What do you think?
Rate this book
Mediciernes Hemmelighed
I 1966 falder opsynsmanden ved Medici-kapellet over et mystisk gammelt dokument i kapellets krypt. Det er tydeligt, at der er tale om en slags dagbog eller journal, men han kender ikke sproget og må søge assistance. Når han har fået sin nysgerrig stillet, har han naturligvis til hensigt at aflevere dokumentet til myndighederne, men inden han når så langt, bliver han opsøgt af to mindre behagelige typer, der truer ham til at udlevere det.
40 år senere arbejder et hold forskere i krypten med at undersøge de jordiske rester af Medici-slægten ved hjælp af den nyeste dna-teknologi. Ved undersøglsen af det lig der angiveligt skulle være et af slægtens mest fremtrædende medlemmer, Cosimo de Medici, falder holdet over en lille stentavle inde i hans balsameret lig. Samme aften myrdes forskerholdets leder, Carlin Mackenzie, men inden da har han nået at lægge en kryptisk besked til sin niece, Edie Granger, der også arbejder på holdet.
Sammen med sin ven, historikeren Jeff Martin, prøver Edie at tyde den kryptiske besked, der fører dem på en farefuld færd rundt i Firenzes og Venedigs gader på jagt efter ledetråde, der kan føre dem til Medicirnes hemmelighed, og samtidig hober ligene sig op i kølvandet på dem.
40 år senere arbejder et hold forskere i krypten med at undersøge de jordiske rester af Medici-slægten ved hjælp af den nyeste dna-teknologi. Ved undersøglsen af det lig der angiveligt skulle være et af slægtens mest fremtrædende medlemmer, Cosimo de Medici, falder holdet over en lille stentavle inde i hans balsameret lig. Samme aften myrdes forskerholdets leder, Carlin Mackenzie, men inden da har han nået at lægge en kryptisk besked til sin niece, Edie Granger, der også arbejder på holdet.
Sammen med sin ven, historikeren Jeff Martin, prøver Edie at tyde den kryptiske besked, der fører dem på en farefuld færd rundt i Firenzes og Venedigs gader på jagt efter ledetråde, der kan føre dem til Medicirnes hemmelighed, og samtidig hober ligene sig op i kølvandet på dem.
234 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
44 people are currently reading
1017 people want to read
About the author
Michael White
46 books137 followersMichael White was a British writer who was based in Perth, Australia. He studied at King's College London (1977–1982) and was a chemistry lecturer at d'Overbroeck's College, Oxford (1984–1991).
He was a science editor of British GQ, a columnist for the Sunday Express in London and, 'in a previous incarnation', he was a member of Colour Me Pop. Colour Me Pop featured on the "Europe in the Year Zero" EP in 1982 with Yazoo and Sudeten Creche and he was then a member of the group The Thompson Twins (1982). He moved to Australia in 2002 and was made an Honorary Research Fellow at Curtin University in 2005.
He was the author of thirty-five books: these include Stephen Hawking: A Life in Science; Leonardo: The First Scientist; Tolkien: A Biography; and C. S. Lewis: The Boy Who Chronicled Narnia. His first novel Equinox – thriller, an occult mystery reached the Top Ten in the bestseller list in the UK and has been translated into 35 languages. His non-fiction production included the biography Galileo: Antichrist. Novels following Equinox include The Medici Secret, The Borgia Ring and The Art of Murder.
White wrote under two further names, Tom West and Sam Fisher. He used the latter pseudonym to publish the E-Force trilogy, State of Emergency, Aftershock, and Nano.
A further novel by White, The Venetian Detective, features characters including Galileo and Elizabeth.
White wrote a biography of Isaac Newton, The Last Sorcerer. He was both short-listed and long-listed for the Aventis prize. Rivals was short-listed in 2002, and The Fruits of War long-listed in 2006. He was also nominated for the Ned Kelly Prize for First Novel (for Equinox in 2007).
He was a science editor of British GQ, a columnist for the Sunday Express in London and, 'in a previous incarnation', he was a member of Colour Me Pop. Colour Me Pop featured on the "Europe in the Year Zero" EP in 1982 with Yazoo and Sudeten Creche and he was then a member of the group The Thompson Twins (1982). He moved to Australia in 2002 and was made an Honorary Research Fellow at Curtin University in 2005.
