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The Laws of Time
Venice, 9 November 1730. At Palazzo Antelmi, Catterina is organising a dinner to celebrate the return of her friend, painter Rosalba Carriera, just back from Vienna, where she made portraits of members of the imperial court. The musician Antonio Lotti is also invited, as is Joseph Smith, future British Consul in Venice. Catterina’s brother Marcello, her best friend Cecilia, and Cecilia’s brother Leonardo will join them at table.
But the festive atmosphere is overshadowed by a tragic event. Two days earlier, Marcello's brother-in-law Francesco Michiel was murdered. Charismatic and fascinating, he was in some way connected to all of them.
As Catterina busies herself with preparations for the party, she is stunned by the revelation of a sinister scenario involving the people dearest to her.
In the opulent Venetian palace that evening, Catterina is the only one who knows the secrets of each of her dinner guests and their links with Francesco Michiel. She must tread carefully if she is to understand how to move and find out who killed Francesco and why.
Unfolding on a single day against the backdrop of Venice on the edge of her great decline, the course of history hangs in the balance of love, politics and a bundle of letters exposing dangerous relationships.
But the festive atmosphere is overshadowed by a tragic event. Two days earlier, Marcello's brother-in-law Francesco Michiel was murdered. Charismatic and fascinating, he was in some way connected to all of them.
As Catterina busies herself with preparations for the party, she is stunned by the revelation of a sinister scenario involving the people dearest to her.
In the opulent Venetian palace that evening, Catterina is the only one who knows the secrets of each of her dinner guests and their links with Francesco Michiel. She must tread carefully if she is to understand how to move and find out who killed Francesco and why.
Unfolding on a single day against the backdrop of Venice on the edge of her great decline, the course of history hangs in the balance of love, politics and a bundle of letters exposing dangerous relationships.
144 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2019
2 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Andrea Perego
17 books2 followersITALIANO
Andrea Perego è un giornalista e scrittore italo-australiano. Dopo gli studi classici e di Filosofia, si diploma in Archivistica, Paleografia e Diplomatica presso l'Archivio di Stato di Venezia.
"Il gentiluomo" è il suo secondo romanzo, pubblicato da Supernova nell'autunno del 2022. Il protagonista è un nobiluomo francese costretto a fuggire da Parigi a seguito della Rivoluzione. Giunto a Londra nel 1793, deve dare inizio alla sua nuova vita. Lasciatasi alle spalle la corte di Versailles e di Maria-Antonietta, col tempo riesce a crearsi una posizione nell'ambiente di Georgiana Cavendish, la duchessa di Devonshire, Beau Brummell e Henry Austen, il fratello di Jane Austen con cui comincia una corrispondenza.
Precedentemente Andrea Perego ha pubblicato, con Supernova, la raccolta di racconti "Racconti in cornice", uscito in inglese col titolo "Red Moons and Cornflowers". Nel 2018 cura in quattro lingue "Casanova a Berlino", la trascrizione critica delle pagine delle Memorie in cui Casanova racconta i mesi trascorsi nella capitale prussiana nel 1764.
"Barbara - Un affare di Stato" esce, sempre per Supernova, nel 2020 ed è seguito nel '22 dall'edizione inglese, "Barbara - An affair of State". Il libro racconta la storia di Barbara Campanini, celeberrima ballerina del '700 nota come "la Barbarina". Nel 1743-44 Barbara si trovò al centro di un eclatante affare di Stato che coinvolse tutte le principali potenze europee. La sua vicenda è raccontata sulla base di tutti i documenti inediti rintracciati principalmente negli Archivi di Stato d Berlino e di Venezia. Il libro è stato pubblicato con il patrocinio del Comune di Parma dove Barbara Campanini era nata.
Il primo romanzo di Andrea Perego, "Le leggi del tempo", è pubblicato da Supernova nel 2016. L'edizione inglese, "The Laws of Time", esce nel 2019. Si tratta di un giallo, o meglio "mystery", che si svolge nel corso di una giornata, il 9 novembre 1730, in un palazzo di Venezia. Anche in questo caso compaiono personaggi reali quali la pittrice Rosalba Carriera, il musicista Antonio Lotti e Joseph Smith, l'ambasciatore inglese a Venezia, invitati a una cena durante la quale la protagonista, Catterina Antelmi, deve capire le colpe e le ragioni che legano alcuni degli ospiti, e forse lei stessa, a un delitto.
ENGLISH
Andrea Perego is a Berlin-based, Italo-Australian journalist and writer. He previously lived in Venice, where he earned his diploma in Archival Studies, Paleography and Diplomatics at the Archivio di Stato.
His first collection of short stories in Italian, "Racconti in cornice", was published in January 2014 by Supernova Edizioni. The English edition of the book appeared under the title "Red Moons and Cornflowers" in March 2015.
With Supernova, he has also published the novel "Le leggi del tempo", released in January 2019 in English as "The Laws of Time", and "Barbara - Un affare di Stato", released in 2020. The English edition "Barbara - An Affair of State" was released in 2022.
In 2018 he published "Casanova à Berlin", transcribed from the original French manuscript of "Histoire de ma vie" by Giacomo Casanova, translated and also published in Italian, English and German.
In September 2022 Andrea Perego's second novel, "Il gentiluomo" was released by Supernova. The novel, published in Italian, tells the story of a French nobleman who is forced to flee the Revolution. He goes to England, where he must make a new life for himself. Far from the court of Marie Antoinette, he finds himself in London, trying to earn a living within the English high society of the time, mixing with the likes of Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, Beau Brummell and Jane Austen, with whom he begins a correspondence.
Andrea Perego è un giornalista e scrittore italo-australiano. Dopo gli studi classici e di Filosofia, si diploma in Archivistica, Paleografia e Diplomatica presso l'Archivio di Stato di Venezia.
"Il gentiluomo" è il suo secondo romanzo, pubblicato da Supernova nell'autunno del 2022. Il protagonista è un nobiluomo francese costretto a fuggire da Parigi a seguito della Rivoluzione. Giunto a Londra nel 1793, deve dare inizio alla sua nuova vita. Lasciatasi alle spalle la corte di Versailles e di Maria-Antonietta, col tempo riesce a crearsi una posizione nell'ambiente di Georgiana Cavendish, la duchessa di Devonshire, Beau Brummell e Henry Austen, il fratello di Jane Austen con cui comincia una corrispondenza.
Precedentemente Andrea Perego ha pubblicato, con Supernova, la raccolta di racconti "Racconti in cornice", uscito in inglese col titolo "Red Moons and Cornflowers". Nel 2018 cura in quattro lingue "Casanova a Berlino", la trascrizione critica delle pagine delle Memorie in cui Casanova racconta i mesi trascorsi nella capitale prussiana nel 1764.
"Barbara - Un affare di Stato" esce, sempre per Supernova, nel 2020 ed è seguito nel '22 dall'edizione inglese, "Barbara - An affair of State". Il libro racconta la storia di Barbara Campanini, celeberrima ballerina del '700 nota come "la Barbarina". Nel 1743-44 Barbara si trovò al centro di un eclatante affare di Stato che coinvolse tutte le principali potenze europee. La sua vicenda è raccontata sulla base di tutti i documenti inediti rintracciati principalmente negli Archivi di Stato d Berlino e di Venezia. Il libro è stato pubblicato con il patrocinio del Comune di Parma dove Barbara Campanini era nata.
Il primo romanzo di Andrea Perego, "Le leggi del tempo", è pubblicato da Supernova nel 2016. L'edizione inglese, "The Laws of Time", esce nel 2019. Si tratta di un giallo, o meglio "mystery", che si svolge nel corso di una giornata, il 9 novembre 1730, in un palazzo di Venezia. Anche in questo caso compaiono personaggi reali quali la pittrice Rosalba Carriera, il musicista Antonio Lotti e Joseph Smith, l'ambasciatore inglese a Venezia, invitati a una cena durante la quale la protagonista, Catterina Antelmi, deve capire le colpe e le ragioni che legano alcuni degli ospiti, e forse lei stessa, a un delitto.
ENGLISH
Andrea Perego is a Berlin-based, Italo-Australian journalist and writer. He previously lived in Venice, where he earned his diploma in Archival Studies, Paleography and Diplomatics at the Archivio di Stato.
His first collection of short stories in Italian, "Racconti in cornice", was published in January 2014 by Supernova Edizioni. The English edition of the book appeared under the title "Red Moons and Cornflowers" in March 2015.
With Supernova, he has also published the novel "Le leggi del tempo", released in January 2019 in English as "The Laws of Time", and "Barbara - Un affare di Stato", released in 2020. The English edition "Barbara - An Affair of State" was released in 2022.
In 2018 he published "Casanova à Berlin", transcribed from the original French manuscript of "Histoire de ma vie" by Giacomo Casanova, translated and also published in Italian, English and German.
In September 2022 Andrea Perego's second novel, "Il gentiluomo" was released by Supernova. The novel, published in Italian, tells the story of a French nobleman who is forced to flee the Revolution. He goes to England, where he must make a new life for himself. Far from the court of Marie Antoinette, he finds himself in London, trying to earn a living within the English high society of the time, mixing with the likes of Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, Beau Brummell and Jane Austen, with whom he begins a correspondence.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 29, 2020
Delightful
I recently discoveres a portrait by the 18th century Venetian artist Rosalba Carriera. It was so beautiful it led me to look into her further, and it was during this search that I came upon this book by Andrea Perego. Although Carriera is only a minor character here, the book is a font of knowledge about Venetian life and culture of the 1730's. The plot is loosely based on the discovery of a trove of forbidden letters which precipitates a murder, but far more interesting than the solving of that murder is the rich life lived by the main characters. The author has done prodigious research into the architecture, laws, social levels, dress, foods and conventions of life in Venice in the late 17th and early 18th century. Those drawn to this period will revel in its detail, and anyone drawn to European history, even those (like myself) who had no prior interest in this period may find themselves delightfully captured by this little treasure of a book.
I recently discoveres a portrait by the 18th century Venetian artist Rosalba Carriera. It was so beautiful it led me to look into her further, and it was during this search that I came upon this book by Andrea Perego. Although Carriera is only a minor character here, the book is a font of knowledge about Venetian life and culture of the 1730's. The plot is loosely based on the discovery of a trove of forbidden letters which precipitates a murder, but far more interesting than the solving of that murder is the rich life lived by the main characters. The author has done prodigious research into the architecture, laws, social levels, dress, foods and conventions of life in Venice in the late 17th and early 18th century. Those drawn to this period will revel in its detail, and anyone drawn to European history, even those (like myself) who had no prior interest in this period may find themselves delightfully captured by this little treasure of a book.
November 7, 2024
A lovely little book
October 9, 2025
This would be good historical nonfiction, or okay historical fiction, but they tried to do both at once. So it is just not very good.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews