Sent To The Devil

Lorenzo Da Ponte #2

by Laura Lebow

In 1788 Vienna, Court Poet Lorenzo Da Ponte is putting some finishing touches on the libretto for the premiere of his new opera with Mozart, "Don Giovanni." A huge success when it debuted in Prague, the Emperor has decreed that it shall be performed in Vienna. But Joseph II is off prosecuting a less-than-popular war against the Turks, and the city itself is in a bit of turmoil. There are voices protesting the war, others who see Turks around every corner.

Da Ponte, however, just wants to do his work and enjoy life. Alas, these simple desires aren't to be easily fulfilled. First, he's been getting a series of mysterious coded notes from unknown hands, notes that make no sense to him. Then his old friend Alois, a retired priest and academic, is viciously murdered and strange symbols carved into his forehead. Summoned to the police bureau, Da Ponte learns that Alois's murder was not the first. Determined to help find his friend's killer, Da Ponte agrees to help with the secret investigation.

Caught in a crossfire of intrigue both in the world of opera and politics, Da Ponte must find the answer to a riddle and expose a killer before he becomes the next victim.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Historical Mystery, Fiction, 18th Century, Mystery Thriller, Literary Fiction

483 pages, Hardcover

First published April 5, 2016

About the author

Laura Lebow holds a degree in European History from Brandeis University and a Master in City Planning from MIT. A long-time mystery reader and history buff, she lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Reviews

[Tiziana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very nice mystery to read: real historical figures as main characters, all the charm of the setting of the Opera at theater and of the city of Vienna in the late 18th century, no description of bloody scenes and lots of history skillfully intersected with the fiction of the plot.

__THE PLOT __ 1788, Vienna.
The court poet Lorenzo Da Ponte is working as a librettist on Mozart's Don Giovanni, already successfully performed in Prague.
Although the theater is still open, these are hard times because Emperor Joseph II has declared war on the Turks and protest riots often occur in the city. Added to this problem are strange and shocking murders of representatives of the aristocracy and clergy.

Among the victims is also a long-standing good friend of Lorenzo, who for this reason is summoned to the police station and instructed by the police chief to participate in the investigations together with Count Benda (linked to the victim of the first murder).
Determined to help find his friend's killer, Da Ponte agrees to help in the secret investigations and together with another old dear friend, Giacomo Casanova, will find himself entangled in the delusional and paranoid plots of a deranged man obsessed with Dante's verses in the Purgatory of the Divine Comedy.
__________________________
I loved everything about this book because it is a perfect match with my tastes, but it seems right to recommend it only to lovers of light mysteries (for example cozy mysteries and classic mysteries).
Despite the title and the serious cover ( which I approve of ), the mystery itself and the investigation are not suitable for those who love fast-paced thrillers, with dramatic implications and bloody scenes.
On the contrary, if you love mysteries with a welcoming setting, cheerful scenes where you can breathe an air of friendship and complicity, an investigation in small steps and a human protagonist in all his points of view (he is not the fearless hero with investigative and elaborate logical deductions) and continuous historical references, then it's for you!

__ ALL THINGS I LIKE IN THE BOOK and the reason why I will reread it again in the future __

1_ THE MAIN CHARACTERS :
3 figures who really existed and who really knew each other in life and who really shared moments of friendship and complicity.
History books only tell us the facts of their life, while fiction allows us to take part in their joking moments, while they work at the theater, while they have a drink together, while they exchange confidences... Moments of life which, despite being created by the writer, are plausible in the lives of every person at every time.

--- Lorenzo Da Ponte, nearing his 40s, is Mozart's librettist.
Born in Venice, he took his vows as a priest not out of vocation, but because at that time it was a way to study. In fact, in real life he loved several women and even in Lebow's books he never fails to succumb to feminine charm.
The character, cultured, polite and kind, does not investigate by his own will, but finds himself involved in situations despite himself and it is funny to see him awkwardly face dangerous moments against wicked and cunning killers.

--- Giacomo Casanova, also Venetian, actually participated in the insertion of some scenes from Mozart's Don Giovanni, even though in reality he was in Prague.
Here we see him now 60 years old, but still charming in his ways and with a certain inclination for beautiful women.
Perhaps not everyone knows that he was not just a libertine, but rather a cultured and intelligent man, who also wrote several books and was an Italian diplomat and secret agent (among other things!).

--- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart needs no introduction, at least superficially everyone knows who he was.
A great composer, a fascinating genius in many aspects. Like many geniuses he had a restless soul, lived an unruly life (women, gambling, parties, debts... and so on ) and died young and with many debts.
I liked to see him in the very romanticized role of faithful husband (he wasn't) in a daily-life at home with his children and his wife Constance, as if he were in a peaceful period of his life.
I liked to see him at the theater directing the actors and joking with his colleagues.
I liked to forget for a moment all the wildness that was part of him and just see the sunny side of the character.
That's the beauty of fiction.

At the same time, once you leave the "bubble of serenity" of fiction, it is nice to discover what the historical characters were really like and know more about their lives.
This is one of those historical mysteries that reports true facts of that time in many aspects ( characters, literature, opera, politics and of course the beauty of the city ) and encourage me to discover more about true history .

2 _ THE SETTING:
As I already said, the setting is warm and welcoming.
I loved the scenes in the theater, during the actors' rehearsals (there are all the names of the real actors of that time), with their insecurities, their hysterics, their joking jokes and creative moments.
I liked to see how the same opera, already performed in Prague, was adapted by the composer and the librettist, depending on the type of voice and the singing qualities of the actor-singers and the place where it was performed (it was also necessary to take into account of the political climate and the ethical and religious reforms brought by the emperor).

In addition to the opera theater and moments of social life, the writer offers us an overview of the beautiful Habsburg capital.
As Da Ponte moves around the city for work or for his investigations, the book mentions streets, buildings, monuments and places that are still salient and distinctive points of Vienna today and can be visited by travelers and tourists.
I was born in Vienna and have returned many times, but I enjoyed traveling with Lorenzo in the 18th century and searching the web for old lithographs to immerse myself even more in the atmosphere of the time!

_ THE STRONG HISTORICAL COMPONENT which presents itself in various aspects and is perfectly mixed with fiction.
There are so-called "historical" novels where the only historical data is a brief reference to the period in which the story takes place and then there are "true historical novels" where the fiction is perfectly integrated with the events of real history, thanks to profound research and studies by the author and where we readers can enjoy the charm of the past.

- In this murder mystery novel the author offers us a glimpse of life into the political events and feelings of the citizens in that period;
- the author tells us about the protagonist's literary passions, bringing us Dante's verses in the killer's messages and explaining their meaning through Da Ponte's words;
- Laura Lebow talks to us about monuments, buildings and historic cafés, still icons of the city of Vienna, telling us throughout history by who and why they were built (then broadening the discussion in the historical notes at the end of the book);
- the story tells us real life episodes of the 3 main characters;
- we can directly witness the rehearsals and scene changes of one of Mozart's most famous operas and mentions many others created in that same period by other composers in Vienna.

All this is in the plot of the book and it's presented in a light and pleasant way, but incisive enough to tickle the reader's curiosity to find out more.

An applause to the author, who I hope will one day decide to continue this series, telling us about other works on which Da Ponte worked, not only in Vienna, but also in the other cities in which he lived.

---> Clean language, 1 sex scene barely mentioned and without any description.
---> This mystery is also suitable for young adults, lovers of cozy mysteries or classic thrillers.
I recommend it if you are more interested in the overall story of the book and not strictly in the mystery and investigation, which is interesting, but does not offer great tension and pathos. The solution, however, is unexpected and surprising.

This is installment #2 in "Lorenzo Da Ponte series", if you are glad to read my review about book #1 ( The Figaro Murders), you'll find it here : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Thanks for reading my review and apologies for my English, it's not my native language.

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series featuring the Venetian priest, Lorenzo Da Ponte, who now works as an opera librettist and poet in Vienna. I thought this book was quite a bit better than the first one. The mystery plot is tighter and there is actually a logical reason why Da Ponte gets involved in a murder investigation. Since Da Ponte continues to work at the opera house during his investigation, the author gets to introduce Mozart and a group of singers into the story, however, as in the first book, there isn't really a compelling story in the opera world, and the mystery is not linked to opera in any way. The opera scene is simply the gimmick the author has chosen to use to make her books unique, but I don't think that Da Ponte's two lives mesh in the books in a realistic or interesting way.

I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the book and didn't guess the murderer (although there were clues), but the book could have used a little more editing. For example, it wasn't necessary to mention Da Ponte's satchel 26 times when it never had anything at all to do with the plot. I also could have done without the insta-love. Da Ponte is a 39 year old man who acts like a love struck teenager.

After finishing the first book, I didn't think that I would continue with this series, but this book was good enough to make me want to read the next one.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

[nikkia neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks St. Martin's Press and netgalley for this ARC.

Laura Lebow is a genius at putting a great historical mystery together. I'm awed at how everything comes together and the surprises she has in store for us to come. I was so excited to read the second book of this series, and it was even better than the first.

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mystery in this book was engaging enough for me to justify a three star rating despite the fact that this book drove me absolutely bonkers.

This is actually the second book featuring Da Ponte's adventures in mystery solving. You'd never know that based on the marketing. GR doesn't have this listed as a book in series. Nor do any of the major book retailers I've searched. There are reviews that mention this is the second book in a series but those reviews were all written by people who had in fact read the first book. Why am I making a big deal about this? Can't I just leave my stars and move on?

No. No I can't. Throughout the entire book, the author continually references things that happened in the previous novel. I finally got confirmation that this was in fact the second book in a series when I read the bio of the author featured on the book jacket first. No I didn't read that first. It was at the back of the book which means it was at the end. You read the end last.

All I'm saying is that if this is the second book in a series, do your readers a favor and make sure they know that. At the start.

[Zippergirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rich tapestry of life in Vienna at the time of Amadeus Mozart and Emperor Joseph II, where religious and political passions flare. Here we meet (or meet again, if you've read Lebow's, "The Figaro Murders") Court Poet Lorenzo Da Pontem. He wants only to create ethereal poetry and operatic librettos, yet is drawn into a murder mystery when the brutal killing and disfigurement of his dearest friend, an aged priest dedicated to his studies, is linked to the murder of a supercilious retired military man. The two victims have little in common. The police, being overtaxed and understaffed, as some things never change, call upon Da Pontem for his expertise following his previous success in unravelling the Figaro murder case. He'll find little time to devote to the arts as defiled dead bodies continue to pile up.

There are cameo appearances by historical and literary figures best left unnamed, and delightful behind-the-scenes glimpses of the casting and rehearsals for the premiere of Don Giovanni in Vienna, the imperial capital. Readers who enjoyed Cry to Heaven by Anne Rice will likely embrace Lebow's series.

For the historical background of the fictional lead character, read "The Librettist of Venice: The Remarkable Life of Lorenzo Da Ponte" by Rodney Bolt.

This book was received in exchange for an honest review.

[Italo Italophiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sent to the Devil is book two in the traditional mystery series set in Vienna, Austria, in the late 1700s, featuring amateur detective Lorenzo da Ponte, the Venetian poet and opera librettist who worked most famously with Mozart on several of his most famous operas. The book is set two years after the previous book, Figaro Murders, the first book in the series.

The Mozart-Da Ponte opera Don Giovanni, the Italianized story of Spanish Don Juan, is the work that keeps Da Ponte busy in Sent to the Devil, along with his other work as the official Poet of the Court Theatre in Vienna. We get a good feeling for what that work entails under the Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and working with artists like Mozart.

"Mozart and I were busy adapting our work to the more sophisticated tastes of the imperial capital."