He was the author of thirty-five books: these include Stephen Hawking: A Life in Science; Leonardo: The First Scientist; Tolkien: A Biography; and C. S. Lewis: The Boy Who Chronicled Narnia. His first novel Equinox – thriller, an occult mystery reached the Top Ten in the bestseller list in the UK and has been translated into 35 languages. His non-fiction production included the biography Galileo: Antichrist. Novels following Equinox include The Medici Secret, The Borgia Ring and The Art of Murder.
White wrote under two further names, Tom West and Sam Fisher. He used the latter pseudonym to publish the E-Force trilogy, State of Emergency, Aftershock, and Nano.
A further novel by White, The Venetian Detective, features characters including Galileo and Elizabeth.
White wrote a biography of Isaac Newton, The Last Sorcerer. He was both short-listed and long-listed for the Aventis prize. Rivals was short-listed in 2002, and The Fruits of War long-listed in 2006. He was also nominated for the Ned Kelly Prize for First Novel (for Equinox in 2007).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
April 28, 2010
I expected this book to be terrible. I was right! I gave it two stars on the grounds that I remained interested enough to keep reading, though this wasn't the author's fault -- Cosimo and Contessina de' Medici were the people that kept me interested. The non-historical characters included were 2D, the romance was so completely undeveloped it just made me laugh, and the whole thing just seemed way too melodramatic. The jumps about in time (and space) were irritating: novels don't have to be linear, but I'd rather there was some kind of rhyme or reason to it. In the first few chapters alone we go from 1996 to the present day to 1410.
July 14, 2012
I stumbled upon Michael White in a second hand book shop and was intrigued by the subject, as the Medici have always fascinated me. It was a fast read, action packed. He tends to write his books in two levels ie with a current scenario paralleled with the actual period in Renaissance Italy. So you have the machiavellian Medici creating what 500 years later was to become a compelling mystery, when modern day archeologists discovered the presence of an alien object resting against the spine of the supposed mummy of Cosimo de Medici.
One of the aspects of Michael White's books that I have come to appreciate is that the factual aspects of the plot are well researched and supported by historical notes in the back of the book which can lead you to further research.I enjoyed my first book of his and have subsequently read others.
One of the aspects of Michael White's books that I have come to appreciate is that the factual aspects of the plot are well researched and supported by historical notes in the back of the book which can lead you to further research.I enjoyed my first book of his and have subsequently read others.
January 29, 2015
Two stars. Interesting enough, and as a fictional introduction to some of the Renaissance figures, ok I suppose. But honestly, the plot and the action is so far-fetched as to be laughable, and where the author couldn't think of anything far-fetched to add as a plot line, he just jumped straight from a to m or n with nothing in between. In the end, perhaps it's the mixing of fiction with real characters from history (doing things they never did) which is the problem. But as another reviewer has said, at least Michael White doesn't do what Dan Brown has done, and pretend this is real.
September 3, 2019
"Il segreto dei Medici" è l'avvincente, intrepido e misterioso romanzo di Michael White, appartenente a pieno titolo al genere del thriller storico, di cui presenta tutti i principali caratteri ed elementi distintivi. Probabilmente oscurato dalla più fortunata fama della saga "I Medici" dell'italiano Matteo Strukul, il libro, classe 2016, propone un quantomai oscuro e audace segreto, un terribile e grave enigma, secoli fa scoperto e portato drammaticamente alla luce da Cosimo de' Medici e dalla sua promessa Contessina. Perfettamente consapevoli del misterioso pericolo celato che avrebbe detenuto il potere di annientare l'intera umanità e della mastodontica responsabilità dell'esserne venuti a conoscenza, i due, aiutati dal fedele amico Niccolò Niccoli, anch'egli celebre personaggio storico e umanista del XV secolo, pongono in essere disperati tentativi di nasconderlo e proteggerlo attraverso i secoli dalle mani di chi voglia impossessarsene per ambizioni senza scrupoli, di potere e ricchezza. Tuttavia, ai nostri giorni, poco dopo la riesumazione del cadavere di Cosimo da parte della paleopatologa Edie Granger e di suo zio Carlin Mackenzie, gelosamente custodito per 600 anni nelle sacre Cappelle Medicee a Firenze, strani indizi emergono e imprevedibili avvenimenti hanno inizio: il segreto, fino ad allora al sicuro su un'isola sperduta in un lago della Macedonia, diviene in pericolo. Da questo momento una rete di terribili omicidi, palpitanti inseguimenti, inaspettati tradimenti, a partire dall'uccisione dello stesso Carlin, coinvolgeranno Edie, Jeff, suo caro amico di università, padre di Rose, adolescente turbolenta e ribelle, e Roberto Armatovani, discendente di una nobile famiglia veneziana. Le loro vite non saranno più al sicuro per l'intero corso della storia, e il lettore rimarrà col fiato sospeso, in un'avvolgente e buia atmosfera di panico, intrighi e colpi di scena, fino al clamoroso epilogo!
Le scene d'azione rappresentano senza dubbio il tratto maggiormente qualificante del romanzo, descritte sempre con incredibile cura e imparagonabile abilità espressiva, seppur a volte eccedendo in violenza e quantità di particolari. Le ingegnose indagini del gruppo di studiosi, involontariamente e a loro discapito protagonisti delle vicende narrate, figurano fra gli aspetti che ho più preferito dell'opera, sia per l'acuminata lucidità dimostrata dai personaggi, sia per l'irresistibile tentazione provata dal lettore di ragionare, al pari degli stessi attori del racconto, allo scopo di venire a capo degli insoluti misteri e delle emozionanti dinamiche descritte.
Ulteriore peculiarità de "Il segreto dei medici" è la originalissima varietà di tempi e luoghi in cui la storia si articola, che vanno dalla Venezia dei nostri giorni alla Firenze del 1400, passando per Londra, Toronto, Skopje, Pisa, Ragusa... senza dubbio la capacità dell'autore di mutare di volta in volta la focalizzazione, il punto di vista dei fatti raccontati risulta oggettivamente apprezzabile. Tuttavia, se la diversa ambientazione dello spazio mi è risultata di grandissimo gradimento, data la possibilità di conoscere differenti aspetti, luoghi e realtà in giro per l'Europa e nel lungo viaggio che conduce Cosimo dalla sua città natia ai belli e lontani Balcani, ho trovato, al contrario, quantomeno spiacevole il continuo passaggio da un'epoca all'altra, dai tempi di Cosimo ai nostri giorni, passando per l'anno della terribile alluvione che colpì la città di Firenze nel drammatico novembre 1966 (dico drammatico per via degli ingenti danni causati dalla stessa al patrimonio artistico e culturale della città!). Difatti, una tale repentina alternanza delle due epoche non può permettere una autentica immersione nel contesto spazio-temporale trattato, immersione per l'appunto sistematicamente interrotta dall'avvicendamento dei due periodi storici e che pure rappresenta uno degli aspetti di maggior rilievo al fine di una positiva esperienza di gradimento e coinvolgimento da parte del lettore.
Infine, mi concedo poche considerazioni sul sistema dei personaggi presentato nel romanzo. Non trovo eccessivamente significativo e interessante il complesso dei characters dei giorni nostri, essendosi questo rivelato piuttosto stereotipato e piatto, limitandosi dunque ad una caratterizzazione, a mio avviso, banale e superficiale dei personaggi moderni, assimilabili a statici e prevedibili "tipi", tra cui il padre divorziato che rischia di coinvolgere sua figlia in un caso rischioso e potenzialmente letale, l'antagonista, il poliziotto traditore, l'aiutante femminile... un modello, insomma, più volte già rivisto e ampiamente testato. Al contrario, i protagonisti dell'ambientazione quattrocentesca, Cosimo, Contessina, Niccoli risultano di gran lunga più degni di attenzione, tanto per l'inevitabile interesse e fascino che tali figure storiche esercitano a sei secoli di distanza su storici, studiosi, esperti ma anche persone comuni del nostro tempo, quanto per la nuova vita che è loro offerta dalla saggia mente creatrice e dall'abile mano di Michael White, nell'interpretazione che di questi giganti della Storia sembra essere formidabilmente fornita.
Congiure, cospirazioni, complotti affascineranno efficacemente pertanto non solo l'appassionato della storia e dei tanti fitti misteri e delle innumerevoli incognite di cui essa è fortunatamente costellata, ma chiunque si accinga a leggere questo romanzo risulterà piacevolmente colpito da una storia, quella del segreto dei Medici, che sa giungere dritta al cuore dell'uomo, abbracciando e facendo leva sulle paure più inquietanti, sulle forze più arcane, occulte e incontrollabili dell'animo umano, sulla sua brama di onnipotenza, fino a toccare le corde più sublimi della morte e dell'immortalità, del miracolo, dell'ingegno, del sacrificio e della vita.
Le scene d'azione rappresentano senza dubbio il tratto maggiormente qualificante del romanzo, descritte sempre con incredibile cura e imparagonabile abilità espressiva, seppur a volte eccedendo in violenza e quantità di particolari. Le ingegnose indagini del gruppo di studiosi, involontariamente e a loro discapito protagonisti delle vicende narrate, figurano fra gli aspetti che ho più preferito dell'opera, sia per l'acuminata lucidità dimostrata dai personaggi, sia per l'irresistibile tentazione provata dal lettore di ragionare, al pari degli stessi attori del racconto, allo scopo di venire a capo degli insoluti misteri e delle emozionanti dinamiche descritte.
Ulteriore peculiarità de "Il segreto dei medici" è la originalissima varietà di tempi e luoghi in cui la storia si articola, che vanno dalla Venezia dei nostri giorni alla Firenze del 1400, passando per Londra, Toronto, Skopje, Pisa, Ragusa... senza dubbio la capacità dell'autore di mutare di volta in volta la focalizzazione, il punto di vista dei fatti raccontati risulta oggettivamente apprezzabile. Tuttavia, se la diversa ambientazione dello spazio mi è risultata di grandissimo gradimento, data la possibilità di conoscere differenti aspetti, luoghi e realtà in giro per l'Europa e nel lungo viaggio che conduce Cosimo dalla sua città natia ai belli e lontani Balcani, ho trovato, al contrario, quantomeno spiacevole il continuo passaggio da un'epoca all'altra, dai tempi di Cosimo ai nostri giorni, passando per l'anno della terribile alluvione che colpì la città di Firenze nel drammatico novembre 1966 (dico drammatico per via degli ingenti danni causati dalla stessa al patrimonio artistico e culturale della città!). Difatti, una tale repentina alternanza delle due epoche non può permettere una autentica immersione nel contesto spazio-temporale trattato, immersione per l'appunto sistematicamente interrotta dall'avvicendamento dei due periodi storici e che pure rappresenta uno degli aspetti di maggior rilievo al fine di una positiva esperienza di gradimento e coinvolgimento da parte del lettore.
Infine, mi concedo poche considerazioni sul sistema dei personaggi presentato nel romanzo. Non trovo eccessivamente significativo e interessante il complesso dei characters dei giorni nostri, essendosi questo rivelato piuttosto stereotipato e piatto, limitandosi dunque ad una caratterizzazione, a mio avviso, banale e superficiale dei personaggi moderni, assimilabili a statici e prevedibili "tipi", tra cui il padre divorziato che rischia di coinvolgere sua figlia in un caso rischioso e potenzialmente letale, l'antagonista, il poliziotto traditore, l'aiutante femminile... un modello, insomma, più volte già rivisto e ampiamente testato. Al contrario, i protagonisti dell'ambientazione quattrocentesca, Cosimo, Contessina, Niccoli risultano di gran lunga più degni di attenzione, tanto per l'inevitabile interesse e fascino che tali figure storiche esercitano a sei secoli di distanza su storici, studiosi, esperti ma anche persone comuni del nostro tempo, quanto per la nuova vita che è loro offerta dalla saggia mente creatrice e dall'abile mano di Michael White, nell'interpretazione che di questi giganti della Storia sembra essere formidabilmente fornita.
Congiure, cospirazioni, complotti affascineranno efficacemente pertanto non solo l'appassionato della storia e dei tanti fitti misteri e delle innumerevoli incognite di cui essa è fortunatamente costellata, ma chiunque si accinga a leggere questo romanzo risulterà piacevolmente colpito da una storia, quella del segreto dei Medici, che sa giungere dritta al cuore dell'uomo, abbracciando e facendo leva sulle paure più inquietanti, sulle forze più arcane, occulte e incontrollabili dell'animo umano, sulla sua brama di onnipotenza, fino a toccare le corde più sublimi della morte e dell'immortalità, del miracolo, dell'ingegno, del sacrificio e della vita.
