the last quarter of the book, a chapter actually opens with a paragraph trying to say that women don't suffer violence at the hands of men???????????? In what alternate universe???? I believe she was strictly speaking of violence in war, but even that doesn't track historically. That was a wildly ignorant statement to make and it just blew me away.

I think Herman now has come to realize that the realm of historical fiction is more her speed, and I'm glad she's sticking to it. After reading this book, I don't think writing history like Alison Weir is her strongest suit.

[Kat Wolfe · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5⭐️
As some of you have noticed, I read a lot of historical fiction and biographies. From reading the synopsis on the back, I thought I was in for a historical fiction of a young, vain girl, Vittoria, who gets her husband murdered so she can become a duchess in 16th century Rome. Her murdered husband was the nephew of a cardinal, who was on track to becoming pope. Four years after the murder, he becomes pope, and inacts his revenge against the Duke and Vittoria. A historical fiction, it was not. It read like a 283 paged Wikipedia article, filled with such random information that had nothing to do with the main storyline. The only enjoyable part was learning about how lawless Rome was in this time.

[Carol Guthrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author treats her subject matter with honesty and humor. The rulers of Rome had become a scourge to the common man. They were ripe for change. Raised in a poor family, lover of the garden and all things simple, Felice Peretti, who became Pope Sixtus V in 1585, was likely the only man who could change their trajectory to ruin. Rome was in need of a better water source, women, Jews, and commoners were treated as objects for misuse (no surprise), and bands of criminals roamed freely; the land was full of corruption. While the Pope’s tactics were extreme, many of his changes created a reign of peace and prosperity for those of the poor and middle classes. His street system is in use today.

[Xole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this - Sixtus V is a fascinating person, and the people in his orbit are enough to fill several books. The author has a fantastic way with words, and the book is immensely readable. It follows on neatly from Caroline P Murphy's "Murder of a Medici Princess": here is the truly awful Paulo Giordano Orsini again, but this time he gets his just desserts. The women in the story are less 'complete' than the men, due mainly (I suppose) to a lack of historical record of them, but Vittoria and Camilla have a full life here nonetheless. This is well worth a read.

[David Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. Engaging history. Reads like a novel

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eleanor Herman knows how to tell a story. She never disappoints me. I not only get to ead a juicy story but I also get a really good history lesson too. 🤘🏼

[Dot526 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting time period that I hadn’t previously known anything about. Well written but at times annoying how much blame is put on a women considering the time period (by the author).

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into this expecting it to be a novel but was very disappointed when it was a bio instead. This was a bit of history that I didn't know about and enjoyed learning about the Renaissance in Italy and the process and politics of the church and being elected pope. I feel like there wasn't enough info available to her and so she made it longer by adding in so much information about Renaissance life that we would go chapters before returning to the main topic. I will read her next one about the female pope but I wish that one had been a novel as well.

[LadyKatieReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The UK publisher released an updated paperback version of this book last May, and they kindly sent me a copy in the mail for review. All opinions written here are my own and in no way compromised by receiving a free copy of the book.

I will keep this spoiler-free because I think it's a really interesting book about a small part of history very few people may have heard of before. I love history and historical fiction, especially about royals and authority figures like the Pope. This book follows a young woman, Vittoria Accoramboni who makes the bad decision to leave her kind and loving husband to become a duchess instead. This mistake leads to many forms of punishment and restraint, but along the way, we also learn a lot about Cardinal Montalto, who later becomes Pope Sixtus V. I had actually never heard of this Pope until reading this book, but you'd probably be surprised to learn that he had a large part in making Rome the way we see it today.

Read my full spoiler-free review here: https://ladykatiereads.wordpress.com/...

[Suzie Quint · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating on so many levels. Pope Sixtus V was a fascinating man and he forever left his mark on Rome. He came from poverty which might explain why he meted out justice to both the poor and the privileged equally--something other popes didn't do. A shame his followers didn't learn from him.

Also very revealing about the Italians' relationship with money.

[Solomon Abel]

This is my testimony on how l became a member of the great illuminate secret societies.
Years back a friend of mine initiated me to illuminate secret societies, and as of that year before l,total become a full member of the group things was so difficult for me but now that am a member an happy knowing Mr Albert who introduced me to the group.
So just in case you are interested hurry up and contact our agent on how to become part of us and believe me once you become a member your stories will change to good l mean you will not lack any things including:money, powers both physical and spiritual, and famous as well. Here is his WhatsApp contact +2348123509624.or e-mail Solomonabel@gmail.com for more information.