The books in the Lorenzo da Ponte Mystery Series to date are:
Figaro Murders (reviewed on this site)
Sent to the Devil

Sent to the Devil, like its predecessor, puts the reader on the streets of Vienna in that era, in this case in the year 1788. We move through squares, churches, offices, alleyways and avenues with Da Ponte as he investigates gruesome serial killings that are vaguely reminiscent of the horror-crime movie Seven. Da Ponte is called in to help, due to his link to one of the victims, and because he was very helpful resolving the case detailed in the first book, Figaro Murders.

The author has done her research on Da Ponte and the period, place, people and operas, and used that research well in her book. Da Ponte published his diaries late in life, so we know much about him and his character. From what I can see, the author stays true to life for the man's character.

He was clever, but not particularly daring, a combination of traits that probably helped him lead the long and safe life he lived in a period of history that was not without its dangers. This story takes place during a time of war with the Ottoman Empire, and the clampdown on some freedoms in Vienna creates problems for Da Ponte.

Da Ponte comes across as a caring man, loyal to his friends and patrons. He also has an eye for pretty young ladies, which plays a part in this story, bringing Da Ponte's humanity to the fore. The fact that he grieves for the loss of one dear friend in the book, and celebrates the arrival of another dear friend, Casanova, a real life Don Giovanni, for a visit, helps us to see Da Ponte as a real human being.

Casanova is described as a mature letch who shows flashes of his reputed charm with women throughout the book. The author has clearly read the autobiography written by Casanova late in life, and she uses some of that material to flesh out her fictional Casanova. To be honest, read through modern eyes, Casanova's book shows his very modern attitude toward women, marriage and sexual freedom. Those freedoms are important to the story.

Freedom is a theme throughout Sent to the Devil, which is only right, since it was a battle cry for many revolutions and revolutionaries throughout the world at that time. The struggle was between church control over society, imperial control over society, and control by democratically chosen officials in a republic.

The Enlightenment movement pushed for a modern, rational form of government, with freedom of thought, speech, association, and personal responsibility to make personal choices. Da Ponte's quiet embrace of those ideas hint at his future life in the United States.

Casanova acts as a sounding board for Da Ponte in Sent to the Devil, as the Court Poet attempts to figure out why people are dying, and to stop the killer before he kills again. The mystery is more complex in this second book in the series, but there are many more killings, and they are rather gruesome. There are also adult scenes and some sexual situations.

The author writes with lovely grammar and punctuation in quality English helped by quality editing. Much of the narration is in the first-person from Da Ponte's point-of-view, but there are also sections in third-person limited narrative style when Da Ponte is not in the scene.

There is an interesting Postscript that explains some of the history that the author used or abused in the writing of Sent to the Devil. All in all, this series is quality reading for lovers of traditional mysteries set in the past. It will be of especial interest to opera lovers. If you've read some of Da Ponte's books, or Casanova's autobiography, you should find Sent to the Devil even more entertaining.

I received a review-copy of the book. This is my honest review. For a full and illustrated review, please visit my Italophile Book Reviews site. http://italophilebookreviews.blogspot...

[Marina Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this historical mystery about a serial killer in Vienna, which keeps the gore off the page and the historical atmosphere of the city at the front of mind. Da Ponte is a lonely and thoughtful hero, and I liked the cameos of Casanova and Mozart, the allusions to the tense political atmosphere of the time, the descriptions of Vienna. The motivation for the murders may seem a tad over the top, until we remember that the reforms of Joseph II to the church, for instance, really angered clergy and people alike, as did his war efforts or attempt to allow 'the common people' into the charmed inner circles of culture and power. The backlash was soon to follow.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time travel back to 1788 Vienna and follow the exploits of court poet Lorenzo Da Ponte, as he works with Mozart to produce a new opera, Don Giovanni.
Much to his dismay, he is once again ordered by the police bureau to aid, unofficially, in a secret investigation of a murder. His secret is soon uncovered and gossiped about leading to putting him in peril of becoming another victim of a series of gruesome murders.
The city, the palaces, the shops and markets, and everyday life come to light through the meticulously researched cultural and political worlds.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sent to the Devil is a historical mystery set in late 18th century Vienna. Court poet Lorenzo Da Ponte is working with Mozart on revisions to the words for his new opera. But following the death of his friend, a retired priest, Lorenzo is drawn into the investigation of a series of murders. I particularly liked the detailed descriptions of the historical setting.

I received a free review copy of Sent to the Devil through Goodreads Giveaways.

[The Backlist Book · Rating 2 out of 5]

While there were a few moments that had me unable to put it down, the bulk of this felt like a lot of exposition that unfortunately hid important contextual clues needed to enjoy the story. Ultimately it was a bit of a snooze fest and took me far too long to read.

The pacing was off for me. This is likely due to the aforementioned exposition. Also, there were certain plot details that really shouldn't have been included, or should've been more in focus.

I also had a very hard time buying that the great Casanova was even rough acquaintances with Mozart. Never mind that the poet who is the star was constantly being upstaged by these name dropped friends of his.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is notoriously difficult to write a convincing period novel involving historical characters. It certainly is an original thought to involve Lorenzo da Ponte, Mozart's librettist, in solving a murder. (Well, if clergyman like Grantchester and Father Brown can be detectives, why not poets?)

Admirable the authors efforts may be, I find the behaviour, speech, and sensibilities of the characters far too modern. The way the characters interact and talk with each other, it could have happened last week at the neighbourhood Starbucks.

Nevertheless, it was a generally fun read, and a good premise for a mystery. I think P. D. James was more successful in the novel "Death Comes to Pemberley", another murder mystery involving (albeit fictional) characters we are very familiar with - Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elbow recreates a believable vienna of 1788 in this second of her series. i haven't read the first but will try to obtain it. I thought the recreation of the historical characters of Mozart and Casanova reasonable according to what i know of them. The setup of the misery and murders was good. a nice read on a snowy day,

[Russ Cross · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I'd like to read more by this author.

[Marra · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf

[Jamielyn M · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 2.5.

The author tries very hard to convince you from early in who did it. Then switches it at the end. But it’s too random and a bit of a bore.

[Gail Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intrigue and murder take the fore in Laura Lebow’s sequel to last year’s The Figaro Murders. Set in Venice in 1788 and punctuated with robust period detail we find Court Poet Lorenzo Da Ponte wishing only for time to work on the libretto for Mozart’s Don Giovanni. This is of great importance as the opera is to be a command performance for Emperor Joseph II who recently declared war against the Turks. That decision has seriously divided the capital city creating tension among the populace, and Lorenzo feels he has no time to waste. But that is not to be.

Lorenzo has been receiving a series of coded notes from an unknown writer and the notes make no sense to him. But above all there is the brutal slaying of a dear friend, Father Alois Bayer, an elderly priest whose body is found with his throat cut and lines carved into his forehead. There are rumors that the murder was committed by Turks who have sneaked into the city. Whatever the case, Count Pergen, the minister of police, remembers Lorenzo’s success as a detective and enlists him to help in the investigation. Of course, Lorenzo cannot refuse to help find his friend’s murderer but is dismayed to learn that a prominent general who the public believes died due to a seizure was actually murdered in the same fashion as his friend.

The general’s daughter demands that her betrothed, Count Benda, avenge her father’s death, so Pergen dispatches Lorenzo and Benda to find the killer. The libretto and two murders are quite enough to occupy Lorenzo until Marta Cavalli, a beautiful young woman arrives in Vienna to find the man she believes is her husband - the handsome Baron von Gerl who is a notorious womanizer. When he rejects Marta she turns to Lorenzo.

Two more murders follow, Lorenzo’s friend Casanova arrives from Venice for a visit, and Lorenzo has good reason to believe he is going to be the next victim. Suspense mounts when he has no choice but to act as bait in a trap to catch the deranged murderer.

If you enjoy historical mysteries Sent To The Devil is for you.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't a bad novel, but it didn't really strike a cord with me. I found it rather "meh". I did enjoy the setting. Lebow's depiction of Vienna was wonderfully immersive and really makes you visualize the city as it was in 1788. The characters were also fine. I didn't have any major complaints other than maybe there were too many. But really, the "meh" comes from the plot. I honestly just didn't care. It was such a struggle to get through this book because I really didn't care about what happened. This was partially because the ending was rather predictable, but of course, you don't know if your prediction is true until you get the the end and I didn't care to get to the end. I did finish this book, over a month ago. It's taken me this long to get around to reviewing it. That speaks volumes right there.

**I received this copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

[Criminal Element · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spring, 1788. Austria is on the brink of war with the Ottoman Empire and already soldiers are dying of disease in the camps along the front. The exiled Venetian Lorenzo Da Ponte—Royal Librettist for the Emperor—is hard at work revising his lyrics for Mozart's opera, Don Giovanni.

And a killer stalks the streets of Vienna.

When the murderer attacks Da Ponte's closest friend, a retired priest, the poet finds himself, yet again, unwillingly embroiled in death and madness. Well aware of how prejudiced the police force can be, and how easily victims can be forgotten, Da Ponte agrees to assist a nobleman Richard Benda in tracking down the culprit.

Head over to our site for the full review by Angie Barry. Thanks!

[Andy Oram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Late 18th-century Vienna in this book seems full of potential murderers, and Da Ponte goes through all of them before uncovering the mystery. The mixture of mystery with historical fiction allows Lebow to explore many little-known sides of life in this tumultuous time, and you can never know when she is presenting you with a clue you need to remember or just regaling you with rich detail about Viennese culture. As with the Figaro Murders, this book cleverly incorporates characters and scenes from the opera at the center of the novel, along with a bit of opera history. I know the author, but feel I can objectively give this novel a high rating because I had to race through the final hundred pages, only to find I had not guessed the murderer. Now it’s time to go back and reread Dante.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in Laura Lebow's historical mystery series based in Mozart's Vienna, and I can only hope there are more books to come from this author.

The book is a well written murder mystery without being too gory, which I appreciated as blood and guts books are an immediate turn-off for me. I also loved the setting of 18th century Vienna and the background of opera, in particular Don Giovanni. My only real complaint is that there were a few too many characters which bogged things down a bit at times. Otherwise, I enjoyed this book greatly.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is growing on me. In the first book I was really confused about the choice of protagonist, but it works better in this one. I liked the addition of Casanova and the continuing story of Mozart and the opera scene was just enough to be interesting, but not too much to overshadow the murder plot aspect of the book. To date, I've read so many Dante-esque themed murders that I've lost count, but this is the first that focused on Purgatory instead of Inferno. Overall, I like where this series is going, but I still don't think it's 100% there yet.

[Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic mystery! I thoroughly enjoyed this story and immediately went to get the book before this one in what I hope becomes a series. I think Laura Lebow has an excellent talent for incorporating social history and making the changing Austrian Empire a part of the story.
I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway. I have since shared my copy with several other people who have enjoyed this book as well.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Focused on Don Giovanni, the world of operas and Dante’s Divine Comedy, superb historical mystery at the heart of Vienna. Well written, with true to life characters, and an irresistible suspense. A must for all lovers of history and mystery.

My full review is here:
https://wordsandpeace.com/2016/04/15/...

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty good. An interesting mystery, with a bit of a love story, and an interesting insight into opera construction and history. If I came across Lebow again, I would read her, but I wouldn't go looking for the rest in the series. If you are a big mystery fan, especially historical mystery, then you will probably love this book.
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway.

[Rhonda Lomazow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series&I am already looking forward to the third .Historical fiction Vienna opera a mystery a page turner.

[Veronica Valladares]

Rather enjoyable book but wasn't as interesting as one might have thought.It is really hard to visualize a city in 1788.