July 26, 2018
Kinda weak as a thriller. Good ideas but about half way through I got bored. It was cool to kinda get a grasp on who Cosimo was as a person. I bought this book in the gift shop of the Medici tombs in Florence. It was beautiful but I knew nothing of the history or family. Just feel like the writing could have been stronger. May still check out The Borgia Ring.
May 24, 2021
Całkiem fajna i wciągająca książka. Dopadłam ją w antykwariacie i była warta każdej złotówki z 10, które zapłaciłam. To taka lektura wakacyjno-wieczorowa, czyli na jeden dzień.
October 21, 2014
Sadly I didn't really get into this book. I had expected a great fast paced read. But it jumped around a lot from 1410 to the present which was quite confusing. The historical aspects were interesting though.
October 18, 2019
very similar to Dan Brown but I did like that at the end of the book there were "facts behind the fiction" which gave an insight to where the idea came from and how things were incorporated into the story
September 9, 2025
It was a very quick read, but not very exciting. The ending didn’t fascinate me either. The time and place jumps were a little confusing, and so were the characters. I kept reading it for the historical figures and because I hoped it’s gonna be a great discovery at the end. It wasn’t, in my opinion. I enjoyed reading about Contessina de Bardi and I was very happy when she made a second appearance. I suppose it could have made an interesting film, but I wouldn’t recommend this book, whether you are a fan of the Medici family or a fan of Da Vinci Code style novels. I did like that at the end, White presents the historical facts. I enjoy his non-fiction work a *lot* more! His book about Leonardo da Vinci is amazing and it sparked my interest in the Italian Renaissance. This novel was overall quite disappointing, but I suppose I would give White another chance when it comes to fiction. You can definitely see his love for history and the time period in this novel.
I also liked this quote:
“My love for Contessina is my way of defying death. I know that one day all must turn to dust, our lovers leave us and forget us, and they die as we will. But by loving another we are making a stand. The seeking of knowledge, the unravelling of a mystery is the same, it allows me to say: I'm a man, I have some value in this world.”
I also liked this quote:
“My love for Contessina is my way of defying death. I know that one day all must turn to dust, our lovers leave us and forget us, and they die as we will. But by loving another we are making a stand. The seeking of knowledge, the unravelling of a mystery is the same, it allows me to say: I'm a man, I have some value in this world.”
January 7, 2024
The jumping off point of the whole book is the murder of a scientist because he finds a "tablet" inside an ancient body in a crypt. You never hear about the tablet again, what it was, or why the man was murdered so someone could get their hands on it. Strike one.
Strike two: So. Many. Perspective shifts. It was jarring, and half of them never lead anywhere. For example, the guy who stole the papers from the vault to sell...why was he necessary when the buyer already has his own perspective narrative and a part in the wider story, including explaining how he acquires relics?
Strike three: way too many ideas that seemlingly get forgotten about. Dirty cop? Check. Random mysterious phone calls to terrorists? Check. Assassin sent to kill people but doesn't pull the trigger multiple times? Check. Cheating ex wife tells daughter her husband was the one who cheated so she hates him when she visits. Check. Several men leave their homes and families to go on a quest without telling them. Check.
For a murder mystery/relic finding book there was still a heck of a lot of unsolved mysteries and unexplained relics at the end.
Strike two: So. Many. Perspective shifts. It was jarring, and half of them never lead anywhere. For example, the guy who stole the papers from the vault to sell...why was he necessary when the buyer already has his own perspective narrative and a part in the wider story, including explaining how he acquires relics?
Strike three: way too many ideas that seemlingly get forgotten about. Dirty cop? Check. Random mysterious phone calls to terrorists? Check. Assassin sent to kill people but doesn't pull the trigger multiple times? Check. Cheating ex wife tells daughter her husband was the one who cheated so she hates him when she visits. Check. Several men leave their homes and families to go on a quest without telling them. Check.
For a murder mystery/relic finding book there was still a heck of a lot of unsolved mysteries and unexplained relics at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2019
Na een recent bezoek aan de imposante Medici-kapel in Firenze, keek ik uit naar dit boek. Het is niet slecht. Echter het samenbrengen van een paar historische figuren, mysterieuze genootschappen, verloren occulte wijsheden, overgoten met heel snelle actie, een avonturier, een wetenschapster en een aristocraat zijn niet voldoende om er ook een echt goed verhaal van te maken. De personages kennen weinig diepgang, het verhaal is ook niet helemaal waterdicht (less is ook more in dit geval). Na de "Da Vinci Code" van Dan Brown dacht iedereen dat ze dit succesrecept konden imiteren. Velen hebben het geprobeerd, weinigen zijn er echt in geslaagd. Michael White ook niet echt. Het blijft wel amusante lectuur, maar veel zal er niet van blijven hangen.
April 4, 2018
I have always been a fan of books that mix fact with fiction and The Medici Secret does not disappoint.
The story goes from 1410 to present day hopscotching back and forth and gorgeous town of Venice provides the ideal backdrop and working its way across the world from era to era unravelling as it goes the secret the Medici family spent so long concealing and the reasons behind the many riddles to ensure its secrecy.
To me this book had similar rhythms to Dan Brown Da Vinci Code - there are always hero’s and as such there must also be baddies but the storylines that lead from one to the other will keep you riveted as it has done for me - it’s 1.20am yes I am shattered but what a story .
The story goes from 1410 to present day hopscotching back and forth and gorgeous town of Venice provides the ideal backdrop and working its way across the world from era to era unravelling as it goes the secret the Medici family spent so long concealing and the reasons behind the many riddles to ensure its secrecy.
To me this book had similar rhythms to Dan Brown Da Vinci Code - there are always hero’s and as such there must also be baddies but the storylines that lead from one to the other will keep you riveted as it has done for me - it’s 1.20am yes I am shattered but what a story .
May 31, 2023
When the author uses the first paragraph of the book just to make a point on how fit and hot the protagonist is (and uses this information for absolutely nothing throughout the book), you know you shouldn’t expect anything exceptional. But I honestly expected things to improve, at least a bit. The historic characters are interesting enough but the plot feels so far-fetched it’s hard to believe it would be possible, the “romance” added absolutely nothing to the storyline and some characters were completely dismissible. Anyways, I finished reading for the promise of the book it could have been but would not recommend it to anyone for the book that it is.
July 26, 2019
Fasinating
The reason I have this 4stars is due to the fact it has taken me so long to finish, as I kept putting aside due to my difficulty in following the story written in different time lines. This being said I found it to be a fascinating read combining the fact and fiction in so much that I had to finish it rather than five up. There are I many twists and turns working out which characters are good and bad is interesting this is a book I will be reading again and will also be looking to read more from this author and some of the reading suggested at the end.
The reason I have this 4stars is due to the fact it has taken me so long to finish, as I kept putting aside due to my difficulty in following the story written in different time lines. This being said I found it to be a fascinating read combining the fact and fiction in so much that I had to finish it rather than five up. There are I many twists and turns working out which characters are good and bad is interesting this is a book I will be reading again and will also be looking to read more from this author and some of the reading suggested at the end.
Read
September 3, 2019I cannot rate this book... what a load of trash... absolutely awful... the story... there is none... no suspense or if there is too much of it that you get bored or don’t care what happens as long a someone dies or b someone gets emotionally scarred. The characters feel more like 2D constructs rather than real people even the historical people are laughably too modern. This just trash and god the utter laziness and appalling lack in understanding anything about medieval society. Never read this if you want feel like you are in Italy and don’t read this for historical accuracy.
Read
January 1, 2021
September 26, 2021
The book felt very Dan Brown-ish but I am not accusing the creative process of the author has been completely plagiarized.
The book is okay not very gripping has it states.
As I turned the pages the very thing that kept bugging me was what could someone possibly want from a 500 year old bodies that is worth so many lives and unlike many books the secret kept on going until the end.
I would guess okay this is it and it turned out wrong throughout the book.
The secret on one hand is not what I expected it to be I thought it is something very grave and complex but on the other hand it could have gotten grave and complex if it fell in wrong hands.
I did not quite like the switches between present, 1410 and vice versa at the beginning but later got accustomed to it.
Not the best thriller out there but yeah it was plain and fine.
The book is okay not very gripping has it states.
As I turned the pages the very thing that kept bugging me was what could someone possibly want from a 500 year old bodies that is worth so many lives and unlike many books the secret kept on going until the end.
I would guess okay this is it and it turned out wrong throughout the book.
The secret on one hand is not what I expected it to be I thought it is something very grave and complex but on the other hand it could have gotten grave and complex if it fell in wrong hands.
I did not quite like the switches between present, 1410 and vice versa at the beginning but later got accustomed to it.
Not the best thriller out there but yeah it was plain and fine.
March 20, 2025
Medici’s Secret is a rather decent, light read—somewhat entertaining but not particularly deep. It works well for a commute or a casual weekend book. Don’t get fooled by the title, historical references don’t play a major role. The writing flows easily, and the plot moves at a decent pace, but it lacks the depth or complexity to make it truly memorable. A good pick if you’re in the mood for something not too demanding.
March 3, 2017
Having just been in Rome with a visit to Florence I couldn't resist this book. It is a fast moving mystery/thriller about finding, losing and discovery the secret of a mysterious object found in the remains of what was thought to be Cosimo de Medici the most famous of the Medici family. His remains were being studied by a team of Forensic Anthropologists to prove it was in fact Cosimo.
November 1, 2018
Confusing in places. At the beginning they find a rectangular object inside a body and then later they are looking for a vial of liquid. Who knows how they made that in the time of Cosimo. I think I must have missed something, with regards to the rectangular object. One of those books you read thinking it will improve and it doesn’t
October 3, 2019
Una perdita di tempo totale. E la traduzione italiana, ostica a dir poco, aggiunge anche la fatica di capire cosa stia succedendo. Ma è possibile che si "aprano le sopracciglia"? O che Cosimo De Medici, parlando di come sia stato scoperto, dica Mi hanno "beccato?". Davvero soldi e tempo buttati. Ormai questo genere è usato e abusato da chiunque ed è diventato ridicolo.
October 7, 2022
Una muy buena novela a la altura de algunas otras que se han llevado a pantalla grande
El autor hace uso de recursos conocidos y se toma la libertad de inventar y recomponer piezas históricas sin que esto afecte a la novela.
Sabe mantener el ritmo del relato y transporta al lector a los distintos escenarios y épocas
Muy recomendable si te gusto Código DaVinci
El autor hace uso de recursos conocidos y se toma la libertad de inventar y recomponer piezas históricas sin que esto afecte a la novela.
Sabe mantener el ritmo del relato y transporta al lector a los distintos escenarios y épocas
Muy recomendable si te gusto Código DaVinci
December 31, 2022
Tässä ei toiminut yhtikäs mikään. Ei juoni. Ei henkilöhahmot. Ei dialogi. Ei kieli. Eikä valitettavasti edes käännös. En olisi lukenut, jos en olisi tarvinut Italiaan sijoittuvaa kirjaa erääseen lukuhaasteeseen.
Muistiin itselle: kierrä kaukaa akateemisten, yhden alan tutkijoiden kaunokirjalliset viritykset.
Muistiin itselle: kierrä kaukaa akateemisten, yhden alan tutkijoiden kaunokirjalliset viritykset.
October 13, 2025
3.7 stars. An almost well developed mystery thriller. Read more like a screenplay than a novel. No character development. However, author has done their research on history of the Renaissances most powerful patrons and Italian cities which contributes to the value of the novel. Would he interested in seeing this book adapted to the screen
August 4, 2017
Readin this book was like watching a Dan Brown book based movie. Exciting, twisted, with great descriptions of the places and accurate scientific statements.
I liked reading it, I only gave 4 stars because there wasn't an "omg book hangover" feeling afterwards.
I liked reading it, I only gave 4 stars because there wasn't an "omg book hangover" feeling afterwards.
September 30, 2017
Il libro in se è carino, segue un po’ il filo dell’altrettanto famoso Dan Brown( che preferisco di più), ma la grossa pecca è che ho capito di cosa si stava parlando a metà libro, il che mi ha fatto scemare la voglia di continuare a leggere
May 22, 2018
The first chapters were promising, lots of detail, but towards the middle and ending I found the plot and writing rushed, not to mention the unrealistic gun threats. Entertaining holiday read, but not the best.
June 30, 2019
Ok, romance was a bit week on! I enjoyed the putting together secrets and clues to come to a conclusion. I would read another of his novels to be able to make a judgement on his writings. It did keep me intrigued
August 23, 2019
A very good thriller with the perfect mix of historical action and present day scenes.
I loved the characters both good & bad and found myself rooting for the heroes of this book straight from the off.
I loved the characters both good & bad and found myself rooting for the heroes of this book straight from the off.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews